Topic 4- Questionnaires Flashcards
1
Q
give 3 practical advantages of questionnaires
A
- quick and cheap
- no need to train interviewers
- easily quantifiable data
2
Q
give 2 reasons why questionnaires are reliable
A
- easy to repeat a questionnaire once it has been made
- no researcher present to influence answers
3
Q
which group prefers questionnaires
positivists or intepretivists
A
positivists
4
Q
comment on detachment and objectivity in questionnaires
A
- the sociologists involement is kept at a minimum so no involvement
5
Q
how are questionnaires representative?
A
- collect information from a large number of people
6
Q
comment how questionnaires can be more ethical than other research methods
A
- although they ask sensitive questions respondents have no obligation to answer them
- they have informed consent
7
Q
give 3 practical problems of questionnaires
A
- data tends to be limited as people are less likely to complete a long detailed questionnaire
- no guarantee if they recieve a questionnaire if it is postal
- whether the person who the questionnaire was addressed to actually completed it or if it was another person
8
Q
what is the danger of a low response rate in questionnaires?
A
- less valid
- less representative
- follow up costs more
9
Q
why are questionnaires inflexible?
A
- you cannot change the questions once they have been done to explore new areas
10
Q
why is detachment a bad thing in questionnaires?
A
- cannot clarify questions so intepretation may be different
- less valid as a result
11
Q
what do people tend to do to ‘impress’ the reseacher?
A
- lie about answers
- forget information
- give answers that they expect the sociologist wants to hear
12
Q
how can questionnaires be viewed as less valid according to interpretivists?
A
- questions are pre determined so researcher decides what is important
- closed ended questions means people can’t express their opinions
- open ended questions means some ‘out of place’ answers are disregarded
13
Q
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A
