Week 5

Question 1

Key points for designing a research study

Answer 1

The research issue you want to address
What is the research question
What would be the right methodology

Question 2

Theoretical perspective

Answer 2

How you, the researcher, view the world and the assumptions that you make about the nature of the world and of reality.

Question 3

Epistemology

Answer 3

The assumptions that you make about the best way of investigating the world and about reality

Question 4

Realist ontology

Answer 4

The world is real, and science proceeds by examining and observing it
There is a single truth
Facts exist, and can be revealed through experiments

Question 5

Relativist ontology

Answer 5

Scientific laws are basically created by people to fit their view of reality
There are many truths
Facts depend on the viewpoint of the observer

Question 6

Methodology (strategies of enquiry)

Answer 6

the strategy, plan of action, the way that you group together your research techniques to make a coherent picture

Question 7

Methods

Answer 7

What you actually do, the techniques and procedures you use to gather and analyse

Question 8

What do positivists believe

Answer 8

Positivists believe that the best way to investigate the world is through objective methods, such as observations. Positivism fits within a realist ontology.

Question 9

What do Social constructionists believe

Answer 9

believe that reality does not exist by itself.
Instead, it is constructed and given meaning by people. Their focus
is therefore on feelings, beliefs and thoughts, and how people
communicate these. Social constructionism fits better with relativist ontology

Question 10

What type of data do realists tend to gather

Answer 10

Quantitative

Question 11

Quantitative approaches

Answer 11

Collect and analyse numerical data
* Tells you if there is a “difference” but not necessarily explain
“why”
* Explain phenomena by numerical data analysed using statistical
methods
* Variables are controlled as much as possible (Randomised
controlled trials are the gold standard) to eliminate interference
and measure the effect of any change
* Randomisation to reduce subjective bias
* Some types of research lend themselves better to quantitative
approaches than others

Question 12

Qualitative approaches

Answer 12

Research that that doesn’t involve numerical
data
* Instead uses words, pictures, photos, videos,
audio recordings.Peoples’ own words.
* Tends to start with a broad question rather
than a specific hypothesis
* Develop theory rather than start with one
 inductive rather than deductive

Question 13

Purposes of qualitative and quantitative data

Answer 13

Qual = understand social life
Quant = explain social life

Question 14

Findings of qualitative and quantitative data

Answer 14

Quant = Nomothetic
Qual = ideographic