Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Sociology > YR1: Research Methods > Flashcards

YR1: Research Methods Flashcards

1
Q

what is primary data?

A

data you collect yourself for your own purpose

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what is secondary data?

A

data collected by someone else, that is already in existence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what is quantitative data?

A

number based / statistical evidence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what is qualitative data?

A

word / picture based evidence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what do positivists seek to do via sociological research?

A

seek to explain human behaviour in a scientific way by looking at patterns in behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what do interpretivists seek to do via sociological research?

A

seek to understand human behaviour by achieving verstehen by looking at how people think and feel.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what does verstehen mean?

A

empathetic understanding

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what type of data to positivists and interpretivists prefer to use

A

positivists prefer quantitative date
interpretivists prefer qualitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

NAME the 5 factors that could effect a sociologist’s choice of topic to research

A

1) the sociologist’s perspective
2) society’s values
3) access
4) funding bodies
5) ethics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

explain how the sociologist’s perspective can effect a sociologist’s choice of research topic

A

their theoretical perspective impacts the topics they are interested in. for example, Feminists are more likely to research gender and study inequalities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

explain how society’s values can effect a sociologist’s choice of research topic

A

more likely to research issues that are seen as important in society at the time. hot topics. for example, the impact of covid on education

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

explain how access can effect a sociologist’s choice of research topic

A

how accessible a topic area is becomes important

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

explain how funding bodies can effect a sociologist’s choice of research topic

A

funding bodies= external organisations that provide the funding for sociological research. It is likely that the funding body will determine the topic they want you to research. Plus, the hotter the topic is, the more likely you are to be funded

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

explain how ethics can effect a sociologist’s choice of research topic

A

researchers have to be mindful of protecting respondents - must not cause harm. Must maintain privacy, consent and confidentiality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What does PET stand for in research methods?

A

Practical
Ethical
Theoretical

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

summarise the elements of practical aspects of research methods

A

Resources: time, money, requirements of the funding body, personal skills
Access: access to subject area + participants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

explain the elements of ethical aspects of research methods

A

Risk of harm
Informed consent
Maintain privacy / confidentiality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

explain the elements of theoretical aspects of research methods

A

Validity / Verstehen
Objectivity : lack of bias / influence on findings
Reliability: repeatability
Representativeness: is the sample a true reflection of population so that generalisations can be made?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what is triangulation?

A

Using 2 or more methods or sources to obtain a more rounded picture of something

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

give an example of a study that used triangulation

A

Barker 1984 Making of a Moonie. Used in depth interviews, participant observation, questionnaires and life histories

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

NAME the 5 steps of the research process once a topic has been selected

A

1) Formulating an aim or hypothesis
2) Operationalising concepts
3) Carrying out a pilot study
4) Deciding on the survey population
5) selecting a final sample from the survey population

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what is a hypothesis?

A

a prediction of what you think you will find

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what doe it mean to operationalise concepts?

A

define concepts to make measurable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what is a pilot study?

A

a small scale preliminary study to test the research design

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

what is the survey population?

A

the group which the research is based on. eg: girls 16-18 at York college

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

what is sampling?

A

the process of gathering your participants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

name 2 sampling methods and explain them

A

1) Random: no process - out of a hat
2) Quasi random: systematic
3) stratified: split sampling frame into groups + use % from each
4) quota: a target is set to reach - find people to fulfil it
5) volunteer: advert/email for participants + wait
6) snowball: participants put you in contact with others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

what 3 types of experiments are there?

A
  • laboratory
  • field
  • natural / comparative
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

what are independent and dependant variables?

A

independent - variable that stands alone. often manipulated
dependent - measured. depends on what is done to the independent variable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

what are laboratory experiments?

A

take place in a completely unnatural setting (lab). Involves the manipulation of the independent variable to measure the effect on the dependent variable.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

what kind of data to laboratory experiments produce and who favours them?

A

tends to produce quantitative data - preferred by positivists

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

which piece of research was conducted with a laboratory experiment?

A

Milgram’s Study into Obedience

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

what was Milgram wanting to investigate in his study into obedience?

A

it focused on the conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience. He was interested in researching how far people would go in obeying an instruction if it involved harming someone - German guards of concentration camps in WW2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

summarise Milgram’s study into obedience

A

-volunteers were recruited for a lab experiment investigating ‘learning’ (lie). 40 males 20-50 yrs old.
-the participants were to play the role of a teacher, and believed other participants were ‘learners’.
-the ‘learner’ was strapped to an electric chair and was meant to be shocked by the ‘teacher’ every time they got an answer wrong. The volts would increase after each shock
-All the participants continued to 300 volts, 65% of them continued to the highest level of 450 volts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

give theoretical strengths of lab experiments

A

valid - highly controlled.
easy to interpret results
objective - the researcher doesn’t influence the outcome
reliability - follows a set, systematic procedure which can be replicated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

give practical limitations of lab experiments

A

can use lots of resources - can be expensive, need lots of special equipment, often have to pay participants
access - people may not want to take part

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

give ethical limitations of lab experiments

A

often deception / a lack of informed consent
risk of harm - manipulation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

give theoretical limitations of lab experiments

A

lack of validity - labs are not real life settings so participants know it is not real
Hawthorne effect - participants change their behaviour as they know they’re being experimented on
tend to be unrepresentative - numbers are small + only certain types of people willing to take part

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

what are field experiments?

A

involve manipulation of events but take place in real life settings. those involved are generally not aware that they are subjects in an experiment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

name a research study that used a field experiment

A

Rosenthal and Jacobson 1968 - Pygmalion in the classroom

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

summarise the Pygmalion in the classroom study

A

-IQ-tested all the children in a school. Told the 18 teachers that the tests done could predict which children would academically bloom. They gave the teachers the names of these students, however the names were chosen at random.
-When the children were retested a year and 2 years later, many of the children whose names were positively passed on to the teachers had succeeded more than others.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

give practical strengths of field experiments

A

cheaper + less need for resources / equipment than lab experiments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

give theoretical strengths of field experiments

A

validity - more natural + realistic than lab experiment
presents more of a true picture
no Hawthorne effect so more objective + valid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

give practical limitations of field experiments

A

can be hard to gain access / persuade people to take part, especially if you are using their property

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

give ethical limitations of field experiments

A

lack of consent + deception

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

give theoretical limitations of field experiments

A

lack of representativeness - samples tend to be small + limited in scope
hard to replicate as there’s more variables to control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

what are natural experiments / comparative studies?

A

involve the gathering of statistical data which usually comes from secondary sources. Examined for patterns and ultimately cause

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

which research study is an example of a natural experiment / comparative study?

A

Durkheim’s 1897 study of suicide

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

summarise Durkheim’s study of suicide

A

analysed suicide rates statistics across Europe, 20,000 suicide cases. He found that Protestant countries had higher suicide rates than Catholic countries. Countries which had more cities had higher rates. Single people had more suicide rates than married, childless more than parents. Suicide is caused by social factors like levels of social integration.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

give practical strengths of natural experiments / comparative studies

A

doesn’t need many resources
tends to be cheap, with minimal skills
most secondary data can be quite accessible

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

give ethical strengths of natural experiments / comparative studies

A

no issues of confidentiality or harm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

give theoretical strengths of natural experiments / comparative studies

A

reliable - easy to repeat
objective - researcher doesn’t influence the data
representative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

what are questionnaires?

A

involves writing questions down, distributing the questions to your sample, and once completing collecting the answers back in

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

give theoretical limitations of natural experiments / comparative studies

A

validity - sociologist wasn’t involved in the original data collection, so has no way of knowing if its accurate
subjective - analysis of the data is subjective to the sociologist’s individual interpretations

55
Q

what 2 types of questionnaires are there?

A

close ended - answers with a set amount of pre-determined responses . (tick boxes/scales). quantitative data
open ended - participants are free to answer however they wish. qualitative data

56
Q

give an example of a structured / close ended questionnaire

A

the UK census
-done every 10 years by government. was sent by post to every household, now online. Legal obligation to complete. closed questions on religion, jobs etc

57
Q

Give practical strengths of questionnaires

A

can be cheap if done online. computer programmes mean less skills are needed to analyse data. relatively quick to administer + analyse

58
Q

Give ethical strengths of questionnaires

A

gain clear consent. privacy and confidentiality is protected.
Purposes are explained, harm is minimised

59
Q

Give theoretical strengths of questionnaires

A

representative
reliable
objective - often self completion so researcher not influential on outcomes
valid

60
Q

Give practical limitations of questionnaires

A

if postal - expensive
people can be unwilling to take part so may have to give incentives

61
Q

Give theoretical limitations of questionnaires

A

inflexible
respondents may not feel any rapport with researcher so don’t take it seriously
lying, forgetting, social desirability
low response rate - unrepresentative

62
Q

NAME the 4 types of interviews

A

structured / formal
unstructured / informal
semi-structured
group

63
Q

what are unstructured / informal interviews?

A

more open ended questions
free flowing / guided conversation
freedom to vary questions + pursue different lines of questioning
each interview is unique

63
Q

what are structured / formal interviews?

A

set interview schedule - list of questions
each participant asked same questions
interviewer must use same wording / tone of voice etc

64
Q

what are semi-structured interviews?

A

set questions with free flow / open ended where needed
mix of quantitative and qualitative data produced

65
Q

what are group interviews?

A

more than one participant
usually in unstructured format
qualitative data

66
Q

all types of interviews involve a social interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee. List the ways the social interaction can threaten the validity of the interview

A

-artificiality
-status and power inequalities
-cultural differences
-social desirability
-ethical issues
-interviewer bias

67
Q

give an example of a structured interview

A

the crime survey of England and Wales
Victim survey. interviews now carried out using laptops. 2012 - sample 50,000

68
Q

give practical strengths of structured interviews

A

quicker + cheaper than unstructured interviews
researcher needs low skill
response rate is higher for face to face interviews than online

69
Q

give ethical strengths of structured interviews

A

consent is gained and can be withdrawn
self completion sections prevents feelings of pressure with answers

70
Q

give theoretical strengths of structured interviews

A

validity - can build up rapport - honesty
reliable - same questions
representative

71
Q

give practical limitations of structured interviews

A

have to pay interviewers - costly
more time consuming than questionnaires

72
Q

give ethical limitations of structured interviews

A

face to face interview = intrusive? people feel forced to answer?

73
Q

give theoretical limitations of structured interviews

A

imposition problem + social desirability reduces validity

74
Q

give an example of an unstructured interview

A

Dobash and Dobash 1979 study of domestic violence

75
Q

summarise Dobash and Dobash study of domestic violence

A

109 interviews with women who had experienced domestic violence and were living in a refugee centre.
many of the interviews were conducted by 2 female research assistants who spent months in contact with the refuges. spent external time with them - good rapport.
Interviews were between 2-12 hours. Quantitative + qualitative data

76
Q

give practical limitations of unstructured interviews

A

time consuming
need qualified interviewer

77
Q

give theoretical strengths of unstructured interviews

A

verstehen
build rapport - validity

78
Q

give ethical limitations of unstructured interviews

A

very intrusive.
can lose objectivity by becoming too involved

79
Q

give theoretical limitations of unstructured interviews

A

hard to replicate - unreliable
sample sizes tend to be small

80
Q

give an example of a group interview

A

Willis 1977 Learning to Labour

81
Q

summarise Willis 1977 Learning to Labour study

A

unstructured group interview with ‘the lads’ for study into why working class boys turned to anti school subcultures. Allowed the boys to feel more comfortable by being with their mates. Believed it would encourage them to open up more. However, could’ve been issues with boys succumbing to peer pressure more

82
Q

give practical strengths of group interviews

A

quicker + cheaper than structured interviews

83
Q

give theoretical strengths of group interviews

A

build rapport - validity
verstehen

84
Q

give practical limitations of group interviews

A

need skilled interviewer

85
Q

give theoretical limitations of group interviews

A

unrepresentative?
unreliable - not easy to replicate
Hawthorne effect / peer pressure / social desirability - less valid

86
Q

what are the 4 types of observations?

A

overt
covert
participant
non-participant

87
Q

what are overt observations?

A

participants are aware the observation is taking place and they are aware of the nature of the study. Informed consent is gained - more ethical

88
Q

what are covert observations?

A

participants are unaware that they are part of a study. Researcher goes undercover and keeps their identity as a researcher hidden. Informed consent is not gained- unethical

89
Q

what are the 3 struggles that can occur with observations?

A

GETTING IN
STAYING IN
GETTING OUT

90
Q

Give an example of a covert / participant observation

A

Humphrey’s 1975 Tearoom Trade

91
Q

summarise Humphrey’s 1975 Tearoom Trade

A

study of impersonal sexual behaviour in men’s public toilets
Observed the men and wrote down their ages, clothes etc. Also conducted informal interviews with the men, some were agreed to, some were door to door in disguise as a survey on men’s health

92
Q

give an example of a piece of covert / overt participant observation research

A

Patrick 1973 A Glasgow Gang observed

93
Q

summarise Patrick’s A Glasgow Gang observed

A

Patrick, a teacher, was invited by a 16 year old juvenile offender / gang leader to meet his gang. Patrick posed as Tim’s friend, and met with the gang twelve times. Found struggles with gaining entry in the gang and maintaining his cover, as well as leaving

94
Q

give theoretical strengths of covert participant observations

A

valid - no Hawthorne effect. people behaving naturally so you get a true picture. Verstehen

95
Q

give practical limitations of covert participant observations

A

time consuming
requires very skilled researcher
access - can be difficult to persuade a group to accept you

96
Q

give ethical limitations of covert participant observations

A

covert so involves deception + lack of informed consent
often used to study illegal groups so risk of harm is high

97
Q

give theoretical limitations of covert participant observations

A

lacks objectivity - chance of ‘going native’
unreliable
unrepresentative - groups tend to be small and unique so cannot make generalisations

98
Q

give an example of an overt participant observation

A

Barker 1984 The Making of a Moonie

99
Q

summarise Barker’s Making of a Moonie study

A

study of religious cult - ‘the Moonies’. Carried out overt participant observations, where she joined in with activities like prayer meetings, as well as unstructured interviews and questionnaires.

100
Q

give an example of an overt non-participant observation study

A

Wright : Racism in the classroom

101
Q

summarise Wright’s Racism in the classroom study

A

ethnographic study into possible racism in 4 inner city London primary schools. Found that children from Black and Asian backgrounds were labelled + treated differently.
Spent over a term in each school, Observed in classrooms, playgrounds, staff rooms, staff meetings etc

102
Q

give ethical strengths over non-participant observations

A

informed consent is gained - no deception

103
Q

give theoretical strengths over non-participant observations

A

valid - take place in natural setting

104
Q

give practical limitations over non-participant observations

A

time consuming
access can be tricky as people don’t always want to be observed but you need their consent

105
Q

give theoretical limitations over non-participant observations

A

lack validity as the Hawthorne effect is possible
lack reliability
subjective
unrepresentative - groups tend to be small

106
Q

what are the 2 main types of secondary sources that sociologists may use for research?

A

-official statistics
-documents

107
Q

give 3 examples of types of official statistics

A
  • birth / death rates
  • marriage / divorce rates
  • unemployment rates
  • exam results
  • suicide rates
  • crime rates
108
Q

what are ‘hard’ official statistics?

A

factual, objective statistics that are difficult to manipulate. Such as birth and marriage rates

109
Q

what are ‘soft’ official statistics?

A

statistics that are more open to interpretation. they are much more subjective and may very well be the victim of manipulation. Such as, crime and unemployment rates

110
Q

give practical strengths of using official statistics as a research method

A

free source of a large amount of data
allows comparisons between groups
collected at regular intervals
large scale

111
Q

give ethical strengths of using official statistics as a research method

A

quantitative data can keep people anonymous - no names used

112
Q

give theoretical strengths of using official statistics as a research method

A

hard statistics very valid
reliable
very representative

113
Q

give theoretical limitations of using official statistics as a research method

A

the dark figure - statistics cannot be 100% accurate
soft statistics are less valid as they may have been manipulated
Interpretivists argue that ‘official statistics’ are merely just a social construction

113
Q

give practical limitations of using official statistics as a research method

A

what if data you are researching on doesn’t exist?

114
Q

give 2 examples of written documents

A

diaries
newspapers
medical records
novels
letters
government reports

115
Q

give 2 examples of non-written documents

A

films
photographs
paintings
radio shows
TV

116
Q

what are the 3 types of documents that sociologists could use for research?

A

-personal
-public
-historical

117
Q

give practical strengths of PERSONAL documents

A

cheap + quick
sometimes the only available evidence

118
Q

give theoretical strengths of Personal documents

A

verstehen - insight and validity

119
Q

give practical limitations of personal documents

A

can be hard to access - people may not want to hand over their personal documents

120
Q

give ethical limitations of personal documents

A

no consent given.

121
Q

give theoretical limitations of personal documents

A

lacking in validity - can they be authenticated?
unrepresentative - subjective + unique
open to interpretation

122
Q

give practical strengths of public documents

A

cheap source of data - generally free to access, someone has already gathered the data

123
Q

give theoretical strengths of public documents

A

validity - qualitative data with high levels of insight
representative

124
Q

give theoretical limitations of public documents

A

may need special skills to interpret / understand the document
could be bias

125
Q

What methods can positivists use to create quantitative data out of documents

A

Content Analysis

126
Q

explain the process of Content Analysis

A

-sociologist decides on categories they want to study from the source
-they then work through the source, counting each time a reference to each category appear
-they are then able to compare this information with other sources

127
Q

give practical, ethical and theoretical strengths of content analysis

A

-cheap + quick
-many sources are easily available
-few ethical issues if permission to use source is gained
-reliable

128
Q

give theoretical limitations of content analysis

A

verstehen is limited - tells us little about the meaning of what appears in the documents
subjective - based on sociologist’s interpretations
limited representativeness

129
Q

NAME the 3 other research methods sociologists can use

A
  • CASE STUDIES
  • LONGITUDINAL STUDIES
  • LIFE HISTORIES
130
Q

What are longitudinal studies?

A

-follows the same sample over an extended period of time
-revisit the sample at regular intervals - trace developments over time + make comparisons between groups
-but can be costly and Hawthorne effect + sample attrition are risks

131
Q

what are life histories?

A

-look at individuals’ life experiences
-may involve individuals writing down their experiences like in autobiographies, or carrying out interviews
gives a detailed insight into what has shaped a persons life

Sociology (33 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions