Choosing A Research Method PET - done

Question 1

primary and secondary sources of data

Answer 1

prim is info gethered by person - social surveys, participant observation and experiments
secondary info is collected by others - official statistics and documents

Question 2

quantitative and qualitive data

Answer 2

quan - information in numerical form
qual - gives a feel for what something is like

Question 3

factors influencing choice of methods PET

Answer 3

practical
ethical
theoretical

Question 4

practical issues

Answer 4

time and money
requirements of funding bodies
personal skills and characteristics
subject matter
research opportunity

Question 5

ethical issue

Answer 5

informed consent
confidentiality and privacy
harm to research participants
vulnerable groups
covert research

Question 6

theoretical issues

Answer 6

valididty
reliability
representativeness

Question 7

factors influencing choice of topic

Answer 7

sociologists perspective
societys values
practical factors
funding bodies

Question 8

the process of research

Answer 8

formulating the aim or hypothesis
operationalizing concepts
the pilot study
samples and sampling

Question 9

formulating an aim or hypothesis

Answer 9

the hypothesis is a predetermined answer that cna be clarified by collecting evidence - if a hypothesis is proved wrong it is progress, consequently new hypothesises are generated to find an answer to their questions such as underachievement
- gives direction to reseacrh and a focus point
- favoured by pos

Question 10

operationalising concepts

Answer 10

operationalism is the process of converting a sociological concept such as class into something that can be measured - once done questions can start to be generated

Question 11

the pilot study

Answer 11

carried out before structured interviews and questionnaires - pilot study is a draft to iron out problems so the actual study goes as smoothly as possible

young and Wilmott carried out over 100 pilot studies before their actual one

Question 12

sampling frames

Answer 12

is a list of all the people who the interviewer is interested in studying
- needs to be accurate, up to date

young and Wilmott use an electoral register

Question 13

4 typed of sampling techniques

Answer 13

random sampling -
QUASI-random or symmetrical sampling -
stratified random sampling -
Quota sampling -

Question 14

positivists and interpretivism

Answer 14

pos - quantitive data, they seek to find patterns of behavior and see sociology as a science
int - qualitative data, seek to understand social actors, and meanings and reject the view that sociology can model itself on the natural sciences