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a level sociology > Research methods > Flashcards

Research methods Flashcards

1
Q

What are laboratory experiments and who favours them

A

Test hypothesise in a controlled environment where the researcher changes the independent variable and measures the effect on the dependent variable - favoured by positivists

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2
Q

Advantages of lab experiments

A
  1. Highly reliable (TS) - can specify precisely what steps were followed
  2. Can easily identify cause and effect relationships
  3. Can isolate variables (PS)
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3
Q

Disadvantages of lab experiments

A
  1. Artificiality - carried out in artificial environment, may not reveal how people act in real world
  2. Hawthorne effect (TL) - people know they are being studied
  3. Unrepresentative (TL) - small scale nature
  4. Impossible to identify/control all the variables that might exert influence on certain social issues (PL)
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4
Q

What are field experiments

A

take place in the real social world - sociologist either creates a situation or adapts a real life situation to their research purpose. Involved dont usually know research is taking place

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5
Q

Advantages of field experiments

A
  1. Less artificiality
  2. High validity - people unaware so no hawthorne effect - act normally
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6
Q

Disadvantages of field experiments

A
  1. People experimented on without informed consent (EL)
  2. Less control over variables (PL)
  3. Limited application - can only be applied to a limited number of social situations - may not be reliable (TL)
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7
Q

Advantages of questionnaires

A
  1. Cheap and quick (PS)
  2. Quantifiable data
  3. Representative - reach many (TS)
  4. Reliable - questionnaire can be easily repeated (TS)
  5. Consent when they answer because under no obligation to do so (ES)
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8
Q

Disadvantages of questionnaires

A
  1. Low response rate - may hinder representativity (TL)
  2. Low validity - people may be more willing to lie (TL)
  3. Interviewer cant ask follow up questions if participants don’t understand questions or say something interesting (PL)
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9
Q

What are structured interviews and who favours them

A

Use a list of pre set questions and all interviewees asked in same way

Favoured by positivists

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10
Q

Advantages of structured interviews

A
  1. Training interviewers is easy and cheap (PS)
  2. Cheap and easy to administer (PS)
  3. Representative (TS)
  4. Results easily quantifiable because they use close ended questions with coded answers (PS)
  5. Reliable (TS)
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11
Q

Disadvantages of structured interviews

A
  1. Lack of validity - close ended and pre coded answers may not fit what the interviewee wants to say (TL)
  2. People may lie or exaggerate (TL)
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12
Q

What are unstructured interviews and who favours them

A

mainly ask open ended questions that produce qualitative data rich in meaning

favoured by interpretivists

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13
Q

Advantages of unstructured interviews

A
  1. Can build a rapport - makes interviewee more comfortable
  2. Flexible - interviewer not restricted to a fixed set of questions
  3. Valid - people can be more truthful because conversation is not constrained
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14
Q

Disadvantages of unstructured interviews

A
  1. Time consuming
  2. Expensive to train interviewers
  3. Unrepresentative - small research samples
  4. Not reliable - because questions are open - cant be easily repeated by another researcher
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15
Q

What are semi structured interviews

A

qualitative method - combines pre-determined set of open questions with opportunity for interviewer to explore particular themes

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16
Q

Advantages of semi structured interviews

A
  1. Lots of data and detail generated
  2. Fairly flexible and sensitive
  3. Easier to analyse than unstructured interviews
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17
Q

Disadvantages of semi structured interviews

A
  1. Cant guarantee honesty of participants
  2. Cause and effect cannot be inferred
  3. Flexibility of interview may lessen reliability
  4. Open ended questions difficult to analyse
  5. Difficult to compare answers
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18
Q

What are participant observations

A

when the researcher joins in the activities of the group they are researching

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19
Q

Advantages of participant observations

A
  1. Valid - groups are observed in a natural and authentic setting so data more likely to be true
  2. Data is richly detailed and offers insight into social behaviour
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20
Q

Disadvantages of participant observations

A
  1. Unreliable - cannot be easily replicated because in natural environment
  2. Unrepresentative - small scale groups - not representative of wider population
  3. Not valid - Hawthorne effect
  4. Difficult to ensure anonymity of participants (EL)
  5. Problems getting in and staying in group (PL)
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21
Q

What are non participant observations

A

Observer avoids any direct involvement with the research group

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22
Q

Advantages of non participant observations

A
  1. Valid - limited risk of the researcher “going native”
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23
Q

Disadvantages of non participant observations

A
  1. Not reliable - each observation will be subjective so cant be repeated
  2. Not representative - small scale research sample
24
Q

What are overt observations

A

researcher explains their research intention to the group so the subjects know they are being observed

25
Q

Advantages of overt observations

A
  1. More ethical - participants know being observed
  2. Observer can openly take notes
  3. Higher level of reliability than covert
  4. Allows researcher to use interview methods as well
26
Q

Disadvantages of overt observations

A
  1. Time consuming - (PL)
  2. Lacks validity - Hawthorne effect
  3. Less reliable - difficult to repeat
  4. Not always representative
27
Q

What are covert observations

A

when the researcher keeps their real identity and purpose secret from research subjects

28
Q

Advantages of covert observations

A
  1. More valid than overt - lack of Hawthorne effect
  2. Research obtained is more valid
  3. More in depth detail
29
Q

Disadvantages of covert observations

A
  1. Ethically immoral to deceive people
  2. Researcher has to gain trust and acceptance - can be time consuming
30
Q

Advantages of official statistics

A
  1. Cheap and easy to obtain - (PS)
  2. Can compare trends overtime
  3. Representative - often cover large groups of people
31
Q

Disadvantages of official statistics

A
  1. Data may not cover exactly what sociologists specifically want to study
  2. Differences in interpretations
32
Q

Advantages of documents

A
  1. High degree of validity - written for personal purposed to in depth and genuine
  2. Cheap and save researchers time
  3. Eliminates many areas of social life
  4. Can be used to confirm or question other interpretations and accounts
33
Q

Disadvantages of documents

A
  1. Difficulties in representativeness
  2. Personal bias likely to be present
34
Q

what is meant by verstehen

A

german word “to understand”

term refers to seeing the world as others see it - rich valid data

35
Q

what is meant by going native

A

researcher stops being a researcher - ceases to balance the roles of participant and observer

36
Q

what is a longitudinal study

A

follows a group of people over a long period of time at regular intervals

37
Q

Name an example of a longitudinal study

A

Douglas - study on cultural deprivation

Feinstein - used data from NCDS to study class differences in educational achievement

38
Q

Strengths of longitudinal studies

A
  1. Can identify patterns and make comparisons
  2. Data is seen to be more valid - discrepancies can be checked against previous data
  3. Can identify causes
39
Q

Limitations of longitudinal studies

A
  1. Sample attrition - people dropping out of study
  2. Likely to be expensive to fund
  3. Time consuming
  4. Can be difficult to analyse and store data
40
Q

what are life histories and who favours them

A

ethnographic method favoured by interpretivists in which the researcher attempts to understand how individuals construct their life worlds

41
Q

what is meant by the term ethnographic

A

type of qualitative research that involves immersing yourself in a particular community or organisation to observe their behaviour and interactions

42
Q

Example of a life history

A

Judith Stacey - interviewed women who rejected housewife roles and returned to education or divorced and remarried

43
Q

what is meant by the term “methodological pluralism”

A

refers to researchers using a range of methods in the same piece of research - allows for triangulation to maximise validity and reliability

44
Q

what is triangulation

A

the use of two or more methods to check the reliability and validity of research evidence

45
Q

what type of data to documents provide and who favours them

A

qualitative data and favoured by interpretivists

46
Q

what are Scott’s 4 criteria for evaluating documents

A
  1. Authenticity
  2. Credibility
  3. Representativeness
    4, Meaning
47
Q

what type of data do positivists prefer and why

A

positivists prefer quantitative data because they assume that society has an objective factual reality - uncover and measure patterns of behaviour

48
Q

what types of research methods do positivists prefer

A
  1. Questionnaires
  2. Structured interviews
  3. Experiments
  4. Official statistics
49
Q

what type of data do interpretivists prefer and whY

A

prefer qualitative data to uncover universe of meaning - actions are not a product of external forces

50
Q

why types of research methods do interpretivists prefer

A
  1. Participant observations
  2. Unstructured interviews
  3. Personal documents
51
Q

what is random sampling

A

sample is selected purely by chance - everyone has equal chance of being selected

52
Q

what is systematic sampling / quasi random

A

where every nth person in the sampling frame is selected.

53
Q

what is stratified random sampling

A

the researcher first stratifies the population in the sampling frame eg by age, gender class - then the sample is created in the same proportions

54
Q

what is quota sampling

A

population is stratified and then interviewer just finds the people who fit the brief as they come

55
Q

what is snowball sampling

A

involves collecting a sample by contacting a number of key individuals and then ask them to suggest other they know who also fit the brief to be interviewed

56
Q

what is opportunity sampling/convenience sampling

A

choosing from those individuals who are easiest to access - not likely to be representative

57
Q

what is a case study

A

involves the detailed examination of a single case eg school, family, individual - not representative and cant be generalised

a level sociology (8 decks)

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