Basics

Question 1

Define Reliability

Answer 1

How replicable the study’s results are

Question 2

Define validity

Answer 2

How authentic and true of a picture the results provide

Question 3

Define ethics

Answer 3

How morally right the research was

Question 4

Define primary and secondary data

Answer 4

Primary - collected by researcher for their own research

Secondary - researcher uses data collected by someone else

Question 5

Define quantitative data

Answer 5

Measurable information in numerical form

Question 6

Define qualitative data

Answer 6

Information about feelings or interpretations

Question 7

What are the three methods of research

Answer 7

Observations
Social surveys
Experiments

Question 8

Give 3 practical factors

Answer 8

Funding
Access
Researcher characteristics

Question 9

Give 3 ethical factors

Answer 9

Informed consent
Confidentiality
Protection from harm

Question 10

Give 4 theoretical factors

Answer 10

Validity
Reliability
Representativeness
Methodical perspective

Question 11

What is positivists aim?

Answer 11

To determine cause and effect which is generalisable for all society

Question 12

What is interpretivists’ aim?

Answer 12

To study meanings and interpretations people attach to events which influences behaviour

Question 13

How do positivists achieve their aim?

Answer 13

Through quantitative data like statistics and lab experiments which are reliable

Question 14

How do interpretivists achieve their aim?

Answer 14

Through qualitative data like observations and private documents which are high in validity

Question 15

What is the difference between aim and hypothesis?

Answer 15

Hypothesis is a specific prediction of what the results will show whereas an aim is what you are studying

Question 16

What does it mean to operationalise a concept?

Answer 16

Converting an ambiguous term into a definable and measurable thing

Question 17

What’s a pilot study?

Answer 17

A practice of the study to identify potential problems

Question 18

What is the purpose of a sampling frame?

Answer 18

To gain access to the entire target population so a representative sample can be chosen

Question 19

Give an example of a sampling frame?

Answer 19

A marriage register

Question 20

Define random sampling

Answer 20

Drawn entirely by chance from sampling frame

Question 21

Give an advantage of random sampling

Answer 21

Everyone has an equal chance of being chosen

Question 22

Give a disadvantage of random sampling

Answer 22

Not all samples are large enough to be representative

Question 23

Define systematic sampling

Answer 23

Where every nth name is chosen

Question 24

Give an advantage of systematic sampling

Answer 24

Time and cost efficient

Question 25

Give a disadvantage of systematic sampling

Answer 25

Can only be done if you know the entire size of the population

Question 26

Define stratified sampling

Answer 26

Breaking the sampling frame into age, gender etc to get a proportionate sample

Question 27

Give an advantage of stratified sampling

Answer 27

Representative of target population

Question 28

Give a disadvantage of stratified sampling

Answer 28

Time consuming

Question 29

Define quota sampling

Answer 29

Choosing representative sample from a specific subgroup

Question 30

Give an advantage of quota sampling

Answer 30

More time and cost efficient

Question 31

Give a disadvantage of quota sampling

Answer 31

Sampling bias by ignoring certain characteristics

Question 32

Define snowball sampling

Answer 32

Member of the sample puts researcher in touch with other possible members

Question 33

Give an advantage of snowball sampling

Answer 33

Can access obscure groups that do not have a sampling frame

Question 34

Give a disadvantage of snowball sampling

Answer 34

People have similarities to their friends so it is not truly representative

Question 35

Define opportunity sampling

Answer 35

Participants are anyone who happens to be where the research is taking place

Question 36

Give an advantage of opportunity sampling

Answer 36

Quick and easy to obtain

Question 37

Give a disadvantage of opportunity sampling

Answer 37

Not necessarily representative

Question 38

Define volunteer sampling

Answer 38

Researcher advertises for willing participants

Question 39

Give an advantage of volunteer sampling

Answer 39

Needs little researcher input

Question 40

Give a disadvantage of volunteer sampling

Answer 40

People who volunteer will already have strong opinions on the matter so is not representative

Question 41

Give a situation context factor which could affect results

Answer 41

Behaviour may be influenced by outside variables like noise and temperature which limits validity

Question 42

Give 2 participant factors which can affect results

Answer 42

Hawthorne Effect | Social desirability bias - make it less valid

Question 43

Give 2 researcher factors that can affect results

Answer 43

Researcher characteristics affect responses | Researcher’s expectations influence participants - makes it less reliable

Question 44

Give the 3 ways to distribute questionnaires

Answer 44

Post Face to face Email