Choosing research methods

Question 1

Primary data

Answer 1

Information collected by sociologists themselves to obtain a first-hand pic of a group or society

Question 2

What are the methods for gathering primary data

Answer 2

> social surveys
participant observation
Experiments

Question 3

What are social surveys?

Answer 3

They involve asking people questions in questionnaire or interviews

Question 4

What happens in participant observations?

Answer 4

The sociologist joins in with the activities of the group he or she is studying

Question 5

Advantages of using primary data

Answer 5

Sociologists are able to gather the information they need to test hypothesis

Question 6

What is secondary data

Answer 6

Information collected by someone else for their own purpose

Question 7

What are the sources of secondary data?

Answer 7

> official statistics
Documents

Question 8

What are official statistics?

Answer 8

Statistics produced by government on range of issues e.g education, crime, divorce

Question 9

Advantages of using secondary data

Answer 9

Quick and cheap way of doing research as someone has produced info

Question 10

Disadvantages of secondary data

Answer 10

Secondary sources don’t provide exactly the info that sociologists need

Question 11

Quantitative data

Answer 11

Information in a numerical form

Question 12

What are the examples of quantitative data

Answer 12

Official statistics, percentages, numbers

Question 13

What is qualitative data

Answer 13

Gives insight for what something is like

Question 14

Evidence of qualitative data

Answer 14

Using participant observation
> in depth interviews

Question 15

What are the factors influencing the choice of methods?

Answer 15

> Practical issues
Ethical issues
Theoretical issues

Question 16

What are the practical issues of methods

Answer 16

> Time and money
Requirements of funding bodies
personal skills and characteristci
s
Subject matter
research opportunity

Question 17

Why is time and money a practical issue

Answer 17

Diff methods require diff amount of time and money
E.g large scale surveys may employ many intervievuers in contrast to small-scale projects with line researcher
> researchers access to resources mf in determine the method they employ

Question 18

What are the practical issues of funding bodies.

Answer 18

Research institutes,businesses,organisations that provide funding for research require results to be in particular form.

Question 19

Personal skills and characteristics

Answer 19

Each sociologist possesses diff personal skills, this may affect their ability to use diff methods

Question 20

Why is subject matter a practical issue

Answer 20

It is harder to study a group or subject by one method than by another