Methods Flashcards
(19 cards)
What is quantitative data?
- Data that is expressed in number form and can be measured.
Give at least three advantages of quantitative data.
At least three from:
- Quick and easy to analyse
- More likely to be funded by the government
- Can look at patterns and trends/cause and effect relationships.
- Easier to collect
- Reliable
- Easier to generalise
Give at least three disadvantages of quantitative data.
At least three from:
- It does not give particularly detailed answers.
- Can have low validity.
- The statistics could be missing or manipulated.
- There is a lack of evidence as to what caused the statistics to be created.
What is qualitative data?
- Written data that is able to give description of people’s subject or event.
Give at least one advantage of qualitative data.
At least one from:
- Gives answers to questions in detail.
- Data has a high level of validity.
Give at least two disadvantages of qualitative data.
At least two from:
- The data takes time to analyse
- The data could be less repeatable (truthful)
- Patterns and trends cannot be identified.
What is primary data?
- Information that was not present before research began, and is collected by the researcher.
What is secondary data?
- Data that already exists
What are examples of secondary data?
Give at least two examples
At least two examples from:
- Data from historical records
- Official statistics
- Government reports
- Public/private documents
What is a questionnaire?
- A list of pre-set questions which the participant gives written responses to.
What happens when answering a pre-coded questionnaire?
- The participant is asked a few pre-set questions which have a limited number of multiple choice answers.
Give at least two advantages of pre-coded questionnaires.
At least two from:
- They are quick and easy for the participant to complete.
- It is easy to produce standardised, statistical data.
- The data is usually reliable.
Give at least two disadvantages of pre-coded questionnaires.
At least two from:
- Limited choice of answers available
- Participants cannot explain their views fully.
- The meaning of the questions may be unclear.
- The results of the questionnaire may lack validity because of the limited choice may not allow the participant to express their real views.
What is an open questionnaire?
- A questionnaire which has a number of pre-set questions but no choice of answers. This allows respondents to write their own more extended answers.
Give at least one advantage of open-ended questionnaires.
At least one from:
- Produces more valid data - allows the participants to express their own views.
- They provide more detail and depth than pre-coded questionnaires.
Give at least one disadvantage of open-ended questionnaires.
At least one from:
- Hard to classify and turn into statistical data.
- May not be as reliable as pre-coded questionnaires as it provides written answers.
Give at least one advantage of questions given out by an interviewer.
At least one from:
- Interviewer can clarify questions if the respondent does not understand.
- The interviewer can encourage the respondent to give more details.
Give at least one disadvantage of questions given out by an interviewer.
At least one from:
- Presence of the researcher may negatively impact on data validity especially when it comes to sensitive questions.
- Respondents may give answers that they feel to be more socially acceptable, rather than answering truthfully.
What are postal and self completion questionnaires?
- Where a questionnaire is sent out to respondents and they complete it without ever meeting the researcher.
