Methods Studies

Question 1

Official Statistics

Answer 1

Representative
Reliable
Trends and Patterns

Lack Validity
Do Not Say ‘Why?’

Eg: Census

Question 2

Experiments

Answer 2

Replicable

Small Samples
Ethically Difficult (Harm, Consent etc)
Hawthorne Effect (Being Watched Affects Results)

Question 3

Questionnaires

Answer 3

Quick and Cheap
Reliable
Representative
Objective

Brief
Cost(?)
Inflexible (Lack Detail/Why?)
Lack Validity
‘Right Answerism’

Question 4

Observation

Answer 4

Valid
Insider View
Flexible
Verstehen
Hawthorne effect?

Subjective
Lacks Replicability
Lacks Representativeness
Lacks Reliability
Time Consuming

Eg: (Overt): Moonie
(Covert): Laud Humphrey’s

Question 5

Structured Interviews

Answer 5

Easy and Cheap
Can Be Representative
Reliable
Quick

Lack of Depth 
Closed Ended Questions
Little Reasoning
Social Desirability Effect
Interviewer Led

Eg: Crime Survey

Question 6

Unstructured Interviews

Answer 6

Rapport
High Validity
Flexible
Comfortable

Lack Reliability and Representativeness
Time Consuming

Eg: Paul Willis

Question 7

Group Interviews

Answer 7

Comfortable
Group Discussion Stimulation
Combination with Observation

Could be Dominated by Specific Individuals
Sometimes Difficult To Keep Focused
Peer Pressure of Conformation
Difficult To Analyse
Lack Reliability and Representativeness

Question 8

Documents

Answer 8

Can be Personal and Have Detail
Extra Checks
Cheap and Quick

Discussion of:
Authenticity
Credibility
Representativeness
Meaning

Question 9

Positivists

Answer 9

Favour:
Official Statistics
Structured Interviews
Questionnaires
Structured Observations
Lab Experiments

Reliability, Representativeness and Efficiency

Question 10

Interpretivists

Answer 10

Favour:
Observations
Group Interviews
Unstructured Interviews
Personal Documents

Verstehen, Validity and Personalisation