Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Sociology > Research methods > Flashcards

Research methods Flashcards

(86 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is a primary research method

A

The researcher collects the data themselves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a secondary research method

A

The data is already available (collected by someone else)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

2 examples of primary research method

A

Field experiments

Questionnaires

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

2 examples of secondary research methods

A

Official statistics

Mass media e.g. newspapers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the 2 types of data that can be collected

A

Quantitative

Qualitative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is quantitative data?

A

Data which is represented in number form or something that can be measured

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is qualitative data?

A

Descriptions of people’s feelings about a particular subject

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Example of quantitative data

A

Statistics on qualifications

Statistics on social class

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Two positives of using primary data

A

More likely to be up to date

Have full control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Two negatives of using primary data

A

Takes more time

Can be expensive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Positives of using secondary data

A

Easy/quick to find

Less expensive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Negatives of using secondary data

A

Could be outdated

Could be biased

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Positives of using quantitative data

A

Easy to correct large amounts

Easily analysed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Negatives of using quantitative data

A

May lack detail

Lacks validity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Positives of using qualitative data

A

Rich and detailed

Subjective

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Negatives of using qualitative data

A

Can’t be generalised if it’s a small sample

Low reliability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the 5 strategies for research

A

Social survey

Ethnography

Longitudinal study

Case study

Triangulation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is a social survey

A

A large scale research, using questionnaires or structured interviews

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What data do social surgery’s collect

A

Quantitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

An example of a social survey

A

The census

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is an ethnography

A

An approach that involves getting inside the heads of those being studied

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What does ethnography use

A

Participant observation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What type of data does ethnography produce

A

Qualitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is longitudinal study

A

A study that revisits the group at intervals to see how things have changed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
An example of a longitudinal study
The BBC programme ‘child of our Time’
26
What is a case study
A one-off study of a social group
27
An example of a case study
Paul Willis study of the working class lads
28
What is a triangulation
Where the researcher combines methods that creat both quantitative and qualitative data
29
An example of a researcher who used the triangulation
Paul Willis Combined participant observation and individual interviews in his study of the lads
30
What are the ethical issues researchers should consider
Informed consent Protection from harm
31
What are the two approaches to studying society
Positivism Interpretivism
32
What type of data do positivists favour?
Quantitative data
33
What type of data do Interpretivists prefer
Qualitative data
34
Two examples of methods that positivists prefer
structured interviews Questionnaires
35
two examples of methods that interpretivists prefer
Unstructured interviews Observations
36
What are the issues that we should could consider when it comes to evaluating a method
Representativeness Validity Reliability Practical issues Ethical issues Theoretical issues
37
Other issues that a researcher may face
Hawthorne effect Going native
38
What is the Hawthorne effect
Where people act differently because they know they are being watched/asked questions
39
What does going native mean?
Where a researcher gets too involved in the group they are researching
40
An example of sociological research
The census
41
What is the census
A very representative questionnaire that gets sent to every household in the UK every 10 years
42
Practical problems with interviews with children
Time available Skills you’d need to interview children
43
Practical problem with studying someone for a four year time period
Time - a long period of time Cost - may be expensive
44
Ethical problems with questionnaires about sensitive topics
May need protection from harm Stay confidential
45
What is sampling?
Where a smaller group of people is drawn from the relevant population
46
How can sampling be done?
By finding lists or databases with names of situable people on
47
What type of lists could be used to find names for Sampling
Registers School rolls
48
What is the aim of choosing people when it comes to sampling
To have a sample that is representative of the survey population
49
Things a researcher should consider when it comes to choosing a sample of people
The proportions of people | E.g. males, females, different age groups
50
What are the seven types of sampling methods
Random sampling Systematic sampling Stratified sampling Quota sample Snowball sample Volunteer sample Opportunity sample
51
What is random sampling
Using a computerised system or drawing names out of a hat to get the required number of people
52
What can be an advantage of random sampling
It can be relatively easy
53
What is an issue when using random sampling
It may not result in a representative sample
54
What is systematic sampling
Involves a more patterned approach, by choosing every tenth or hundredth name on a list
55
What is an issue with systematic sampling
It may not be representative
56
What is stratified sampling
Involves creating a number of sampling frames which represent different types of people such as males, females, age groups
57
What are the issues of using stratified sampling
Time consuming
58
What is an advantage of using an stratified sample
More likely to get a representative sample
59
What is quota sampling
A straight forward method, where the researcher has been instructed to get people of certain ages in the street
60
What is a problem with using Quota sampling
Particular groups such as people who work will be less likely to be on the street
61
What is volunteering sampling
Where the researcher advertises for people willing to take part in the study
62
An advantage of using volunteering sample
It’s likely to result in full answers by co-operative respondents
63
An issue with using volunteering sampling
People who are more interested | In the topic will make the results untypical
64
What is opportunity sampling
Sociologists who are lectures or teachers may persuade their audience of students to answer questionnaires on the spot
65
What is the positive of using opportunity sampling
It has a 100% response rate
66
What is an issue with using opportunity sampling
The sample of sociology students will be unrepresentative of the population as a whole
67
What are questionnaires
A set of fixed response questions that | respondents either tick or circle
68
Can questionnaires have open questions
Yes, they may give the respondent a chance to write their answer in full
69
What is an open question
A space provided for a respondent to write what they want
70
What is a closed question
Requires a short answer, usually listed for the respondent to tick
71
What is an advantage of using open questions
Gives greater detail
72
What type of data do open questions give
Qualitative data
73
What is an advantage of using closed questions
Easier to quantify and analyse
74
What type of data does closed questions give
Quantitative data
75
What are the 3 types of questions that can be seen as problematic
Leading questions Ambiguous questions Recall questions
76
What is a leading question
A question that influences the respondents to answer in a way that the researcher wants
77
What is an ambiguous question
A question that is unclear of difficult to understand
78
What is an recall question
A question that requires the respondent to remember something from the past
79
Problems with using questionnaires to investigating education
Children may struggle to understand the questions The pupils may influence each other’s answers Some pupils may refuse to co-operate
80
Advantages of using questionnaires to investigate education
Useful for investigating sensitive issues such as bullying - anonymous
81
What is an interview
An social interaction which results in a transfer of information from the interviewee to the interviewer
82
How can interviews be conducted
Face to face By phone Email
83
What are the 4 types of interviews
Structured Unstructured Group Semi-structured
84
What is a structure interview
Where the interview read the set questions and then writes down the replies
85
Advantages of using structured interviews
More straightforward factual information Easy to use in large scale surveys
86
Disadvantages of using structured interviews
Limited range of possible answers Limited guiding for respondents who do not understand the questions

Sociology (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions