Research Methods Flashcards
POSITIVISM
What are social facts?
- Positivists believe that there are external social forces making up a society’s social structure that cause or mould people’s ideas and actions.
- These are called social facts.
POSITIVISM
What do positivists believe about social institutions?
- Positivists believe social institutions influence people’s behaviour with social control making individuals behave in socially approved ways.
POSITIVISM
What does Durkheim say the study of sociology should be about?
- Durkheim said the study of sociology should be the study of social facts and that these could, in most cases, be observed and measured quantitatively.
- The feelings, emotions and motives of individuals cannot be observed or measured and should therefore not be studied.
- These feelings are the result of social facts such as the influences of socialisation anyway.
POSITIVISM
What data do positivists believe needs to be collected, and why?
- Positivists believe that quantitative data needs to be collected for sociology to be seen as a science and for studies to be repeated to check findings, establish the causes of social events or make generalisations.
POSITIVISM
What methods of collecting data do positivists use?
Positivists use research methods which collect quantitative data. These are more likely to involve large scale research or a macro approach. These methods include:
Experiments
The comparative method
Surveys
Structured questionnaires
Formal/structured interviews
Non participant observation
POSITIVISM
What are the 4 main beliefs of positivism?
- Behaviour can be observed and measured, as can the causes of behaviour (social facts).
- Macro approach needed: large scale research.
- Sociology should use scientific methods because it enables findings to be checked by other researchers and it enables the researchers to be objective/value free.
- Positivists should use quantitative methods.
INTERPRETIVISM
What do interpretivists believe the role of a researcher is?
- Interpretivists believe that, because people’s behaviour is influenced by the interpretations and meanings they give to social situations, the researcher’s task is to gain an understanding of these interpretations and meanings.
INTERPRETIVISM
What do interpretivists believe the role of research methods is?
- Sociology should therefore use research methods which provide an understanding from the point of view of individuals and groups who are
being studied.
INTERPRETIVISM
Interpretivists believe there is a need to…
- Interpretivists suggest there is a need to discuss and get personally involved with people in order to understand their interpretations and meanings.
INTERPRETIVISM
What data do interpretivists collect and what methods do they prefer?
Interpretivists therefore favour research methods which collect qualitative data. These include:
Participant and sometimes non participant observation
Informal/unstructured interviews
Open questionnaires
Personal accounts
These tend to involve a micro approach with small scale, in depth research.
INTERPRETIVISM
What are the main 5 beliefs of interpretivism?
- Behaviour is influenced by individual’s interpretations and meanings they give to social situations (internal forces).
- Important to get personally involved with people being researched to understand their meanings etc. –> gives Verstehen (empathy).
What is methodological pluralism?
- Mix of qual and quan methods
What is triangulation?
- Use results of one method –> check results of another
What is random sampling?
- A sample selected by chance , a large enough sample should represent the population.
What is systematic sampling?
- When every nth person in the sampling frame is selected.
What is stratified random sampling?
- The researcher breaks down the sampling frame by characteristics e.g. age, class, gender.
- The sample is then created in the same proportions.
What is quota sampling?
- The population is stratified then each interviewer is given a quota which may have to fill will people of that characteristic.
What is multistage/cluster sampling?
- Selecting a sample in stages, choosing a sample from the previous sample. e.g. sample from schools –> list all schools –> sample:schools –> sample:5 tutors –> sample:10 students each.
What is non-representative sampling?
- One specific group
What is snowball sampling?
- Used when a sampling frame is difficult to obtain, the researchers ask their initial participants to introduce each other to the study.
What is opportunity/convenience sampling?
- Choosing from individuals that are easy access.
What is volunteer sampling?
- Advertise for participants, participants volunteer to take part.
SAMPLING
Advantages of simple random sampling
- No bias from researcher
- Not time consuming
- Cost effective
What are the disadvantages of simple random sampling?
- No guarantee that it is representative
- Repeatability
- Reliability
What are the advantages of systematic sampling?
- No bias from researcher
- Quick, no skills needed
- Repeatable
What are the disadvantages of systematic sampling?
- No guarantee that it is representative
What are the advantages of stratified sampling?
- Representative
- No bias
- Repeatable (similar samples each time)
What are the disadvantages of stratified sampling?
- Less practical
- Might get the categories wrong, the sampling frame must always categorise the data for the researcher but this is not guaranteed
What are the advantages of quota sampling?
- Representative
- Repeatable
What are the disadvantages of quota sampling?
- Researcher bias
What are the advantages of snowball sampling?
- Quicker than trying to find them themselves (as they are in hard to find groups)
- More likely to find willing participants
What are the disadvantages of snowball sampling?
- Not representative
- Not practical
- Not reliable
- Unrepeatable —> another researcher might not have the initial contact that you do
What are the advantages of cluster/multistage sampling?
- Fit for purpose —> studying groups needed to study
- Time efficient
- Large target population
What are the disadvantages of cluster/multi-stage sampling?
- Not representative
- No guarantee you can get everyone you need