Types Of Data

Question 1

What are examples do qualitative methods

Answer 1

Semi structures interviews, unstructured interviews, ethnographic studies, covert and overt observation, focus groups, personal documents, diaries, letters

Question 2

What are the strengths of qualitative methods

Answer 2

High in validity as give a true and honest insight into social reality. Interpretevists favour this method as provides subjective data and findings open to interpretation. Gives honest insight into thoughts feeling and experiences of ps so gain verstehen

Question 3

Weaknesses of qualitative methods

Answer 3

Positivists don’t like this method as low in reliability, not scientific or easily replicable, can’t see cause and effect of behaviour, not objective or value free

Question 4

Examples of quant methods

Answer 4

Questionnaires, surveys, structured interviews, official stats (numerical data collected by the government), content analysis, observations of pre coded unofficial stats: quant data collected by non govern sources like employers, charities etc.

Question 5

Strengths and weaknesses of quantitative methods

Answer 5

Strengths are that positivists favour it, high in reliability (define)scientific, can study cause an effect, objective, value free and replicable weaknesses: interpretevists don’t like as lacking validity (define) not subjective and doesn’t gain verstehen or a true and honest insight into behaviour/ thoughts feelings experiences

Question 6

Strengths and weaknesses of statistics

Answer 6

S:easy and cheap to access, Can identify trends in data (also usually up to date), objective, if has many it is representative, positives like it, can make comparisons, reliable/standardised weaknesses: interpretevists don’t like it.., may not represent full picture no explanation, less validity (only quant so lacks richer and detailed understanding), open to political abuse-manipulate for political advantage e.g. mask unemployment,

Question 7

Ways that institutions may make use of findings

Answer 7

May be useful to develop policies/legislation change to overcome inequality, targeting resources, gaining access to higher education..

Question 8

Ways shared cultural characteristics can be helpful

Answer 8

Establish rapport, interpretevists prefer verstehen, access to group of ps, increase represeativeness and generalisability

Question 9

Strengths on having a representative sample

Answer 9

Selecting a sample saves time and money over the whole population, data should follow similar pattern;to population as a whole, specific groups are represented

Question 10

Reason for using mixed methods

Answer 10

Provide detailed and in depth info: more valid…2. Less risk of emotional har, as build rapport?, used to verify findings , increase opp to cover unexpected data

Question 11

What are the ethical guidelines

Answer 11

By the British sociological association 1.Informed consent, 2. deception, 3protection from harm/emotional harm/ , 4confidentiality/privacy/anonymity/safeguarding , 5avoid putting themselves at risk of harm 6 legality S:more likely to open up, more valid W:?

Question 12

Explain reflectivity and it’s strengths

Answer 12

Keep track of the extent to which they are impacting on the research/ strengths and weaknesses of research (used by interpretevists), improves validity

Question 13

What is respondent validation strengths and weaknesses

Answer 13

When researchers interpretation of an event is checked with those who took part in the event (check accuracy of data). Improves validity and less bias, verstehen, interpretevists like W:can be problematic as sample may not be able to validate findings as misunderstood, unwilling

Question 14

What is triangulation and strengths

Answer 14

Combination of research methods to verify findings. Mixture of diff research methods can be quant or qualitative = eliminates biases as cross check so increase validity, both positivists and interpretevists , and realists as fit for purpous of study , reduced emotional harm so increase validity W:expense, time,,training

Question 15

What is methodological pluralism S and W

Answer 15

Combing if diff methods to build fuller pic of what is being studied, qualitative and quantitative. Detailed and in depth, realists like, increased validity, reflected accurately so risk of emotional harm is low W: cost, time, hard to analyse and compare, training

Question 16

What is ethnography

Answer 16

When the researcher is immersed in the participants, makes field notes, range of data and methods used

Question 17

Why operationalise

Answer 17

The process in which sociologists define concepts in order to measure them Quantifiable and more objective, stop confusing so make it clear, represent target sample t

Question 18

S and W of semi structured interviews

Answer 18

S:interpretevists like, descriptive data, validity, direct quotes means less interpretation, establish rapport,. W. Positive don’t like qual, can’t id patterns and trends , lack of reliability, smaller sample size

Question 19

Difference between primary and secondary data

Answer 19

Primary is first hand research/method carried out directly by the researcher e.g. questionnaires/observations. (S-more valid as carried out yourself, more representative of the target population, can build rapport if doing interviews. W: can be more time consuming, people may not be honest. Secondary is when other people’s/an institutions data is analysed e.g. statistics or media (S- more reliable as can access the same statistics, more generalisable as larger sample size, quicker and easier to analyse. W-less valid p, rapport etc.

Question 20

Longitudinal surveys- definition and s&w

Answer 20

Study the same group of people over a long period of time S:give clear image of changes in behaviour and attitudes, build relationship, less participant differences W: respondents may drop out or researchers can loose track (reduces representativeness), they are expensive, researcher may get too close so loose objectivity, views of those who remain may be significantly diff to those who dropped out (reduces validity)

Question 21

Structured interviews (and S and W)

Answer 21

Researcher reads a list of closed questions from an interview schedule with one set categories. Interviewer is passive and does not deviate, usually converted into quant S:positives like as scientific, quant data can be converted into tables for comparison, quick to interview more people (more representative) W: interview bias (respond with suspicion, cease, lie as not part of everyday life), potential for demand characteristics (leading to an answer), inflexible so can’t look at interesting leads, only a snapshot in time, can’t cover unexpected , impositions problem (what researcher thinks is important)

Question 22

Content analysis plus S and W

Answer 22

Media products e.g ads, music, posters, films, books to id how a group is portrayed S:very cheap, allows to compare over a period of time (longitudinal), quant is reliable as sociologists can repeat W: can be time consuming, can be subjective as categories depend on washtub researcher deems important, can analyse text of of context, , media does not always have an effect on the audeince

Question 23

Ethnography plus S and W

Answer 23

Involves the researcher inserting themselves into the natural setting of social group being studied, participating/observing, may use other methods like interview. S:proffered by interpretevists as gains insight into group ( acidity), achieves verstehen W:time consuming, may have to train researcher, observer bias, going native

Question 24

Unstructured interviews plus S and W

Answer 24

Talk is informal but researcher has set list of topics to cover, flexible, used by interpretevists as in natural setting. S: relationship, trust and rapport so open up and give honest answer (valid data) may avoid interviewer bias, they are flexible so can cover unexp content, good for sensitive groups (more valid), richer more detailed data. W:positivists critical as gathers lots of data which research has to descide what to publish (bias), qualitative data is difficult to recognise, have fewer ps as takes time so less rep/gen, expensive as need training

Question 25

Group interviews/focus group interviews

Answer 25

Group may be used to interview children who may feel threatened one on one, investigate dynamics of groups e.g. nursing team (true and valid picture of behaviour) focus group where ps talk to each other introductions them to an issue W: not everyone may speak equally, some may dominate/influence others

Question 26

Observation, types and S and W

Answer 26

Non p-observer is detached from group. S: positivists like as produced quantifiable data, researcher more objective, group not influenced by observer W: may have artificial behaviour by their presence so lacks validity, may disagree on what counts as sig. p-researcher immersed themselves into lifestyle of group, used in ethnographies s:has verstehen, highly valid insight, less observer effects, can see how attitudes change over time, may be only practical for hard to reach groups W:researcher can get too close and go native, loses objectivity. Also covert W:can mean danger to sociologist, need good acting ability, takes time, have to write things down, lack of reliability and representatives and overt W:observer effects

Question 27

Questionnaires plus S and W

Answer 27

S: can reach large sample so representative, can post/use internet for other countries, less time consuming and cheaper, more objective, very reliable as standardised and repeat, quant data can be compares (postitivts) W: can have leading questions, be loaded to provoke emotional response, some may not understand vocab, different understanding of questions, may not get many replies, low on validity as not detailed and rich/get reasons why, people may lie (not valid)closed have imposition problem (measure what soc thinks important)

Question 28

Pilot studies S and W

Answer 28

One way to detect bias -small scale versions of studies with smaller sample, find out problems , check if qs understood, not leading, cause upset, interviewers are well trained W: extra cost, time, contamination (ps), does not granite sucess

Question 29

Access and gate keeping

Answer 29

Joining exclusive or deviant groups that tend to shit out outsiders /gaining access is difficult so use a gate keeper (person who has contact ) help establish trust with researcher and group, W: getting gatekeeper not easy, takes time

Question 30

Aim/hyp/research question

Answer 30

Hyp: read what others have published on the topic, take informed guess and break down into aims S:have set topic W:can bias, restrict research to a narrow field