Flashcards · 8192 · Topic 7

Sociological research methods flashcards

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Aim vs hypothesis: An aim is a general statement of what a study wants to find out. A hypothesis is a testable prediction about a relationship between two things.
Pilot study: Small trial run to test the method before the main study.
Sampling frame: List of the population from which a sample is drawn.
Quota vs snowball sampling: Quota: set numbers from each group, chosen by the researcher to match the population. Snowball: participants recruit further participants, useful for hard-to-reach groups.
Random vs representative: Random describes how people are chosen (everyone has an equal chance). Representative describes the result: the sample shares the population's characteristics.

Questionnaires with closed questions: strength and weakness: Strength: large samples, cheap and reliable. Weakness: little depth, and response rates may be low.
Structured vs unstructured interview: Structured: standard questions in a fixed order, reliable and comparable. Unstructured: a flexible guided conversation, giving depth and validity but hard to compare or repeat.
Participant vs non-participant observation: Participant: the researcher joins the group and sees real behaviour. Non-participant: the researcher watches without joining and stays detached.
Overt vs covert observation: Overt: the group knows it is being studied, risking the observer effect. Covert: the group does not know, risking breaking informed consent.
What is a focus group?: A group interview in which participants discuss a topic; it shows how views form in discussion, but one person can dominate.
Why use a mixed methods approach?: Combining quantitative and qualitative methods gives both reliable patterns and valid, in-depth meanings, and lets findings be checked against each other.

Qualitative vs quantitative data: Qualitative data are in words or meanings, from methods such as unstructured interviews. Quantitative data are numerical, from methods such as closed-question questionnaires.
Reliability vs validity: Reliable = repeatable. Valid = true to life. Questionnaires lean reliable; unstructured interviews and participant observation lean valid.
Official vs non-official statistics: The difference is who produced the figures (government and its agencies vs others such as charities or researchers), not whether they are accurate.
Official statistics: strength and weakness: Strength: national, regular and free. Weakness: definitions are set by government, and unrecorded events are missed.

Primary vs secondary data: Primary data are collected first-hand by the researcher. Secondary data already exist, produced by others for another purpose.
Give three examples of secondary sources: Official statistics, documents such as diaries, letters and reports, and media content such as newspapers and websites.
Give one strength and one weakness of secondary sources: Strength: cheap, quick and may cover large populations or the past. Weakness: produced for another purpose, so may be biased or not measure what the researcher needs.
Content analysis: Systematic study of documents or media content.

Trend: General direction of data over time.
Percentage vs percentage points: A rise from 20% to 30% is a 10 percentage point rise, which is a 50% increase.
What should you check when interpreting a graph or table?: The title, axes or headings, units and dates, the source, the overall pattern or trend, and any exceptions or changes in direction.
Why should you be careful about cause when reading statistics?: Two trends moving together (a correlation) do not prove that one causes the other; other factors may explain both.

Name the practical issues in research in the specification: Time, cost and access.
Why is access a practical issue in researching schools?: Gatekeepers such as head teachers control entry, pupils are minors so parental consent is needed, and timetables limit when research can happen.
Why might a researcher choose a questionnaire for practical reasons?: It is cheap and quick to give to a large, spread-out sample, and the results are easy to analyse.
Why is participant observation practically difficult?: It is time-consuming, needs the researcher to gain acceptance into the group, and can only study a small group.

Name the ethical issues in the specification: Consent, confidentiality and harm to participants, and how each can be addressed.
Informed consent: Agreeing to take part with full knowledge of what the research involves.
Confidentiality: Keeping participants' identities and information private.
How can harm to participants be avoided?: By not asking distressing questions without support, letting participants withdraw, protecting their identity, and debriefing them afterwards.