research methods 4

• What does representativeness refer to in research?

  It refers to whether the sample is typical of the time/place and represents all groups.
• Why is it important to consider the meaning of a document in research?

  Because the researcher must understand if the words have changed over time.
• What type of documents did Thomas and Znaniecki use in their 1919 study?

  They used personal documents and public documents such as brochures, newspaper articles, and court documents.
• What are the advantages of using documents in research?

  • Quick and cheap
  • Valid: rich, detailed qualitative data (interpretivism)
  • Only way of studying the past
  • Can verify results obtained by primary methods
• What are the disadvantages of using documents in research?

  • Misinterpretations
  • Bias
  • Unreliable - not consistent in interpretation
  • Unrepresentative
• What are the advantages of content analysis?

  • Cheap
  • Reliable - quantitative, statistical data enables other researchers to check
  • No involvement of people, whose presence can distort results
• What are the disadvantages of content analysis?

  • People may interpret what they see differently
  • Only describes something, rarely explains it
  • Items may not fit neatly into one particular category
• What is a longitudinal study?

  • A study where a sample is monitored over a period of years at regular intervals
  • Shows changes in patterns and trends of individuals, small groups, and societies
• What was the name of the British TV series that followed children every 7 years starting in 1964?

  The Up Series
• What was the explicit assumption made about the children selected for The Up Series?

  That each child's social class would determine their future.
• What are the advantages of longitudinal studies?

  • Can compare data and participants over time
  • Track developments rather than just a snapshot
  • Same sample used for consistency (reliable)
  • Can gather both qualitative and quantitative data
  • Increases validity and insight with a huge amount of data
• What are the disadvantages of longitudinal studies?

  • Not practical - very time-consuming and high cost
  • May be a change in research interest
  • Unrepresentative samples may change; some participants may drop out (sample attrition)
  • Participants may act differently due to awareness of being studied (Hawthorne effect)
• What is a case study?

  • An in-depth study of an individual or small group
  • Involves delving into their history for detailed understanding
• What are the advantages of case studies?

  • Valid, rich, and detailed data
  • Verstehen - real understanding of life for that individual
  • Both qualitative and quantitative data often gathered
  • Can be used to test theories
• What are the disadvantages of case studies?

  • Unrepresentative - only studying one person or small group
  • Not generalizable
  • Snapshot - may only capture one moment in time
  • Not reliable and cannot be replicated as no variables are controlled
• What does methodological pluralism mean?

  • Using a range of methods in a single piece of research
  • Allows triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data for validity and reliability
• What example is given for triangulation in the study material?

  OFSTED used observations and official statistics (exam results) to assess school performance.
• What are the advantages of triangulation?

  • Can check findings of one study with another for reliability
  • Gain more data overall for validity
  • Disadvantages of one method can be overcome by combining with another method
• What is a disadvantage of triangulation?

  • It is time-consuming