Data & Sampling

• Who are the main positivists in sociology?


  Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx
• What are the links between the two main positivist theories?

  • both are macro and structuralist theories
  • written during the enlightenment
• What was the time of Enlightenment?


  An age of rationality, reason and scientific views
• What are some data methods?

  • official statistics
  • experiments
  • questionnaires
  • structured interviews
  • unstructured interviews
  • surveys
  • observation
• What are the two main interpretivist theories?

  Max Weber and Goffman
• What are the links between the two main interpretivist theories?

  • look at society at an individual level
  • believe in understanding motives
  • gain empathy with those that they research
• What are interpretivist data methods like?

  • non scientific
  • flexible
  • valid
  • flexible procedure
  • questionable ethics
• What are positivist data methods like?

  • scientific
  • standardised procedure
  • reliable
  • ethically sound
  • representative
• What do positivists do and believe in?

  • quantitative data
  • discover patterns of behaviour
  • see sociology as a science
• What do interpretivists do and believe in?

  • qualitative
  • seek to understand social meaning
  • reject that sociology is a science
• What is primary data?


  Information collected by sociologists for their own purposes
• What is secondary data?


  Information collected by somebody else for their own purposes that can be used by other sociologists
• What is an advantage of primary data?


  Gathering direct information to tests specific research questions
• What are the disadvantages of primary data?

  • Costly
  • Time consuming
  • Not fit for historical research
• What are the advantages of secondary data?

  • quick and cheap
  • data already analysed
  • a larger population can be reached with a researcher that was highly talented
• What are the disadvantages of secondary data?

  • can be incomplete
  • research may not exist on a particular topic
  • may not provide exact info needed
  • relies on someone else objectivity and accuracy
• What is quantitative data?


  Data taken in numerical form
• What is qualitative data?


  Data that provides meanings and motives for a feel of what something is like through words, values, feelings and attitudes
• What are the advantages of quantitative data?

  • easy to analyse
  • draws a clear conclusion
  • less possibility of bias
• What are the disadvantages of quantitative data?

  • does not provide reasons behind the statistics
  • statistics could impact a researcher if there are anomalous results
• What is meant by reliable data or research?


  It can be repeated many times
• What is meant by valid data?


  There is a reason behind the fact
• What are the advantages of qualitative data?

  • detailed reasons behind the data
  • can paint a realistic picture of someone's experiences
• What are the disadvantages of qualitative data?

  • It's someone else's objective opinion
  • May not be valid due to interpretation
  • May not be representative of other people
• What is PET's?

  • Practical issues
  • Ethical issues
  • Theoretical issues
• What are the practical issues?

  • time and money
  • requirements of funding bodies
  • personal skills and characteristics
  • subject matter
  • research opportunity
• What are the ethical issues?

  • Informed consent
  • Confidentiality and privacy
  • Harm to research participants
  • Vulnerable groups
  • Covert research
• What is a hypothesis?


  A precise statement of what you expect or predict
• What is operationalising?


  Explaining key concepts to avoid confusion on what the researcher believes
• What is a pilot study?


  Creating a draft version of the research method to test it out
• Why do researchers use pilot studies?

  • To test the method
  • To identify and fix issues
  • To clarify and refine questions
  • To give the researcher/interviewer practice
• Where do Pilot studies come from?


  Willmott & Young (1962)
• What happened with Willmott & Young?


  They carried out 100 pilot studies to find many errors within their research method
• What is target population?


  The total group of individuals from which the sample might be drawn
• What is generalisation?


  The process of extending a specific instance to a wider or universal set
• What are the types of sampling?

  • Random sampling
  • Systemic/Quasi Random Sampling
  • Stratified random sampling
  • Quota sampling
  • Opportunity sampling
  • Snowball sampling
• What is random sampling?


  When a researcher randomly selects participants for research
• What is systematic/quasi random sampling?


  A researcher selecting every nth person on the sampling frame
• What is stratified random sampling?


  Dividing a population into smaller groups called 'strata' based on characteristics and attributes
• What is quota sampling?


  Non probability sample where people are selected according to a fixed standard