Research Methods

• What are the three main factors influencing the choice of research method in sociology?

  Practicality, Ethics, Theory
• What does the acronym PET stand for in the context of research methods?

  Practicality, Ethics, Theory
• What are practical issues that can affect the choice of research method?

  Time, money, skills, and logistics
• Why might a researcher reject the best theoretical method for a topic?

  Due to high costs, difficulty, or time constraints
• What is longitudinal research?

  Research conducted over a long period of time
• What is an advantage of longitudinal research?

  It allows researchers to observe social change over time
• What is a disadvantage of longitudinal research?

  High costs and potential participant dropout
• What is a popular example of a longitudinal study?

  The television programme 7 Up
• What might lead sociologists to use secondary data instead of primary data?

  Concerns about time and cost
• What ethical issues can arise in research methods?

  Informed consent, deception, and risk of harm
• Why are covert observations ethically problematic?

  They require the researcher to remain undercover
• How does a sociologist's theoretical perspective influence their choice of research method?

  It determines whether they prefer quantitative or qualitative data
• What methods do positivist sociologists prefer?

  Methods that produce quantitative data
• What methods do interpretivist sociologists prefer?

  Methods that produce qualitative data
• What is methodological pluralism?

  Using a range of research methods in combination
• What is a case study in sociology?

  A detailed investigation of a particular individual or group
• What are the advantages of case studies?

  Ability to gather qualitative and quantitative data with lower expense
• What are the disadvantages of case studies?

  Inability to ensure reliability and generalizability of findings
• What is an example of a case study?

  Paul Willis's Learning to Labour
• How did Paul Willis conduct his case study?

  Using interviews, participant observations, and focus groups
• What can be done in research design to avoid ethical issues?

  Researchers can carefully plan their methods and obtain consent
• Why might a particular method be chosen despite ethical issues?

  It may be the only way to access certain data
• What factors influence a sociologist's choice of research topic?

  Personal interest, theoretical perspective, funding, and opportunity
• How does personal interest affect a sociologist's choice of topic?

  Researchers often study social problems they are personally interested in
• How does funding influence the choice of research topic?

  Funding bodies prefer topics that align with their interests
• What is the impact of opportunity on a sociologist's choice of topic?

  Researchers may choose topics based on available opportunities
• What do academic funding bodies prioritize when funding research?

  Research questions, design, and originality
• What is a pilot study?

  A trial run of a research method with a small sample
• Why is a pilot study important?

  It ensures that the research method will work as intended
• What type of funding is most sociological research typically funded by?

  Academic funding bodies or universities
• What are academic funding bodies more concerned about compared to corporate funding?

  Precise research questions, research design, and originality
• What must a sociologist do after choosing their research topic and methods?

  Design their study
• What is the purpose of a pilot study in sociological research?

  • Trial run of a research method
  • Uses a very small sample
  • Ensures the method works as intended
  • Allows for amendments before full-scale research
• Why is operationalizing concepts important in sociological research?

  To make concepts measurable
• How can social class be measured in sociological research?

  By using occupation categories, household income, or self-identification
• What is a key challenge sociologists face when defining concepts in their research?

  Making them measurable
• How do theoretical perspectives influence sociologists' choice of research topics?

  They affect the topics and methods chosen
• Which sociological perspectives are likely to choose topics related to power and stratification?

  Marxists and feminists
• What topics are functionalists more likely to choose in sociological research?

  Topics related to socialization
• What is the focus of interactionists in sociological research?

  Topics related to identity