Research methods

• Research Methods

  Qualitative: non-numerical data, understanding/interpretation/examples: observational research, case studies, content analysis. Quantitative: numerical data, measuring/testing/predicting/examples: surveys, experiments, hypothesis testing.
• Qualitative-Quantitative Research


  Qualitative: strengths - in-depth understanding, rich data, flexibility; weaknesses - limited generalizability, time-consuming, subjective. Quantitative: strengths - generalizability, objectivity, precision; weaknesses - limited understanding, lack of context, rigidity.
• What is the theoretical perspective of positivist sociology?

  It is a theoretical perspective connected to qualitative methods.
• What are social facts in positivist sociology?

  Social facts are scientifically measured to discover cause and effect.
• How do social facts affect behavior?

  Social facts are external things affecting behavior.
• What is the importance of objectivity in positivist sociology?

  Objectivity avoids bias and allows for observation without personal influence.
• Which two sociological perspectives are mentioned in relation to positivist sociology?

  Functionalist and Marxist.
• How is society viewed in positivist sociology?

  Society is seen as a macro-level.
• What type of research methods does interpretative sociology favor?

  Interpretative sociology favors qualitative research methods.
• What are two common methods used in interpretative sociology?

  Participant observation and unstructured interviews.
• What should sociologists do according to interpretative sociology?

  Sociologists should place themselves into the individual perspective.
• What is the goal of interpretative sociology?

  To uncover the reasoning behind how society is organized.
• What does the term 'verstehen' refer to in sociology?

  'Verstehen' refers to understanding human behavior using empathy.
• What approach does interactionism take in sociology?

  Interactionism is an interpretive approach.
• How does interactionism view society?

  Interactionism takes a micro-level view of society.
• What is a key characteristic of the personalized approach in interactionism?

  The personalized approach is built on trust due to the complexity of emotions.
• Hypothesis: a possible explanation that can be tested by collecting evidence to prove it to be true or false
• Operating concepts 

  • Operalisation can be collected to find out if the hypothesis is false 
  • If sociologists operationalise differently the results can differ meaning generalisation occurs 
  • Once operationalised you can devise questions that measure 
  • Difficult to measure and compare different results 
  • Positivists use operationalizing concepts
  • Interpretivists don’t operationalise they make their own definitions 
• Operationalisation: the process of converting a sociological concept into something we can measure and understand 
• The pilot study 

  • Involves trying to use a small sample of a questionnaire or interview 
  • Sociologists carrying out social surveys use pilot studies 
  • Aim is to simplify refine and clarify questions 
  • Can reveal is questions are worded impractically to refine the results to see clearer patterns 
• y by chance 

  Quasi- random or systematic sampling: where every nth person in the sampling frame is selected (young and willmott used this) 

  Stratified random sampling: the researcher first stratifies/breaks down the population in the sampling frame by age,class and gender 

  Quota sampling: the population is stratified as above and then each interviewer is given a quota of a number of individuals who fit the characteristics 

  Target population: who you wish/want to study 

  Sampling frame is a list of people sample - must be representative so the data can be generalised 
• Stratified Sampling: Stratified sampling involves dividing the population into subgroups (strata) based on certain characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, income level etc. Then selecting a random sample from within each stratum. This ensures that the sample accurately reflects the proportions of each characteristic found in the wider population.
• There is no risk of the Hawthorne effect in field experiments as the participants aren't aware they're being studied. 
• What do self-report techniques describe?

  Methods of gathering data where participants provide information about themselves
• How do interviews differ from questionnaires in self-report techniques?

  Interviews are face-to-face, while questionnaires are anonymous
• When would you choose to use interviews over questionnaires?

  When the subject of enquiry is complex
• What is the purpose of structured interviews?

  To ask closed questions read out by the interviewer
• How do unstructured interviews differ from structured interviews?

  Unstructured interviews resemble normal conversations without specific questions
• What characterizes semi-structured interviews?

  They have a set of closed and open questions but allow for probing
• How many participants are typically involved in group interviews?

  Usually 8-10 participants
• What is the role of an interview schedule?

  It is a list of questions to be asked in an interview for standardization
• What is an interview transcript?

  Transcribing notes from a conversation to record qualitative data
• Why is it important to record all notes during an interview?

  To ensure detailed qualitative data is captured
• Social desirability: wanting to be positively evaluated may affect how truthful their answers are 
• John scott 1990 said ‘before we use documents we have to assess it against 4 criteria 

  1. Authenticity
  2. Credibility
  3. Representativeness 
  4. Meaning 
• authenticity - does the document accurately represent what was intended by its author or creator
• credibility - can the researcher trust that the information contained within the document is accurate, reliable and valid
• meaning - do we understand the meaning behind the words used in the document
• representativeness - do the documents selected truly reflect the population they claim to represent
• credibility - can we trust that the information contained within the document is accurate, reliable and valid