Research methods

• Why do sociologists review existing literature?

  To become familiar with concepts, theories, research methods and findings from previous studies which could lead to identifying a topic that has not been investigated in the past
• What is a pilot study?

  A trial run carried out before the main research where researchers can check their chosen method and identify potential problems which can help save time and money in the long run
• What is a target population?

  The specific group of individuals that a researcher or study is focused on studying or collecting data from
• What is a sampling frame?

  A list of people in the researcher's target population
• What is random sampling?

  People are chosen randomly by a random name generator etc. and each participant has an equal chance of being chosen
• What is systematic sampling?

  Every nth person in chosen from a sampling frame
• What is stratified sampling?

  The sampling frame is divided into groups and participants are selected randomly from each group
• What is snowball sampling?

  One person says they are willing to take part in the research and they suggest other people who are willing to take part who suggest other people who are willing to take part and so forth. This is usually done when there is no sampling frame
• What is a quota sample?

  Selecting people who meet the requirements of the research
• What is a purposive sample?

  A sample is selected based on a known characteristic e.g. headteachers
• What is a representative sample?

  A representative sample is a subset of a larger population that accurately reflects the characteristics and diversity of the entire population. The results of the research will be generalisable. Larger, random samples and quantitative tend to be more representative.
• What does evaluating research mean?

  Considering the strengths and weaknesses of the research that has been carried out
• What does valid mean?

  The data gives a true picture as it captures or measures what it was supposed to be studying. Qualitative data tends to be more valid
• What does reliable mean?

  The research is easy to repeat so results can be checked. Quantitative data tends to be more reliable
• What does generalisable mean?

  The findings can be applied to the wider population the sample presents
• What does it mean if the research is ethical?

  The research has been carried out in a way that avoids harming others
• What are the ethical considerations of research?

  Deception, informed consent, right to withdraw, anonymity, confidentiality
• What is deception?

  The participant must not be lied to or deceived about the aims of the research
• What is informed consent?

  The participant must agree to take part and sign a consent form and must be told exactly what the research involves
• What is the right to withdraw?

  If a participant feels uncomfortable or decide they no longer want to take part in the study and can ask to leave. They should be told they have this right at the start of the study
• What is anonymity?

  Participants will be told their personal details will not be published in the write up of the research and that the information they share is confidential. This right is protected by the data protection act
• What is a survey?

  Consists of pre-set questions to which the respondent supplies the answer. Questions are standardised so each person is asked the same questions in the same order
• What are the 2 main ways of carrying out surveys?

  Self completion questionnaires and formal / structured interviews
• What is an opinion poll?

  They ask for your view on a particular issue
• What are the advantages of questionnaires?

  They are cheap and a quick way of collecting information from a large number of people, the researcher is not present so there is no interviewer effect making the results more valid, they provide quantitative data which is easy to analyse, questionnaires are standardised so easy to repeat to check the results which make them reliable
• What are the limitations of questionnaires?

  The interviewer is not present to clarify questions if the respondent does not understand which means the responses may lack validity, closed questions do not allow the respondent to answer in their own words or develop their response which impacts the validity of the data collected, low response rate as people may not want to complete the questionnaire
• What are structured interviews?

  These are delivered face to face or by phone in the form of a questionnaire, questions are standardised and asked in the same voice and tone for every question, you cannot add or change questions, they are often closed ended questions
• What are the advantages of structured interviews?

  It is easy to compare answers and analyse the answers providing statistical data, they are reliable because they are easy to replicate and are standardised, interviewers are trained and it is possible for them to clarify any misunderstandings, the interviewer can check all relevant questions and sections are complete
• What are the limitations of structured interviews?

  Interviewer effect: the respondent might try to give the right answer to impress the interviewer, as they are based on pre-set questions the interviewer cannot probe further so the data lacks depth, the interviewee cannot express their thoughts in their own words so the research lacks validity
• What is an unstructured interview?

  An unstructured interview is a type of interview where the questions are not pre-determined and the conversation flows freely, allowing for more open-ended responses from the interviewee. Instead of a standardised list of questions, the interviewer will have a list of topics and prompts. The questions are usually open ended and data is qualitative
• What are semi-structured interviews?

  An interviewer may work with an interview guide ( a list of questions, points or issues they want to cover ) but they do not have to cover everything in their guide and could pick up any issue that the interviewee raises
• What are the advantages of unstructured interviews?

  The researcher is present so can clarify, prompt and probe, interviewees can talk at length in their own words so the data is more in-depth and has high validity, the interviewer can build a rapport as it is informal so the interviewee may open up which gives the data more validity
• What are the limitations of unstructured interviews?

  They are time consuming and expensive as the interviewer must be trained, there may be interviewer bias and the interviewer effect, it is difficult to repeat the research as there are no set questions so not reliable, usually a smaller sample so not representative
• What is a longitudinal study?

  A longitudinal study is a research method that follows the same group of individuals over an extended period of time to observe changes and gather data.
• What are the advantages of longitudinal studies?

  Longitudinal studies can examine social changes over time
• What are the limitations of longitudinal studies?

  They are expensive due to the time-scale, sample attrition, it may be difficult to stay in contact with the sample e.g. they may move areas
• What is sample attrition?

  Sample attrition refers to the loss of participants in a study over time, leading to a reduction in the sample size.
• What are group interviews?

  Usually takes the form of a small group discussion, there are multiple participants interviewed at the same time, it will cover several topics and themes, open questions are used and the data is usually qualitative
• What are the advantages of group interviews?

  Enables researchers to access a wide range of views and experiences, interviewing people together can save money and time, individuals may be more comfortable putting their experiences forward in a group setting
• What are the disadvantages of group interviews?

  The interviewees may influence each other e.g. peer pressure, some may dominate the interview while others will not get their voice heard, some may be less open than in a one to one setting e.g. may feel shy, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed as others in the group may not keep information private, if interviewees talk over each other it can be difficult to transcribe the contents of the group interview