research methods

• primary data

  • research not existing prior to research 
  • eg questionnaires, interviews, observations

  advantages

  • tailors to specific needs
  • ensures it’s up to date

  disadvantages

  • time + money consuming
  • less representative
• secondary data 

  • data which already exists 
  • eg official statistics + government reports

  advantages

  • access to a lot more data
  • already been peer reviewed

  disadvantages

  • can be out dated
  • not tailored specifically to research question
• quantitative data

  • numerical data which states facts 
  • eg structured interview, questionnaire

  advantage

  • large sample sizes
  • more objective and scientific 

  disadvantage

  • limited validity due to oversimplification
  • social desirability bias (saying what is socially accepted, not true opinion)
• qualitative data

  • any data that is not numerical 
  • eg participant observation, unstructured interview

  advantage

  • useful for accessing groups who don’t like authority
  • useful for sensitive topics
  • better validity than qualitative data
  • more in depth data

  disadvantage

  • time consuming
  • expensive
  • analysing data is difficult 
  • harder to guarantee confidentiality 
  • small sample sizes = low representativeness
• triangulation

  • sociologists use multiple methods to collect research to balance out the strengths and limitations of their methods
  • gives a better insight
• practical barriers

  • time and money - some methods require more time or money to complete
  • funding - group providing funding may require evidence in a certain way
  • personal skills + characteristics - can you mix (participant observation) and rapport easily (interview)
  • subject matter.- methods need to be topic appropriate (eg men can’t study domestic violence by participant observation)
  • research opportunity - if something unexpected happens, can’t use structured methods
• ethical barriers

  • informed consent - do the participants have the same rights to refuse, do they have all facts 
  • deception - researcher doesn’t inform the participant they are being studied
  • vulnerable groups - taking care while studying vulnerable groups due to age, disability, mental health 
  • privacy - identity of participants should be kept secret and privacy respected
  • protection from harm - potential harm / embarrassment should be anticipated 
• theoretical barriers

  • validity - is it repeatable
  • reliability - is it reliable
  • representativeness - sample reflects your target population
  • positivists - prefers quantitative data (numerical data), objective, social action theory
  • interpretivists - prefers qualitative data (no numerics), subjective