Choice of methods and the research process

• What are the two main approaches to research discussed in Chapter 2?

  Positivism and interpretivism
• How do positivists view social reality?

  As a measurable, objective reality
• What is the aim of positivist research?

  To discover underlying causes of behavior
• What methods do positivists use to gather data?

  Questionnaires and structured interviews
• What type of data do positivists aim to obtain?

  Reliable and representative quantitative data
• What do interpretivists believe about social reality?

  It is subjective and based on individual meanings
• What is the goal of interpretivist research?

  To uncover actors' meanings or worldview
• What types of methods do interpretivists prefer?

  Open-ended methods producing qualitative data
• What are the three key concepts used to judge research methods?

  • Reliability
  • Representativeness
  • Validity
• What does reliability in research mean?

  It must be replicable to obtain the same results
• What do positivists think about participant observation?

  They regard it as unreliable
• Why is representativeness important in sociological research?

  It allows generalizations about the wider group
• What does validity refer to in research?

  How authentic and true the data is
• What is primary data?

  Evidence collected by sociologists themselves
• What is secondary data?

  Information collected by someone else
• What factors influence a sociologist's choice of research method?

  • Methodological preference
  • Practical aspects of research
  • Ethical concerns
• What do positivists prefer in terms of data?

  Quantitative data to reveal cause-and-effect
• What practical factors can restrict research methods?

  Time, finance, and personal commitments
• What is a pilot study?

  A trial run of a questionnaire or interview
• What is operationalization in research?

  Defining concepts in measurable ways
• What is a sampling frame?

  A list of all members of the research population
• Why is representativeness important for positivists?

  To make generalizations about social behavior
• What is random sampling?

  Every member has an equal chance of selection
• What is stratified sampling?

  Sampling based on specific characteristics proportions
• What is quota sampling?

  Filling specific quotas of characteristics in samples
• What are the interrelated factors affecting research methods?

  • Practical factors (time, finance)
  • Ethical factors (informed consent, confidentiality)
  • Theoretical factors (data preference)
• What is triangulation in research?

  Combining quantitative and qualitative methods
• What influences the choice of research topic?

  Practical factors, funding bodies, and chance
• What is the first step in the research process?

  Choosing a topic and research method
• What is the difference between an aim and a hypothesis?

  An aim is general; a hypothesis is specific
• What should researchers consider when interpreting questions?

  They should read carefully for method or topic
• What is systematic/quasi-random sampling?

  some sociologists introduce an element of structure to the sampling by selecting every nth person in the sampling frame