MIC

• TOPIC 1 - CHOOSING A RESEARCH METHOD
• research methods


  techniques that sociologists use in order to carry out studies and produce facts about the world
• why might sociologists conduct research?

  - to test if the theory is correct

  - to provide evidence to test against hypothesis

  - to prove and existing theory wrong

  - to study key social issues

  - to share the views of marginalized groups in society e.g. those with disabilities.

  - to improve society - we can encourage the government to implement social policies
• Quantitative data


  refers to information in a numerical form.

  (e.g. official statistics on how many girls passed 5 or more gcses, the percentage of marriages ending in divorce or the number of people who are unemployed.)
• qualitative data


  gives a 'feel' for what something is like.

  (e.g, what it feels like to get good gcse results, or for ones marriage to end in divorce.

  - evidence gathered by using participant observation aims to give us a sense of what it feels like to be a member of a particular group.
• primary data


  information collected by a sociologists themselves for their own purposes. these purposes may be to obtain a first hand picture of a group or society, or to test a hypotheses (an untested theory).

  (e.g social surveys, participant observation, experiment)
• advantage and disadvantages for primary data

  advantage: sociologists able to gather precisely the information they need to test their hypothesis.

  
  

  disadvantage: costly, time-consuming
• secondary data


  information that has been collected o created by someone else for their own purposes, but which the sociologist can then use.

  (e.g - official statistics produced by the government on a whole range of issues, such as crime, education, divorce and unemployment, as well as other statistics produced by charities, businesses, churches and other organizations.

  - documents such as letters, emails, diaries, photography, official reports, novels, newspapers, the internet and television broadcasts.)
• advantages and disadvantages for secondary data

  advantages: can be quick and cheap way of doing research since someone else has already produced the information.

  
  

  disadvantages: those who produce it may not be interested in the same questions as sociologists, and so secondary sources may not provide exactly the information sociologists needs. no longer relevant - outdated.
• experiments


  uses a scientific methods and seeks to establish a cause- effect relationship between two variables by testing a hypothesis.

  collect numerical data/ measurements

  primary data
• lab experiments


  favored by positivists, lab experiments test hypothesis in a controlled environment where the researcher changes the independent variable and measure the effect on the dependent variable.
• variables

  experimental grouo

  control grouo

  iv,dv,cv

  something you can change (AGE, GENDER)
• experimental methods


  logic of this is that the scientist manipulates the variables in which they are interested, in order to discover what effects they have. by following this methods, the scientist can establish a cause and effect relationship. this will allow them to predict accurately what will happen in the future under specified conditions
• field experiments


  takes place in the real world, whereby the sociologists either creates a situation or adapts a real life situation to their research purpose. those involved are usually unaware of the research taking place.
• 2 features which distinguish field experiments from lab experiments

  - field takes place in the subjects natural surroundings rather than in an artificial lab environment

  - those involved are generally not aware that they are the subjects of an experiment, in which case there is no Hawthorne effect
• interviews


  a researcher directly asking a series of questions to one or more interviews
• group interviews


  most interviews are one-to-one, but group interviews can be up to a dozen or so people being interviewed together.

  (primary, qualitative)
• structured interviews


  the positivists favored method of structured interviews involve face-to-face or over the phone delivery of a questionnaire. in turn they use a list of pre set questions designed by the research and asked of all interviewees in the same way.

  
  

  Like questionaries; both involve asking people a set of prepared questions. in both cases, the qs are usually close ended w pre coded answers. main differences is that in the interview, the questions are read out and the answers filled in by a trained interviewer rather than by the interviewee.
• unstructured interviews


  the interpretivist favored method of unstructured interviews mainly ask open ended questions that produce qualitative data rich in meaning. there is a strong relationship built between the interviewer and the interviewee which means the data is more likely to be valid.

  the interviewer has complete freedom to vary the interview. supporters argue that this brings a number of important advantages.
• observations


  method in which researchers study the going behavior of their participants (or subjects)

  - primary, qualitative data
• participant observation


  the researcher actually takes part in an event or the everyday life of the group while observing it
• non-participant observation


  the researcher simply observes the group or event without taking part in it
• covert observation


  the study is carried out under cover. the researchers real identity and purpose are kept concealed from the group being studied. the researchers takes on a false identity and role, usually posing as a genuine member of the group.
• overt observation


  the researcher makes their true identity and purpose known to those being studied. the sociologists is open about what they are doing.
• questionnaires


  collecting data in a form of a list of questions in written format.

  - primary data
• closed questionnaires


  respondents must chose from a list range of possible answer that the researcher has decided to in advance, such as yes or no, or don't know, rather like multiple choice questions. each possible answer is given a code, enabling researchers to quantify (count the number of respondents choosing each of the available answers.

  - primary, quantitative data
• open questionnaires


  respondents are free to give whatever answer they wish, in their own words, and without any ore - selected choices being offered by the researcher.
• official statistics


  quantitative data gathered by the government or other official bodies. examples includes statistics on births, deaths, marriages and divorces, exams results, school exclusions, crime, suicide, girls and boys on subjects - gov collects this to use in policy making.

  - registration - like births

  - official surveys - the census or general household survey
• document


  refers to any written text, such as personal diaries, government reports, medical records, novels, newspaper, letters, emails, blogs, web pages, parish registers, timetables, shopping lists, bank statements
• public documents


  produced by organizations such as government departments, schools, welfare agencies, businesses and charities. some of this output may be available for the researcher to use. it includes documents such as ofsted reports, of school inspections, minutes of council meetings, published company accounts and records of parliamentary debates.
• personal documents


  letters, diaries, photoablbums and biographies. first person accounts of social events and personal experiences, and they generally also include the writers feelings and attitudes.
• historical documents


  a personal or public documents created in the past. if wanting to study past, historical documents are usually the only source of information.
• practical factors


  how easy/difficult it is to carry out the research in the first places?

  - time, cost, accessibility, personal skills needed, DBS, funding body (research grant from government or business) specialist training - interviews , e,g leading questions - techniques - subject knowledge - studying vulnerable groups.
• ethical considerations


  has the researcher been conducted in a way that it is moral and protects the rights of participants?

  - confidentiality, consent, vulnerability/protection from harm, right to withdraw, debrief, deception
• theoretical factors


  has the researcher produced data that is valid, reliable, representative, generalizable, e.g. theoretical perspective, methodological perspective, objectivity, validity, reliability, representativeness.
• G

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  GENERALISABILITY

  OBJECTIVITY

  PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

  ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

  RELIABILITY

  VALIDITY

  EXAMPLES OF STUDIES

  REPRESENTATIVENESS

  THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS
• Generalizability


  the extent to which findings from one study can be applied to the target population, environments e.g if research is done in artificial settings like a classroom. if research is only on a male sample, findings would not be generalizable to females.
• objectivity


  the ability to remain neutral, detached, and not included personal feelings or opinions. by remaining objective, values cannot interfere with the study which could produce biased findings
• practical considerations


  this refers to how easy it is to actually carry out the study. they include factors such as time, cost, access, as well as personal characteristics (skill)
• ethical considerations


  researcher must follow ethical guidelines which are in place to protect the rights of participants and to put their needs ahead of the researchers. they include factors like informed consent, protection from harm and ensuring anonymity and confidentiality.