Practical Factors

• Time and money

  Different methods require different amounts of time and money and this may influence the sociologist's choice. A large-scale survey may require staff (money). However, a small-scale project involving a lone researcher may take several years to complete
• Skills and Characteristics

  Each sociologist possesses different personal skills and this may affect their ability to use different methods.
• Subject Matter


  It may be harder to study a particular group or subject by one method than by another
• Research Opportunity

  Sometimes the opportunity to carry out research occurs unexpectedly and this means that it may not be possible to use structured methods such as questionnaires, which take longer to prepare.