objectivity

• Objectivity


  An ideal that guides all inquiry, a measure of how researchers undertake and carry out their research, requires them to be precise, unbiased, open, honest and receptive to criticism
• Objectivity (in research)


  Basing conclusions on facts without any bias and value judgement, conclusions independent of personal beliefs, likes, dislikes and hopes, data and inferences free from bias and prejudices, a goal of scientific investigation
• Problems of Objectivity in Social Research


  • Social scientists are part of human society and their judgements are subjective and coloured by their own experience
  • The subject matter of social science research is too complex, all propositions are limited to particular social groups and contexts, thus objectivity is a major issue
  • All members of society have different values, social researchers will unconsciously be influenced by their values
  • Social scientists fail to achieve objectivity because the respondents are human beings who have certain human problems (e.g. refusal, improper understanding, reluctance) which cause biases and invalidate research findings and conclusions
• It is very difficult to achieve objectivity in social science research
• Factors affecting objectivity


  • Personal bias
  • Value judgement
  • Ethical dilemmas
• Personal bias


  Believing something without considering evidence
• Subjective bias in research

  Result of negative influences of personal motives such as theoretical perspectives
• Subjective bias in research

  • Feminists may find 'evidence' of patriarchal oppression because they are looking for it not because it actually exists
• Value related problems


  Arise from the social context within which research occurs
• All persons living in a society (including researchers) are bound to have a set of values that they are raised to believe, and these can be difficult to set aside in research
• Value related problems


  • As a radical feminist researching domestic violence you may already bring in negative values relating to men and therefore find evidence of patriarchal control in incident of domestic violence
• Ethical dilemmas in research

  • Relation with sponsors
  • Relation with source data
  • Relation with research subject
• 'Going native'


  When the researcher begins to see the participants' values as their own, and therefore loses objectivity
• 'Going native' breaks the ethical guideline of protection, as the researcher is no longer protecting themselves and becomes changed by the research process