12) Factors Influencing Method Choice

• Access to the participants - practical factors

  The ability to gain access to the group you wish to study will determine which type of method you are able to use. For example is

  your participant are working class parents they may not have the time to complete interviews but could do a questionnaire.
• Types of data required - practical factors

  Different methods will provide either qualitative or quantitative data, so the type of data required will influence the method used.
• Personal Characteristics of the Researcher - Practical Factors

  The personal characteristics of the researcher will influence their choice of method as different researchers will have different skill sets making some methods easier to use than others. For example a researcher would need good communication skills in order to use an interview and good memory and powers of observation f using an observation.
• Subject Matter - Practical Factors

  The subject you are studying may lend itself more to one research method than another. For example it may be difficult for a male researchers to interview victims of domestic violence and questionnaires may not be appropriate for participants who have

  English as a second language.
• Size of the sample - practical factors

  The sample size can influence the choice in methods as if you have access to a large sample a interview would take too long to complete but if you have a very small sample a in depth interview might be required to get enough information.
• Time Available - Practical Factors

  Different methods require different amount of time to complete and this may influence a researchers choice and they may have a deadline to meet. For example unstructured interviews and observations can take a lot more time to complete than a web based questionnaire.
• Cost/ Funding - Practical Factors

  Research funding can influence the research method used not just

  due to the requirements of the funding body but also the amount

  it could cost as the researcher will need to stay within budget.
• Research Opportunity - Practical Factors

  There are times when a research opportunity can occur suddenly meaning that the research will not have the time to prepare structured interviews or questionnaires.
• Informed Consent - Ethical and Moral Factors

  All participants have to give informed consent. This would mean that the sociologist would have to explain to participants what the research was about, what taking part would involve and how the data will be used.
• Confidentiality - Ethical and Moral Factors

  Any and all identifying features about the participants should not be

  released to the public or published in the report on the study.
• Covert Research and Consent - Ethical and Moral Factors

  When conducting covert research it may be necessary for the researcher to gain informed consent after the data had bee collected, the can also gain pre-emptive consent from a similar group.
• Privacy - Ethical and Moral Factors

  The researcher should not ask or involve themselves in the private

  lives of their participants which do not pertain to the research they are conducting.
• Pre-emptive Consent means speaking to a similar group to your sample to see if they would give consent to the researcher and if so the researcher can assume thesample will as well.

  
  

  Deception means deliberately lying to the participants about the purpose of the research or how the data will be used. This can sometimes be necessary if the nature of the research could lead to researcher effects and invalidate the data.

  
  

  Gate keepers are the people that you need to gain permission from in order to gain access to your participants.
• Harm - Ethical and Moral Factors

  The participants and researcher should not be put in any harms way during the research, wither physical, psychological or emotional harm
• Legality - Ethical and Moral Factors

  The researcher cannot break the law during their research or take part in illegal activities.