research methods

• PRIMARY RESEARCH METHODS

  data collected by the researcher

  
  

  advantages: RELIABLE

  disadvantages: TIME CONSUMING, EXPENSIVE
• SECONDARY RESEARCH METHODS

  data collected by other people

  
  

  advantages: CHEAP

  disadvantages: LESS RELIABLE, OUT-DATED
• QUANTITATIVE DATA

  numerical data

  
  

  advantages: EASIER TO SPOT TRENDS, MACRO SOCIOLOGY

  disadvantages: NOT RELIABLE, DOESN'T EXPLAIN THE TRENDS
• QUALITATIVE DATA

  descriptive data

  
  

  advantages: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF LIVED EXPERIENCES, PROVIDES STRONG DESCRIPTIONS

  disadvantages: TIME CONSUMING, NOT RELIABLE, NOT VALID
• STRATIFIED SAMPLING

  involves the researcher breaking down the population into different stratas (layers or subgroups of society).

  the sociologist then draws a sample randomly from each subgroup in proportion to their numbers in the research population.

  
  

  advantages: REPRESENTATIVE

  disadvantages: NOT TRULY RANDOM BECAUSE IT PREDETERMINES THE DIFFERENT STRATA WITHIN THE POPULATION
• RANDOM SAMPLING

  can use computers to select a sample or draw names from a hat, everyone in the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample.

  
  

  advantages: REFLECTS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESEARCH POPULATION

  disadvantages: MAY NOT BE REPRESENTATIVE AS IT MAY ACCIDENTLY BE BIASED WITH CERTAIN GROUPS OR UNDER-REPRESENTED AS NOT ALL SAMPLES ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO ENSURE IT IS REPRESENTATIVE
• QUOTA SAMPLING

  research population is stratified and then each interviewer is given a quota (eg. 20 females and 20 males, which they have to fill with respondents who fit these characteristic).

  
  

  disadvantages: CAN PRODUCE A BIASED SAMPLE AND UNRELIABLE AS THE SAMPLE MAY BE MADE UP OF 'FRIENDLY FACES IN A CROWD'.
• SYSTAMATIC SAMPLING

  involves taking every 'nth' term from the sampling frame.

  
  

  disadvantages: RESULTS MAY NOT BE TRULY RANDOM SO MIGHT NOT BE REPRESENTATIVE
• OPPORTUNITY SAMPLING

  a population grouped conveniently together or individuals who are easiest to access are selected to be in the sample

  
  

  disadvantages: NOT REPRESENTATIVE
• SNOWBALL SAMPLING

  collecting a sample by contacting a number of key individuals, who are asked to suggest others who might be interviewed, and so on

  
  

  advantages: USEFUL WAY TO CONTACT A SAMPLE OF PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO FIND OR PERSUADE TO TAKE PART

  disadvantages: NOT REPRESENTATIVE
• PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

  interacts with the subject and plays a part in their everyday life

  
  

  advantages: PROVIDES A REAL AND EMPATHETIC INSIGHT, CAN ASK RELEVANT QUESTIONS

  disadvantages: PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THE WAY THEY ACT (HAWTHORNE EFFECT)
• NON-PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

  the researcher chooses not to play any part in what is being observed

  
  

  advantages: ALLOWS A MORE OBJECTIVE VIEW OF WHAT IS BEING OBSERVED

  disadvantages: PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOUR (HAWTHORNE EFFECT)
• OVERT OBSERVATION

  the researcher comes clean and the group are aware of the research activities

  
  

  advantages: MOST ETHICAL, REQUIRES NO DECEPTION, PARTICIPANTS ARE ABLE TO GIVE CONSENT

  disadvantages: PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOUR (HAWTHORNE EFFECT)
• COVERT OBSERVATION

  the researcher is undercover, participants are unaware they are being observed

  
  

  advantages: HIGH IN VALIDITY, HAWTHORNE EFFECT IS AVOIDED

  disadvantages: RAISES A NUMBER OF ETHICAL CONCERNS, NOT GIVEN INFORMED CONSENT
• STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

  the interviewer reads the standard questions from the interview schedule (pre set list of questions)

  structured interviews are examples of social surveys

  structured interviews are questionnaires delivered on the phone or in person

  
  

  advantages: THE INTERVIEWER CAN ENSURE ALL QUESTIONS AND SECTIONS ARE COMPLETE, EASY TO COMPARE DATA, PROVIDES THE RESEARCHER WITH STATISTICAL DATA, QUESTIONS ARE STANDARDISED, EACH RESPONDENT GETS THE SAME QUESTIONS

  disadvantages: AGE GENDER ETHNICITY ACCENT OR APPEARANCE OF THE INTERVIEWER INFLUENCE RESPONDENTS ANSWER, USUALLY DELIVERED FACE-TO-FACE, INTERVIEW BIAS, THE WORDING, ORDER AND THE FOUCUS OF QUESTIONS ARE PREDETERMINED
• UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

  the interviewer does not have a standardised interview schedule to follow and each interview is unique

  
  

  SEMI STRUCTURED = MIGHT WORK WITH AN INTERVIEW GUIDE, LISTS OF POSSIBLE QUESTIONS OR ISSUES THEY WANT TO COVER

  
  

  advantages: MORE FLEXIBLE, INTERVIEWEES CAN TALK AT LENGTH IN THEIR OWN WORDS, POPULAR METHOD AMONGST FEMINISTS BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIP IS EQUAL

  disadvantages: TIME CONSUMING, EXPENSIVE, REQUIRES A SKILL TO ENCOURAGE INTERVIEWEES TO OPEN UP AND KEEP THE CONVO FLOWING, INTERVIEWER BIAS
• LONGITUDINAL STUDIES

  studies of the same group of people (often a cohort, such as people the same age) conducted over a period of time

  
  

  advantages: REPRESENTATIVE, VALID, SAME SAMPLE USED CREATES COMPARATIVE DATA

  disadvantages: TIME CONSUMING, EXPENSIVE, PARTICIPANT COULD DROP OF (SAMPLE ATTRITION), NOT ALWAYS REPRESENTATIVE