Choosing a research method

• Practical issue


  Time, money, access, funding.
• Ethical issue


  Consent, privacy, vulnerable groups.
• Theoretical issue


  Validity, reliability, representative, methodological perspective.
• Factor influence choice of topic


  Sociologists view, society value, practical factors, funding.
• Aim


  The area that you wish to study.
• Hypothesis


  Statement or prediction to be proved/disproved.
• Operationalizing concepts


  Define the concept so that it can be measured.
• Pilot study


  Practice, trial run, smaller version of a study.
• Postivists


  Sociologists who have the main goal of reliability, representativeness, generalizability and objectivity.
• Interpretivists


  Sociologists who have the main goal of validity, truth, meaning and subjectivity.
• Reliability


  Can the method be repeated, or conducted in exactly the same way. This is one of the main goals of Positivism
• Representative


  Can this method produce a large amount of data which is typical of the population as a whole. Can it be generalised?
• Validity


  Can this method produce true, authentic reflection of reality? The main goal of intepretivists.
• Target population


  The group that you wish to study.