2.1 - Researching Social Life

• What is the difference between subjectivity and objectivity?

  • subjectivity - based on opinions
  • objectivity - based on characteristics of the thing and not opinions
• What is a correlation?

  • when one social event occurs, another tends to occur simultaneously
• What is the difference between primary and secondary data?


  Primary data is data that is collected firsthand by the researcher, while secondary data is data that has been collected by someone else and is used by the researcher for analysis.
• What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data?

  • quantitative - numerical data
  • qualitative - data based on letters
• What is triangulation?

  • mixed methods
  • a combination of methods to collect data
• Evaluating research -

  1. Reliability - if research was replicated, would it produce the same results
  2. Validity - how accurate research is too real life
  3. Representativeness - can it be generalised to multiple groups
  4. Objectivity - ensuring research is not based on personal beliefs