1
Q
how do positivists see society
A
in a scientific way
2
Q
what are the 5 key things that positivists see as important
A
- reliability - if you repeat you research and get the same/similar results
- representativeness - if your research is representative of your whole population
- generalizability - if it can apply to the whole population
- verstehen - understanding/empathy
- quantitative: data in the form of numbers
3
Q
what are the main 4 methods positivists use for research
A
- questionnaires
- structured interviews
- experiments
- official statistics
4
Q
how do interpretivists see society
A
in a non scientific way
5
Q
what are the 2 key things interpretivists see as important
A
- validity: a true picture of social life
- qualitative: data in the form of words
6
Q
what are the three things interpretivists use for research
A
- unstructured interviews ( or focus groups)
- observation
- secondary documents - anything that is already written down
7
Q
what are 5 practical factors
A
- time and money
- requirements of funding bodies
- recording data
- gaining access
- personal skills and characteristics
8
Q
what are 4 ethical factors
A
- harm
- informed consent
- deception
- confidentiality
9
Q
what are 4 theoretical factors
A
- reliability
- validity
- representativeness
- theoretical perspective
