Questionnaires, interviews, observations, experiments, documents and statistics

Question 1

Types of interviews

Answer 1

Structured
Unstructured
Semi-structured
Group interviews

Question 2

Structured interview example

Answer 2

Willmott & Young

Extended family research over London with 900+ participants, employed people to conduct them

Question 3

Unstructured interview - example

Answer 3

Gerwitz, parental choice & Oakley

Question 4

Semi-structured - example

Answer 4

Becker, 60 Chicago teachers

Question 5

Group interviews example

Answer 5

Paul Willis, laddish subcultures

Question 6

Unstructured interviews example

Answer 6

Gerwitz, parental choice & Oakley

Question 7

Structured interviews :)

Answer 7

• Less time in comparison
• Results can be easily qualified
• No special skills required
• Very reliable as the questions are standardised
• High response rate as people may find it harder to turn down

Question 8

Structured Interviews :(

Answer 8

• Closed pre-set questions restrict verstehen
• The interaction could cause the interviewee to be influenced
• More costly than mailing questionnaire

Question 9

Interviews positivists

Answer 9

Structured Interviews would be preferred by Positivists due to the standardised questions and larger scale

Question 10

Unstructured Interviews :)

Answer 10

• Able to build a rapport
• Ability to clarify questions

Question 11

Unstructured Interviews :(

Answer 11

• Interviewer bias: interview may ask leading questions
• Artificiality: despite being ‘relaxed’ it’s still an interview
• Requires skills & time

Question 12

Interviews interpretivists prefer

Answer 12

Unstructured Interviews because it allows for interviees to express themselves through open-ended questions and produce qualitative

Question 13

Group Interviews :)

Answer 13

• May feel more comfortable being with others, open up
• Can throw around ideas, producing representative data

Question 14

Group Interviews :(

Answer 14

• One or two may dominate the discussion
• Peer pressure may lead to conformity

Question 15

Questionaires advantages main

Answer 15

• Practical
• Reliable
• Representative
• Ethical

Question 16

Questionaires advantages - Practical

Answer 16

• They are quick and cheap e.g. online or via mail - No need to recruit people; specialist skills
• Easy to quantify

Question 17

Questionaires advantages - Reliable

Answer 17

• Questionnaires can be sent out identically to another
• There is no researcher present to influence social interaction

Question 18

Questionaires advantages - Representative

Answer 18

Reach large amounts of people, more likely to represent wider population

Question 19

Questionaires advantages - Ethical

Answer 19

Poses few ethical problems as respondents are under no obligation to answer questions however researchers should ensure anonymity

Question 20

Positivists prefer questionnaires as they are …

Answer 20

detached and objective