Sociology > Research methods > Flashcards

Research methods Flashcards

(50 cards)

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1
Q

Define:

Positivism

A
  • Scientific approach
  • Reliable, generalisable, representative
  • Quantitative
  • Functionalism + Marxists
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2
Q

Define:

Interpretivism

A
  • Understand context
  • Validity
  • Qualitative
  • Feminism, Postmodernism, Interactionism
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3
Q

Reflexivity

A
  • Interpretivist
  • Keep research journal to reflect on process
  • Document mistakes, social background, social context
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4
Q

Verstehen

A
  • Interpretivism
  • Place self physically into the position/situation of the participants
  • Participant observation
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5
Q

Strengths of Interpretivism

A
  • Provides context
  • Building relationships - High in validity
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6
Q

Weaknesses of Interpretivism

A
  • Less ethical due to less consent
  • Data less reliable and generalisable
  • Only gathers a small amount of data
  • Relationship can bias results
  • Takes longer
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7
Q

Strengths of Positivism

A
  • More ethical - consent gained
  • Data is reliable, representative, generalisable
  • Detatchment from participants decreases bias
  • Faster to produce
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8
Q

Weaknesses of Positivism

A
  • Does not provide context - people become statistics
  • Data is less valid due to clearer consent
  • Detatchment from participants can decrease validity
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9
Q

Stages of the research process

A
  • Sociological research aim
  • Interests and values of the researcher
  • Current debates
  • Funding
  • Access to participants and gatekeeping
  • Choice of research method
  • Practical factors
  • Ethics
  • Academic literature and hypothesis
  • Operationalisation
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10
Q

Sociological research aim

A
  • Purpose of the research
  • Descriptive, Explanatory, Evaluative
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11
Q

Descriptive

A

Giving a set of facts

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12
Q

Explanatory

A

Giving a reasoning for facts

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13
Q

Evaluative

A

Proposing a solution

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14
Q

Gatekeeper

A

Someone who has direct access to a population

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15
Q

Research methods

A
  • Primary data
  • Secondary data
  • Qualitative data
  • Quantitative data
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16
Q

Practical factors

A
  • Cost - available funding
  • Time - Longer research costs more
  • Subject matter - Participants must feel comfortable with sensitive topics
  • Researchers social background - Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Class
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17
Q

Ethics

A
  • Rights of participants
  • Responsibility of researcher
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18
Q

Academic literature and hypothesis

A
  • Research studies that have already been conducted
    – Avoid repeating research
    – Provide researcher with further ideas
    – Generate a hypothesis
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19
Q

Operationalisation

A
  • Break down the hypothesis
  • Turn subjective words into concrete measurable things
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20
Q

Hypothesis

A

Prediction of what will happen

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21
Q

Ethical considerations

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A
  • Informed consent
  • No deception
  • Privacy
  • Protect participants from harm
  • No illegal or immoral activity
  • Avoid risk to researcher
22
Q

Sampling techniques

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A
  • Opportunity
  • Purposive
  • Snowball
  • Stratified random
  • Systemic random
  • Volunteer
23
Q

Opportunity sampling

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A
  • Select participants based on ability
    (+)
  • practical
    (-)
  • Less representative
  • Less valid
24
Q

Purposive sampling

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A
  • Select candidates based on characteristics
    (+)
  • More relevant findings
    (-)
  • Less generalisable
25
Snowball sampling
* Participants recruited by other participants **(+)** * wider group **(-)** * Less variation in group * Less representative - biased to outgoing participants
26
Quota / Stratified random sampling
* Divide population into strata, select randomly from each group **(+)** * More cheap **(-)** * Less representative
27
Systemic random sampling
* Participants selected from random group at periodic intervals **(+)** * Simple **(-)** * selection interval can line up with trends in original sample
28
Self selected/volunteer sampling
* Participants sign up to participate **(+)** * Reach many participants easily **(-)** * Self sampling bias - certain type of person is more likely to sign up
29
# Name: Sampling methods
* Opportunity * Purposive * Snowball * Stratified/quota * Systematic * Volunteer
30
Opportunity sampling
Select participants based on availability
31
Purposive sampling
Select candidates based on characteristics
32
Snowball
Participants are recruited by other participants
33
Stratified/quota sampling
Population divided into strata and randomly selected from each group
34
Systemic random sampling
participants selected from random groups at periodic intervals
35
Volunteer sampling
Participants sign themselves up
36
# Name: Research methods | (9)
* Longitudinal surveys * Questionnaires * Statistics * Content analysis * Structured / Semi-structures / Unstructured interviews * Focus groups * Participant / Non participant observation * Triangulation * Methodological pluralism
37
Longitudinal surveys
Study the same group over a period of time
38
Questionnaires
List of questions given to participants for self completion
39
Structured interviews
* Preset questions with no deviation * Closed questions
40
Semi-structured interviews
* Contains both open and closed questions * Some preset questions
41
Unstructured interviews
* No set questions * Open ended questions
42
Focus groups
* Unstructured interview * Participants interact
43
Reliability
The extent to which an experiment can be repeated while recieving the same results
44
Validity
The extent to which the results measure what they are supposed to measure
45
Representativeness
How well the sample reflects the wider population
46
Generalisability
How much the results can be applied to the wider population
47
Reflexivity
Keeping a research journal to record research process (social context, mistakes)
48
Value-free
Not influenced by researchers biases
49
Pilot Study
Small scale version of the real study
50
Respondent validation
* Feedback from participants * Removes researcher bias/misinterpretation
Sociology
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