1
Q
What are the strengths of using qualitative data?
A
- gives detailed insight in to the world of those being researched
- allows for empathetic understanding (verstehen)
- they provide rich descriptions of people’s lives
- they provide (validity), truthful data
2
Q
What are the limitations of using qualtitative data?
A
- not representative (small scale)
- very hard to replicate - not reliable
- people may act differently if they know they are being watched (hawthorne effect)
3
Q
What are the strengths of using quantitative data?
A
- large scale data that allows for generalisations to be made - representative
- easy to replicate as standardised method - reliable
- the researchers own vales do not influence the research - it is objective - they don’t get involved so there’s no bias in the data
4
Q
What are the limitations of using quantitative data?
A
- lacks detail and depth
- you cannot get an understanding of how people think or feel - lacks verstehen
- only shows a snapshot in time and not necessarily a real version of events - not valid
- the researcher is a hired hand and doesn’t build rapport with those being researched
5
Q
Which methods do positivists favour?
A
- structured interviews
- statistics
- experiments
- questionaires
6
Q
Which methods do interpretivists favour?
A
- observations
- unstructured interviews
- documents
- group interviews
7
Q
Do interpretivists want subjective or objective data?
A
interpretivists want subjective data that is rich in description and detail
