METHODS - KEY TERMS Sample – small number of people selected for the study from the overall target population Target Population – the overall group to be studied Sampling Frame – complete list of all the members of the target population Operationalisation – defining a concept so it is measurable Imposition – the selections a researcher makes in their study Primary Research/Data – research that didn’t pre-exist and is collected by the researcher themselves Secondary Research/Data – pre-existing research that the research finds as collected by someone else Overt Observation – participants know they are being studied Covert Observation – participants don’t know they are being studied, uninformed of the purpose of the research Ethnography – the study of a group of people’s way of life and their culture Gatekeeper – someone who knows you are a researcher and keeps you safe
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Methods in Sociology (for lmaonah from Vent; hope it helps!)
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METHODS - KEY TERMSSample – small number of people selected for the study from the overall target populationTarget Population – the overall group to be studiedSampling Frame – complete list of all the members of the target populationOperationalisation – defining a concept so it is measurableImposition – the selections a researcher makes in their studyPrimary Research/Data – research that didn’t pre-exist and is collected by the researcher themselvesSecondary Research/Data – pre-existing research that the research finds as collected by someone elseOvert Observation – participants know they are being studiedCovert Observation – participants don’t know they are being studied, uninformed of the purpose of the researchEthnography – the study of a group of people’s way of life and their cultureGatekeeper – someone who knows you are a researcher and keeps you safe
SAMPLING METHODSQuota – researcher looks for people who fit the imageSnowball – participants introduce researcher to new people who are suitable for the studyStratified- dividing the population up into categoriesCluster – selecting sample from hotspots of activity that match the researcher’s studySimple Random – picking names out of a hatSystematic – picking the nth name from a listOpportunity – select people who fit the criteria of the target population from around youVolunteer – participants offer to take part in the study in response to ads
Non-Random Sampling Random Sampling
PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONAdvantages Disadvantages
Produces strong qualitative data, uncovers meanings and achieves verstehen
Researcher risks going native if they become too involved with the participants
Can provide great insight into the participants’ lives
Hawthorne Observer effect
Flexibility Can be time-consuming and costlyPractical, some social groups closed to
outsiders so PO may be the only method to give researcher access to them
Gaining access
Participants often deceived, covert observations require studying people without
consent
PracticalEthicalTheoretical
QUESTIONNAIRESAdvantages Disadvantages
Can cover a wide audience on a geographical scale
Low response rate
Cheaper, no need to train an interviewer Unable to answer questions participants may have, define concepts if they haven’t already
been, lack validityPilot surveys iron out any problems with the questions before they are properly released
Cannot achieve verstehen
Closed questions can easily be analysed by a computer
Closed questions don’t allow the participant to elaborate or explain their opinions, reduces
validityAnonymity may encourage participants to give
honest and controversial opinionsNo way of checking if the intended person filled
in the questionnaireCan easily be repeated by other researchers when questions are posed in the same order
No interviewer bias
PracticalEthicalTheoretical
FORMAL STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS
Advantages DisadvantagesHigher response rate than postal
questionnairesMore expensive, have to train interviewer
Interviewer can explain questions and concepts Interviewer biasProduces scientific and objective quantitative
dataInterpretivists say it’s impossible to achieve
verstehen More reliable than qualitative data, can be
repeated by other researchersClosed questions don’t allow the participant to
elaborate or explain their opinions, reduces validity
Can develop correlations Operationalising concepts doesn’t allow people to reveal their attitudes in their own way
Representative sample means data easy to generalise
Answers easy to quantifyQuicker than unstructured interview, specific