Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
15 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Research methods |
Ways of collecting data, e.g. questionnaires or interviews. |
|
Primary research data |
Data from research carried out by the sociologist, e.g. from interviews or questionnaires. |
|
Secondary research data |
Data from research done by other people, e g. opinion polls. |
|
Sample |
The group being studied. |
|
Simple random sample |
People are chosen at random, everyone has an equal chance of being chosen so it is likely to be representative of the population as a whole. |
|
Stratified sampling |
There are subgroups within the sample, e.g. white, black and Asian doctors. |
|
Closed questions |
Where the respondent chooses from answers, e.g. yes/no |
|
Open questions |
Questions requiring longer answers that are thought of by the respondent. |
|
Questionnaires |
List of questions. Includes lots of closed questions, where you select an answer, and often some open questions where people can give their own views. |
|
Questionnaires - good points |
1.Cheap compared to paying interviewers. 2. Can question lots of people in a large area. |
|
Questionnaires - bad points |
1.Many do not fill them in producing unrepresentative results. 2. The questions or wording may be confusing. |
|
Unstructured or in-depth interview |
Based on a list of topics to be discussed, aims to get a depth of information. |
|
Unstructured or in-depth interview - good points |
1.Allows the respondent to be more open & honest so more information is given on attitudes, values & opinions. 2. In an unstructured interview you can adjust questions & change direction if new things are found out |
|
Unstructured or in-depth interview - bad points |
1.More time consuming, costly and slower than self-completion questionnaires so sample size is usually smaller and so risks being unrepresentative of the group studied. 2. Success depends on the skill and personality of the interviewer. There is the danger that respondents will be influenced by the reaction of the interviewer. |
|
Ethical issues in sociological research |
1. The physical, social and mental well-being of people who help in research should not be harmed, e.g. by telling others information given in confidence, or cause them embarrassment. 2. Research should be done with the agreement of those being researched. This called informed consent. |