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Summary Factors influencing choice of Research Methods
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A summary of the key issues relevant to various research methods and how these factors contribute to a sociologist’s choice of methodology.
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Research MethodsTopic 2 – Factors Influencing Choice of Methods
Factors influencing choice of methods
3 factors These are:
- Practical issues
- Theoretical issues
- Ethical issues
Practical issues Refers to what makes the research possible or difficult
Eg. Money
Theoretical issues The methodological preference of the researcher
Eg. Positivists miss out of greater validity whilst
interpretivists miss out on representativeness
Ethical issues Refers to the moral issues or ethical guidelines
Eg. Avoiding physical/psychological harm to the
participants
Practical issues
Practical issues These include:
- Time
- Money
- Funding
- Opportunity/access to respondents
- Subject matter
- Personal characteristics and skills of the
researcher
- Personal danger
Time Greater or more detailed studies will require more
time/attention
Money Greater or more detailed studies will require more
money
Funding Governments, businesses and charities are more likely
to fund quantitative methods as they produce large
data which can be generalised to form decisions
Eg. Policy-making or provisions
Opportunity/access to respondents Some research topics and some kinds of respondents
will be more difficult to gain access to
Eg. Pupils in schools, or those engaged in deviant/illegal
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