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A level sociology research methods summary notes
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A level sociology notes for research methods which is covered in paper 2 of eduquas sociology however applicable to other boards
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Primary forms of research methodsKey concepts to - GROVER- Generalisability- How well the data found can be applied to whole populations, Representativeness- How well the data found on a small sectio
remember when ‘represent’ the rest of that group, Objectivity- The investigation must unbiased and impartial, Validity- Extent to which research accurately represents rea
researching: Extent to which the research can be replicated and produce similar results
Questionnaire Questionnaire- A list of questions is presented for the participants who answer in their own time
Adv- Short questions = Easily quantifiable to find patterns, measures a large populations fast, Standardised = reliable
Disadv- Limited answers, respondents can lie = unreliable, low response rate
Structured Structured interview- Questionnaire with the questions read out by an interviewer
interview Adv- Interviewer can explain the question, Standardised = reliable, Short questions = Easily quantifiable to find patterns
Disadv- More time consuming, Presence of interviewer may create interviewer bias, Interviews must be kept short to get large volume
Unstructured Unstructured interview- No structure, more like a conversation that is recorded allowing more freedom
interview Adv- Allows in depth responses, natural environment encourages more free speech, Interviewer can possibly spot if they’re lying
Disadv- Time consuming, Interviewer needs to be skilled, Hard to analyse information as it’s subjective, Each data is different so more unreliable
Semi- Semi-unstructured interview- In-between, open ended questions with a more rigid structure
Unstructured Adv- Provide in depth response with more structure, Encourages full answers, Interviewer can follow up on questions
interviews Disadv- Not standardised = less reliable, Possible interviewer bias, Can be expensive and time consuming
Focus groups Focus groups- A group of people discuss an issue or topic with an interviewer or moderator to keep the discussion on topic
Adv- Provides detail, Provides outlooks to many views, Studies multiple views at one time
Disadv- Group moderator needs to be highly skilled, Some may not feel comfortable to share in a group, Small sample = unrepresentative
Participant Participant observation- The researcher becomes part of the group and joins in the activities to gain information
observation Adv- Enables collection of data from hard to reach groups, highly valid as they are acting as usual
Disadv- Relies on memory as date cannot be noted instantly, dangerous for the researcher
Non-participant Non-participant observation- The researcher gains data from a far not becoming part of the group
observation Adv- Low risk, data can be more detailed if taken in real time and noted, less time consuming as participant would need to gain trust
Disadv- Less valid as can’t tell if the group is acting normal, hard to gain detail as they may not speak freely in public
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