Research Methods

• Test a theory or hypothesis
• develop new theories

Data in a numerical form.

Data that is not numerical.

• Sources produced by the sociologist by themselves and is tailored to what they need.
• Secondary sources are pre existing data which is not tailored to the specific aim.

• Practical, ethical and theoretical.

• Random: every sampling unit has an equal chance of being picked.
• Stratified sampling: population divided according to variable ,then sample is chosen on population percentages.
• Quota: determines no of people with each characteristic. Fills up quota.
• Multi-stage: Involves taking a sample of a sample
• Snowball: introduced to potential people who could be in your sample.
• Oppurtunity: Select people who are accessible.

• Large amounts of data can be collected quickly.
• access to subjects is easy
• Quantifyable.

• Knows what is best to ask -pre determined.
• Cannot answer questions.
• Confidentiality.

• Large samples can be used if structured.
• Large answer questions.
• Respondents may be untruthful.
• Social factors may influence the sort of answers.
• Researcher bias.

• May gain answers to questions not necessarily noted to ask.
• difficult for respondents to lie or mislead.
• time
• moral danger
• samples are likely to be small.

• allows the researcher to look over time.
• Does not require retrospective recall.
• useful for studying the life course or social mobility.

• requires a long term commitment
• expensive
• sample attrition

Triangulation- cross checking studies using multiple methods.

Facilitation- one method is used to assist the use or to develop another.

Complimentary- more than one method is used to dovetail.

• check reliability.
• gain different perspectives.
• generalisability.