Sociological methods

Brief notes about Sociology methods

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Choosing a Research Method

Types of Data:
Qualitative - Quality of data - description, Eg. participant observation
Quantitative - Quantity of data - numerical, eg. offical statistics
Primary sources - something that the sociologists collect for their own use, for example, questionnaires, unstructured interviews.
Secondary sources - data collected from someone else that the sociologists use in their research, for example, official statistics.
Ethical Issues sociologists may face when studying people:
-informed consent 
-confidentiality and privacy
-covert research
-vulnerable groups
-efects on research participants
Reliabable data - another researcher can use it and get the same results
Valid data - results produce a genuine or true picture of what something is really like.
Practical Issues that might affect the researcher's choice of method:
-time and money 
-personal skills and charateristics
-requirements of funding bodies
-subject matter
-research oppourtunity

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