Questionnaires

what are questionnaires?

self-completion questions that can be sent by mail, post, etc

1 of 18

what are the 3 types of questionnaires?

close-ended- respondent must chose form limited range of answers (quantitative data)
open-ended- free to give any answers to the question (qualitative data)
semi-structured- using open and close ended qs

2 of 18

which sociologists are more likely to use this data?

favoured by positivists for the qualitative data, less useful for interpretivists unless it forms rich qualitative data

3 of 18

name the practical advantages

+quick and cheap
+no need to train/recruit interviewers
+easy to quantify data

4 of 18

name the reliability advantages

+qs easy to replicate
+no influence from researchers
+can test cause/effect rs (hypothesis testing)
+detachment+objectivity- unbiased method as researchers don't get involved

5 of 18

name the representativeness advantages

+can collect from larger samples which is applied to the real world
+high response rate can lead to follow ups

6 of 18

name the ethical advantages

+less ethical issues unless it is a sensitive issue

7 of 18

name the practical disadvantages

-limited data as ppl might be brief w it
-usually need a prize/cash
-postal issues- don't know if it has reached person
-inflexibility, researchers cannot change or explore questions [-also may change over time]

8 of 18

name the representative disadvantages

-low response rate (KISS: Keep It Short and Simple)
-can be caused due to faulty designs if language complex
-diff responses (employed vs not employed)

9 of 18

name the reliability/validity disadvantages

-lying, forgetting or the right answersism/ Hawthorne effect may occur (r)
-open-ended qs may be coded differently (v)

10 of 18

what issues can be studied for methods in context of education?

-subject/uni choices
-bullying/experience at schooling
-achievement + school factors
-parental attitudes to education

11 of 18

name the practical evaluations

-difficult to make students understand sociological ideas
-researchers have to oversimplify qs, lacking sociological values
-children have less experiences in such things

12 of 18

continuing w previous card

+gathers a large quantity of data [-data often limited and superficial]
-qs need ppl to read/write, so those who have difficulties will not be able to participate
-children have a shorter attention span so KISS
-responses may differ if children discuss-

13 of 18

continuing w previous card

-researchers presence
-teachers may adjust answers if they find out researchers aim

14 of 18

name the sample evaluations

+schools have a big sample, staff, students, etc
+ready made samples ie classes
-schools do not keep a list of students within researchers interest ie ethnic groups
+easy to distribute in schools
-need schools permissions to that

15 of 18

continuing w previous cards

-younger children effected by peer pressure
+easily given to parents
-formal design of qs off-putting for children

16 of 18

name the access and response rate evaluations

-response rate usually low
+response rate can be high as soon as permission is obtained form ie headteacher
+head teacher may allocate a time slot for qs
-teachers may be too busy to complete long qs

17 of 18

name anonymity and detachment evaluations

-anonymity helps students write real experiences ie bullying [+response rate may be high, -depends on how much pupils feel safe]
-some pupils might not corporate [anti school]
+teachers have anonymity so many feel they can say the truth

18 of 18

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Questionnaires

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Other cards in this set

Card 2

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Card 3

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Card 4

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Card 5

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