Research Methods Key Concepts

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Reliability
when a research method provides the same results when repeated
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Validity
when a research method provides genuine answers
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Replicability
when a research method is easy to repeat
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Representative
when a sample reflects the entire population being researched
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Subjectivity/Bias
when the researcher's own viewpoint influences people's answers
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Objectivity
when the researcher's own viewpoint does not influence people's answers
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Quantitative
information which is displayed in numbers
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Qualitative
information expressed in words about peoples thoughts and feelings
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Triangulation
using two or more research methods or sources of data in research
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Positivism
the belief that society is made of social facts which can be studied scientifically
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Interpretivism
the belief that construct our own social world through our own interactions
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Hawthorne effect
where participants in research know they are being studied and change their behaviour because of it
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Leading questions
questions that are worded to get a particular answer
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Ambiguous questions
questions that are unclear and not specific enough
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Recall questions
questions which require the person to remember something
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Pilot study
a small version of the study before the actual study to test if it works
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Artificial environment
a staged environment different from real life
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Going native
when the researcher becomes invested in the group they're studying and starts to see things from their point of view
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Covert research
when the researcher hides their identity and the reason for their research
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Overt research
when the participants know the researcher's identity and the reason for their research
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Social surveys
large scale research which collects quantitative data
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Ethnography
research which aims to understand the participants which collects qualitative data
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Longitudinal study
research which visits participants at intervals to study changes over time
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Case study
research of a specific group
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Sample
a small group of people from the population of the people being researched
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sample frame
lists and databases which samples are selected from
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sample unit
an individual person within the sample
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random sample
randomly selecting individuals from a sample frame
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systematic sample
selecting individuals from a sample frame in a certain pattern
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stratified sample
creating a number of sampling frames and selecting the amount of each characteristic from the population
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quota sample
when the researcher asks people in the street the type of people who look like they have been told to ask
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snowball sample
when the researcher only has access to one person with the characteristic so they ask them to recruit other people for them to take part
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volunteer sample
when researchers advertise for people too take part in research
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opportunity sample
where researchers ask people questions on the spot
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method of difference
an explanation of how the experiment is conducted
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hypothesis
a prediction of what will happen in the experiment
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dependant variable
the part of the experiment that is being monitored to see what will happen as a result of the independent variable
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independent variable
the part of the experiment that is being changed to see what will happen
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causality
when the independent variable causes the results of the dependant variable
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control group
the group that does not receive the experimental treatment
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experimental group
the group that receives the experimental treatment
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laboratory experiment
the researcher controls most of the experiment and it takes place in a controlled environment
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field experiment
the researcher observes behaviour in its natural setting and they have less control over the research environment
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natural experiment
the researcher makes no attempt to change the environment
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

when a research method provides genuine answers

Back

Validity

Card 3

Front

when a research method is easy to repeat

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

when a sample reflects the entire population being researched

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

when the researcher's own viewpoint influences people's answers

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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