Sociology - Research Methods

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What you want to find out (question)
Aim
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A statement of what you think you'll find (prediction)
Hypothesis
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Information that researchers have found and gathered themselves
Primary Data
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Information that has been collected by somebody else and is used by the researcher
Secondary Data
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Data that is gathered or produced by other people for their own particular purposes, but whichsociologiss make use of in their research
Secondary Source
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In depth data, usually presented in a written form. It is descriptive where people can explain in detail their opinions and experiences
Qualitative Data
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Numerical data, often presented in statistics
Quantitative data
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Combining several methods in a project to improve reliability and validity
Triangulation
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The truthfulness and accuracy of the data
Validity
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Findings can be checked by another researcher
Reliability
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When data can be said to accurately represent the research population
Representative
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Results from the study can be applied to the whole of the research population
Generalisations
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This is the whole group that you are studying
Population
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A list of everyone in theh research population
Sampling Frame
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This is the group of people taken from the sampling frame with whom you actually do the research
Sample
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Dividing up the research population into relevant smaller groups to best represent the research population
Stratified Sample
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Everybody in the sample frame has the same chance of being included in the research
Random Sample
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Selecting every nth name from the sampling frame
Systematic Sample
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The researcher makes contact with one person and builds up their sample from there
Snowball Sample
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If a sample is this then it means that it will be made up of a range of different people to best represent the research population
Cross-Sectional
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An in-depth study of an individual or small group to see how much detail you can uncover about them
Case Study
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This is a method that studies the content of the media to see how a social group, issue or event is represented in the media.
Content Analysis
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Defining exactly what is meant by any terms used for categories
Operationalising
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A small scale study carried out before a piece of research to identify and iron out any possible problems
Pilot Study
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Literally meaning, over time. Usually a good sample is studied and monitored over a period of years at regualr intervals
Longitudinal Study
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Quantitative data gathered by the government or other official bodies
Ofiicial Statistics
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Any written or visual texts
Documents
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A personal or public document created in the past
Historical Documents
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These are first person accounts of social events and personal experiences which usually include the writer's feelings and attitudes
Personal Documents
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Docuements created and used in the media
Mass Media Documents
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Produced by organisations such as governmental departments; schools; welfare agencies; businesses; etc
PUblic Documents
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Is the evidence typical? If you can't answer this, it's not safe to genrealise
Representativeness
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Is it truthful? Is is what it claims to be? Are there missing pages?
Authenticity
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Do you need special skills to interpret it? Can you interpret it?
Meaning
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Is it believable? Is it accurate? Was the author sincere?
Credibility
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Any form or communication (written or technological) invented to allow transmission to people
Media
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Respondants can answer however they like - often in lengthy answers
Open Questions
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Questions that give a limited number of answers and the respondents have to choose from these given options
Closed Questions
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A set of preplanned questions that are followed in a certain order
Structured interview
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Asking questions that aren't preplanned but are often about set topics
Unstructured interview
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Having a list of preplanned topics and questions but can deviate from it
Semi Structured Interview
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A group of people who are interviewed at the same time that can bounce ideas off of each other. The researcher often listens and takes noteds of their discussion
Focus Group Interview
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Not undercover - participants know that they are being watched
Overt
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Undercover - participants don't know that they are being watched
Covert
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When you get involved with the activities and behaviour of the participants
Participant
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When the researcher doesn't get involved with the activities and behaviour of the participants
Non-Participant
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People wil change their behaviour because they know that they are being watched or due to influences from the researcher's presence
Hawthorne Effect
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A system or set of moral principals
Ethics
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The things that you must consider in order to comply to moral principals
Ethical Considerations
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A problem or situation that requires a person or organisation to choose between alternatives that must be evaluated as right (ethical) or wrong (unethical)
Ethical Issue
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This is where the participant's identity and information should be kept private and secret
Confidentiality
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This is where information is withheld from particiapnts and/or they are provided with fasle information
Deception
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All participants must give permission to take part and they should be given information to base their response on
Informed Consent
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All participants should be given the opportunity to leave the research at any point
Right To Withdraw
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This is when research intrudes into people's personal lives
Privacy
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All participants should not experience any negative physical or psychological effects from taking part in the research
Protection From Harm
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

A statement of what you think you'll find (prediction)

Back

Hypothesis

Card 3

Front

Information that researchers have found and gathered themselves

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Information that has been collected by somebody else and is used by the researcher

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Data that is gathered or produced by other people for their own particular purposes, but whichsociologiss make use of in their research

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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