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Methods used in sociological research (Secondary Data (Media Products…
Methods used in sociological research
The Social Survey
Longitudinal Survey
Long period of time, show clear people attitude and behaviour, some drop out, lose track, undermine representativeness and validity, danger too friendly, lose ability objective, expensive
Questionnaires
Main method gather info, list questions written before, sometimes mass publication
Design
variety types, 'closed' choice of answers, 'open' how u feel. best straight forward.
Weakness
bias lead answer certain way, sometimes loaded, technical vocabulary
Strengths
more representative, less time consuming, cheaper, minimum contact, reliable, correlation, statistical data
Weaknesses
many people cba, low response rate, postal low, hard motivate people to do it, low validity, misinterpret question, imposition problem, measure what sociologist think important
Interviews
recorded manually, tape recorded, produce transcript, most success when private, not practical to observe, expensive, recruiting, depends on training of staff, body language
Structured
reading out closed questions, ticking box and writing answer, pre-set categories, interviewer passive, little/no flexibility, form statistics, quantitive data, graphs and tables
Strengths
use close q, fixed choice, quick conduct, pre range questions, clarify instructions, better response rate
Weakness
artificial devices, interview bias, leading certain responses, tone voice or body language, dynamic and changing nature of society, success depends what people remember
Secondary Data
Official Statistics
Numerical data, gov, ONS, Census, registration data
Unofficial Statistics
quantitative data, non gov sources, employer and trade unions
Strengths
easy, cheap, up to date, contemporary picture, p&t ID, positivist find hard reliable fact, scientific method, large sample, over time
Weaknesses
may not represent complete picture, open political abuse, manipulated, tell us little about human stories
Media Products
newspapers, radio, ads, often use examine and analyse values, concern of society, aim this type of research ID social groups
Strengths
cheap, comparative, over period of time, quantitive data, reliable, repeat
Weaknesses
time consuming, over long period of time, subjective method, not be assumed, tell about personal beliefs
Ethnography
writing about way of life, inter self into setting, informal or unstructured interviews, purpose describe culture and lifestyle, live experience and social groups verstehen
Other
Unstructured Interviews
Guided conversation, talk informal, active role, flexible interviewer idea of topic, follow respondent, in natural setting, comfortable, depth over long period of time
Strengths
allow establish qualitative data, trust and rapport, open up, valid data, flexible not restricted, good for sensitive groups, suspicious people, confidently, usually stressed.
Weakness
gather a lot of data and analyse, select what important and whats not , tend use few participants, population of wider community, exepensive, need training,
Group Interviews
Panel of respondents, feel threatened by adult, one on one situation, less open, reassurance parent and child, group
Focus Group
Type of unstructured interview, discuss issue rather than just an answer, relies on dynamic, conversation minimal interference,
Ingram (2009)
Semi Structured Interviews
mix, lots closed questions, generate facts, some open, flexibility, add depth and detail, reliability questions, probing others
Observation
Interpretivist interested in, way on life, ethnographic, people behave way they go first hand, observe natural environment
Non Participant/Direct
sit observe activity, detach and unobtrusive, no active role, positivist VS artificial behaviour
Participant
involve self, immerse into lifestyle of group, questionnaires/interviews, outside: risk own views.
overt:
researcher joins group known
covert:
group conceals ID understand what happening POV
Fielding (2001)
gatekeeper.
Positive:
eyes of people in group verstehen, what say different, informal question, suspicion, first hand witness, qualitative
Negative:
overt presene unnatural, too attached