Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

Research Methods - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Reliability - when an experiment has concluded, other scientific detail being the same.
        . Therefore, lab experiments are highly reliable, producing the same result every time.
        ¬ The original experimenter can specify precisely what steps were followed in the original experiment so other researchers can repeat it in the future.
        ¬ Very detached method: researcher merely manipulates the variables and records results. Scientists' personal feelings and opinions have no effect on the conduct or outcome of the experiment.
        . Lab experiments, therefore, have major advantages as the method used to identify cause and effect relationships in natural sciences. For this reason, we might expect positivist sociologists to use lab experiments, since they favour a scientific approach.
    - - Ethical Problems - lack of consent: a general principle is that the researcher needs the informed consent of the pps. However, may be difficult to gain from certain groups; children or people with learning difficulties. Deception: Milgram or Harm: the experiment may also harm pps - Milgram.
      - The Hawthorne Effect - a lab experiment is not a normal or natural environment, meaning likely any behaviour in these conditions it also unnatural or artificial. If people do not behave in true-to-life ways, the experiment will not produce valid results.
      - Practical problems - society is a complex phenomenon, it would be impossible to identify and control all the variables. Lab experiments can't be used to study the past since by definition it is impossible to control variables acting in the past rather the present. They usually only study small samples, making it very difficult to investigate large-scale social phenomena such as religion. Small scale nature of lab experiments also reduces their representativeness.
      - Free Will - interpretivist sociologists argue that humans are fundamentally different from plants, rocks etc, studied by natural scientists. Unlike these objects, we have free will, consciousness and choice.
        This means our behaviour cannot be explained in terms of cause and effect but by the choices we freely make. In this view, the experimental method, with its search for causes, is therefore not an appropriate method to study human beings.
        Given these problems, there are two alternatives to lab experiments, which are field experiments and the comparative method or 'thought experiment'.
- - - - Informed consent - pps must be informed of the research and agree to participate.
        
        Confidentiality - pps may have disclosed something which could lead them to lose their job. This could cause significant grantee anonymity.
        
        Protected from harm - researching sensitive issues such as bullying or domestic violence can trigger trauma or unpleasant memories for the ppt.
        
        Researchers can't break the law - research should only occur within the law's boundaries. If you are investigating school gangs it is crucial the researcher not take part in any illegal activities such as violence or drugs.
    - - The Type of researcher is - a positivist who believes that sociology is a science and therefore tries to use methods associated with traditional science, creating quantitative data.
        An interpretive does not believe sociology is the same as traditional science and will choose qualitative methods.
        
        Choosing the best method for the topic you are studying - for example, a lab experiment may not be useful if you want to understand school bullying or gang activity. Similarly, a questionnaire may not be the best may to gain information in sensitive issues.
    - - Time and money
        
        Requirements of funding bodies - people providing money may require results in a particular form.
        
        Personal skills and characteristics - each sociologist processes differently.
        
        Accessing respondents - do you have access to the people you want to research?
        
        Characteristics of the researcher - are pps likely to respond to you?
- - - - Validity
        . More natural and realistic than a lab experiment.
        . Presents more of a true picture
        . Not fully valid as you are still manipulating the outcome
        
        No Hawthorne Effect
        . Not aware they are being watched creates more natural behaviour.
        . Increases the validity
    - - Lack of control over variables
        . As it is more realistic it reduces the sociologists control; real world variable will be beyond the researchers control.
        
        Hard to come to conclusions
        . As the researcher can't control everything, you are less certain about cause and effect relationships.
        
        Ethical concerns
        . Lack of consent and deception.
- - - - Avoids artificiality
        . No fake setting, no hawthorn effect.
        . Data was collected over real people originally.
        
        Can be used to study past events
        . Can use data as far back as it is available.
        
        No ethical issues
        . No real people are involved therefore it removes issues of consent, harm and deception.
    - - No control over variables
        . Sociologists were not involved in the original data collection, so had no control.
        
        Subjective to the sociologists interpretations
        . Dealing with objective data, but the analysis is subjective to the sociologists individual interpretation.