Research Methods
Key words :
Validity : 100% Anonymity Control
Reliability : can be Confidentiality Honesty
retested Cheap Response rate
Objective / value free Readily Available Demand characteristics
Generalisable Up-to-date Gatekeeper : someone
Representative Bias who gives the
Vertsehen : empathy, Imposition problem : what the researcher researcher access to
rapport thinks is important their target
Pilot study
➔ a small-scale preliminary study
Ethnography
➔ the study of a culture, a group or human behaviour
Longitudinal Survey
➔ Studying over a long period of time
Structured Interviews
➔ Where an interviewer reads from a list of questions
Unstructured Interviews
➔ A guided conversation
Semi structured Interviews
➔ Combination of structured + unstructured allowing flexibility
Group interviews
➔ Talking to a group or panel of people, often used for children
Focus Groups Interviews
➔ Relies on the dynamic of the group to talk to each other
Official statistical data
➔ Collected by the government
, Unofficial statistical data
➔ Secondary sources of data such as personal, public + historical
documents
Social Surveys
➔ Obtained through questionnaires or structured Interviews
Closed questionnaires
➔ The responses is fixed by the researcher + respondent has to
choose an answer
Open questionnaires
➔ Respondent responds in their own words + has choice
Content analysis
➔ Dealing systematically with media documents
Thematic analysis
➔ Study of the signs and symbols
Non-Participant / Direct Observation
➔ Researcher blatantly sitting and watching
Participant Observation
➔ Sociologist immerse themselves in the lifestyle of the group they
are studying
Overt Observation
➔ The researcher joins in the activities AND IS KNOWN
Covert Observation
➔ The researcher joins in the activities BUT IS CONCEALED
Key words :
Validity : 100% Anonymity Control
Reliability : can be Confidentiality Honesty
retested Cheap Response rate
Objective / value free Readily Available Demand characteristics
Generalisable Up-to-date Gatekeeper : someone
Representative Bias who gives the
Vertsehen : empathy, Imposition problem : what the researcher researcher access to
rapport thinks is important their target
Pilot study
➔ a small-scale preliminary study
Ethnography
➔ the study of a culture, a group or human behaviour
Longitudinal Survey
➔ Studying over a long period of time
Structured Interviews
➔ Where an interviewer reads from a list of questions
Unstructured Interviews
➔ A guided conversation
Semi structured Interviews
➔ Combination of structured + unstructured allowing flexibility
Group interviews
➔ Talking to a group or panel of people, often used for children
Focus Groups Interviews
➔ Relies on the dynamic of the group to talk to each other
Official statistical data
➔ Collected by the government
, Unofficial statistical data
➔ Secondary sources of data such as personal, public + historical
documents
Social Surveys
➔ Obtained through questionnaires or structured Interviews
Closed questionnaires
➔ The responses is fixed by the researcher + respondent has to
choose an answer
Open questionnaires
➔ Respondent responds in their own words + has choice
Content analysis
➔ Dealing systematically with media documents
Thematic analysis
➔ Study of the signs and symbols
Non-Participant / Direct Observation
➔ Researcher blatantly sitting and watching
Participant Observation
➔ Sociologist immerse themselves in the lifestyle of the group they
are studying
Overt Observation
➔ The researcher joins in the activities AND IS KNOWN
Covert Observation
➔ The researcher joins in the activities BUT IS CONCEALED
