Key Concepts in Research Methods

Quantitative Data

• Data which is expressed in a numerical or statistical for. Quantitative data is useful for establishing patterns or identifying similarities and differences between phenomena. Certain research methods have a characteristic that they can record in a numerical/statistical form

Qualitative Data

• Data which is expressed textually instead of numerically. Qualitative data is composed of rich descriptions of social life. Certain research methods are more likely to generate this type of data. The type of research methods you choose and the type of data you want to extract is based on what topic you are on

Reliability

• A concept that can be applied to both the data collected and the means of data collection. Reliability refers to whether or not the same results would be produced if repeated by the same researcher or by another sociologist. Reliability is sought by positivists who want systematic objective and logical research and who wish to generate quantitative data. Methods associated with reliable data are large-scale social surveys or structured interviews. Official statistics are regarded as highly reliable.

Validity

• A concept that refers to whether the research and its findings give a true and accurate picture of what is being studied. Validity is important to researchers who want to try and establish the meaning people attach to their actions. The type of method that commonly produces valid data is observation or unstructured views.

Representativeness

• This is when the group being researched is typical of the populaton that is being studied. The individual sampling unit will reflect the characteristics of the researched population as a whole in terms of social class, gender and ethnicity. A representative sample is important for those who want to make generalisations. Some sampling techniques are more are more representative than others.

Generalisations

• When you are able to make claims about a whole population based on only actually studying a small sample. The ability to do this depends on the size and representativeness of a sample, a bigger sample would make you better equipped to make generalisations. A good sampling method must be chosen and the sample units should reflect the social characteristics of the group as a whole.