RESEARCH AND METHODS

RESEARCH AND METHODS

1. sociologists do research to get evidence which helps them understand society

   • Sociologists have three aims when collecting and using data
     • 1. Sociologists try to make their research reliable and valid
       • Reliable research can be repeated to get the same results. Reliable data is data that another researcher would be able to get by using the exact same methods
         • Sociological research isn't generally as reliable as research in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics etc)
       • Valid data is a true picture of what the researcher is trying to measure. Even reliable data isn't always valid. E.g. using unemployment statistics to measure how many people don't work - not true picture because doesn't include students who do not work or people who are unable to work.
         • Reasons why research may not give a true picture: - respondents in an interview may forget things, exaggerate or just plain lie. And asking people about their attitudes to an event a long time afterwards often isn't valid. People change their views over time and may alter their description of the past in the light of their current beliefs.
     • 2. You can't research the whole population so you have to take a sample. Sociologists try to make their samples representative. To do this, it needs similar proportions of different ages, genders, classes and ethnic groups. If a sample is representative then sociologists can generalise.
       • Representative - reflective of the population as a whole
       • Generalise - conclude that the results are likely to apply to the entire population
     • 3. Sociologists aim to be objective and avoid bias

2. PRIMARY DATA

   • The researcher collects primary information first-hand - they find it themselves. You could use methods like interviews, questionnaires, observations or experiments. You generate quantitative or qualitative data.
     • + Primary data is obtained from first-hand research. It doesn't rely on another sociologist's research and you can carefully choose your method to make your data as valid and reliable as possible. + Primary data is always brand new and bang up to date.
     • -- Some methods of getting primary data can be expensive and time consuming - - Some methods may put researcher in a dangerous situation -- Some methods may be unethical if you don't give informed consent -- The researcher's own values may mess with the research process and this creates bias. -- You can't always get access to the group you want to study