Research Methods notes
31 notes by 25 users
This Research Methods page on GoConqr gathers over 20 user-made Sociology notes on concepts, data and observation. School students, university students and professional candidates can practise reviewing research methods, while teachers can find material to use. The notes span school and university study, including GCSE Sociology. Choose a note to begin.
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- Sociology and Science31
- Sociological Theory and Research67
- Choosing a Research Method41
- Values and Ethics in Research19
- Reliability and Validity5
- Types of Research Data26
- Sampling Methods18
- Questionnaires and Surveys45
- Interviews56
- Observation and Ethnography52
- Experiments30
- Secondary Data and Content Analysis46
- Discourse and Conversation Analysis6
- Researching Education25
- Researching Crime, Deviance and Suicide17
Notes
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Theory and Methods. Positivism; Positivist prefer quantitative methods such as social surveys, structured questionnaires and official statistics because these have good reliability and representativeness. Positivists see soci...
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Chapter 2.1 Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you should be able to: Define and describe the scientific method. Explain how the scientific method is used in sociological research. Describe the function and importanc...
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEORY AND METHODS. The hypothetico-deductive method:Positivists believe this to be the most scientific method of finding accurate information, otherwise known as 'scientific knowledge'. 1.) Background reading & personal experience-...
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Sociological Methods - created from Mind Map Types of Data Methodology Viewpoints
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Sociological Methods - created from Mind Map Types of Data Methodology Viewpoints
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Methods in sociology Methods in sociology2 Groups: - Positivists: like science, fact and statistics (quantitative data)- Interpretivists: Not science; social construction (qualitative data)2 types of data- primary data: information collec...
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chapter 2: notes socio LO 1 The scientific method is developing new knowledge through various approaches A concept is an abstract idea expressed as a word or phrase used to categorize a particular feature of the social world For example the...
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Sociology Sociology 101 9/11-9/13 Evidence Numbers dont lie Lies,Damn Lies and Statistics Comparisons Big numbers can lie when they have no comparsions Samples If your poll doesnt reach everyone and only uses a small amount of ...
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Untitled How do sociologists collect a sample? There a number of sampling techniques used by sociologists in order to obtain a sample. The sampling techniques fall into two categories – 1. Random sampling: simple; this is the ...
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Research Issues and Factors Factors Gender - it must be carefully considered who interviews certain people e.g. interviews on female sexual health are more likely to be done by females than they are males. Age - Age difference between interviewe...
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OCR GCSE SOCIOLOGY BASICS - created from Mind Map Questionnairesa list of questions which is completed by a number of respondents Interviews Observations
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Sociology and Science Key terms: Closed system - there is a main, dominating belief system that is not open to criticism or new ideas Fallacy of induction - Popper's theory that using inductive reasoning leads to false hypotheses Falsifica...
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Topic 4: Values in Sociology Intro: *All members of society, including sociologists - have values, beliefs and opinions. *Some argue that it is both possible and desirable for sociologists to keep their subjective values out of their ...
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Research methods Sociology Sociology Research Different types of sociological material. When carrying out data in an organised way. Primary and Secondary data. Quantitative and qualitative data. Different types of sociological material. When ca...
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Reseach and Methods Collecting and Using Data Aims Sociologists try to make their research reliable and valid.Reliable reseach can be repeated to get the same result. This data can be replicated by another researcher using the exact same...
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Chapter Two Notes Causality Correlation Link Between Health and Income Describe a Study methodology general findings How a Different Methodology Would Build on These Findings Deductive Inductive A socio...
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Research methods key concepts - created from Mind Map Research concepts Validity Reliability Representativeness Generalisability Where the data provides a true picture of the social reality of those being researched. The ability to repeat the same research and gain the s...
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Objectivity and Values Key Terms and Theorists Key theorists: Comte Durkheim Marx Weber Gouldner Becker Goffman Key terms: committed sociology - intentionally allowing values to enter research; 'taking sides' funding - sources of money soci...
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Essay Plan- Participant Observation Assess the strengths of Participant Observation in Social Research (16) Brief plan: What are the strengths of participant observations? Valid data since it looks at everyday life in a natural environment. Produces qua...
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Research Methods in Context primary data: data collected by sociologists and used for their own purposes social surveys - these involve asking people questions in a written questionnaire or interview participant observation - sociologists j...
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research methods 'secondary data is material that is collected by other people used but quantitative and qualitative researchers - created from Mind Map statistics "OFFICIAL STATISTICS" relesed by the government office of national statistics EG births and marriages "UNOFFICIAL STATISTICS" released by charities/organisations EG Barnardos and British heart foundation ex...
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Positive/Interactionist Persectives Positive Perspective Thinks only kind of valid data is scientific - Only data from scientific methods Favour experimental research methods Follows statistics -Eg, crime rates, divorce matters, suicide rates Scien...
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Primary + Secondary Data Primary Data Collected personally Questionnaires, interviews etc Secondary Data Comes from another source Newspaper articles, books etc Sociologists take caution in the way data is gathered and presented Official + Ot...
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Sampling + Sampling Methods Used when the group being studied is too large for the sociologist to question each person Representative Sample Represents typical characteristics based on ethnicity, age etc. Random Sample Chosen at random
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The Distinction Between Reliability + Validity Reliability Key question: If a sociologist repeated any piece of research, following the same methodology, would he or she get the same result? expected= yes it is reliable Validity How far does this data give u...
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Lesson 1 - Is sociology a science 5 Key Components of Science Empirical - count and measure information, collection of data themselves Testable- Experiments can be repeated and retested Theoretical - seeks causal relationships and doesn't ...
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Randoms Other Statistics Individual institutions keep their own data- schools keep records of pupils and teachers. Not only legal but it's easier for teachers to plan lessons on pupils level records etc. Published Studies Soc...
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Research Studies
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POSITIVISM - created from Mind Map Scientific Quantitative "Social Facts" - Durkheim
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Sociology and Science - created from Mind Map Science Sociology Science use experiments and observations to test theories
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Sociology and Science Big part of the Enlightenment - Natural sciences produced more objective and true knowledge. New Page
More Research Methods resources
About research methods notes
GoConqr OriginalWhat Research Methods notes cover
These notes explore how sociologists collect data and assess research. You can find material on validity, reliability and representativeness, as well as sampling and the distinction between primary and secondary data. Other notes look at research issues, sociology and science, and the place of values in research.
A route through the notes
Start with the notes on research methods key concepts for definitions you can return to. Then read Methods in sociology to compare approaches to data, and Research Issues and Factors to consider factors involved in interviews.
For a more focused revision session, use The Distinction Between Reliability + Validity to review those terms. The essay plan on participant observation offers a way to consider the strengths of a particular method. If you want to revisit observation in another format, switch to the flashcards on the unit page. Pick a note and make a short list of concepts to revisit.
Frequently asked questions
Which note should I start with?
Try the notes on research methods key concepts first. They introduce terms including validity, reliability, representativeness and generalisability. You can then move to “Methods in sociology” for a look at approaches to data, or choose “Research Issues and Factors” to review factors involved in interviews.
Which levels do these notes cover?
The collection includes material for school and university study, with resources relevant to GCSE Sociology among the school-level notes. School students, university students and professional candidates can use the collection to review research concepts and methods. Teachers can also find notes to use with their students.
Are the notes free to use?
Yes. Every note listed here is free to open and study without an account. The resources were made by GoConqr users, not by GoConqr. A free account also lets you save quiz scores and make your own quizzes, mind maps, flashcards and notes.