Methods

Methods

1. Types of data

   • Primary data - collected by sociologist for purpose of research
     • Experiments
     • Participant observation
   • Secondary data - collected by someone else for their own purpose
     • Official statistics
     • Documents
   • Quantitative - information in numerical form.
   • Qualitative - information, usually expressed in words, about people's thoughts, feelings, motivations etc.

2. Factors influencing choice

   • Practical issues
     • Time and money
     • Requirements of funding bodies
     • Personal skills and characteristics
     • Subject matter
   • Ethical issuces
     • Informed consent
     • Confidentiality and privacy
     • Effects on research participants
     • Vulnerable groups
     • Covert research
   • Theoretical
     • Validity
     • Reliability
     • Representativeness

3. Positivism - the belief that society is made up of 'social facts' that can be studied scientifically to discover laws of cause and effect.

4. Interpretivism - Focuses on how we construct our social worlds through the meanings we create and attach to events, actions and situations.