Researching Crime

Researching Crime

1. Survey

   • Advantages: Many people can be included. If given to a random sample of the population, a survey's results can be generalized to the population.
   • Disadvantages: Large surveys are expensive and time-consuming. Although much information is gathered, this information is relatively superficial

2. Experiments

   • Advantages: If random assignment is used, experiments provide fairly convincing data on cause and effect
   • Disadvantages: Because experiments do not involve random samples of the population and most often involve college students, their results cannot readily be generalized to the population

3. Observation

   • Advantages: Observation studies may provide rich, detailed information about the people who are observed
   • Disadvantages: Because observation studies do not involve random samples of the population, their results cannot readily be generalized to the population

4. Existing data

   • Advantages: Because existing data have already been gathered, the researcher does not have to spend the time and money to gather data
   • Disadvantages: The data set that is being analyzed may not contain data on all the variables in which a sociologist is interested or may contain data on variables that are not measured in ways the sociologist prefers

5. Secondary Data

   • Advantages: ease of access and time-saving. It is also a low cost and anyone can collect the data and allows you to generate new data
   • Disadvantages: Its not specific to your needs, and that data might be biased or out of date, you are not the owner of the data as anyone can access it