Collecting Data

Questionnairs

• Conducted in 2 formats
• - Standardised (fixed selection of answers, like multiple choice)
• - Open-ended (participant can write whatever they want)
• More precise comparisons in larger groups
• Risks
• - Info/answers may not reflect people's true thoughts
• - People may not know what to write
• - Time consuming + complicated= less responses

Interveiws

• Conducted in real time- series of questions asked by the sociologist
• Can be used to gain quantitative + qualitative data
• Vary in format
• - Formal
• - Subject can be aware
• - Subject may not know
• - Informal + unstructured

Longitudinal Studies

• Conducted overtime
• - E.g- a sociologist might interview someone of age 16,21,25,30,35,40 etc
• Time consuming
• Good way to observing a subject over time

Experiments

• Tests theories through data collected from observation and measurement
• A scientist will ask a question, then test whether the question is true or false
• - Through changing an independent variable
• Take place outdoors or in nature or real life etc.

Content Analysis

• Studies communication strategies
• 'Content' means any kind of communication
• - Books, conversations, paintings, newspapers etc.
• Sociologists use it to examine what is being communicated
• They also use data analysis to gather data of responses

Research Strategies

• Many ways to research- not just 1
• Use methods based on beliefs, backgrounds etc
• Need to understand which type of data to use