Research strategy ig

What is positivism?

Sociology should be scientific and objective, finding facts and laws of social behaviour

What research does positivism favour?

Quantitive, large-scale, repeatable research such as statistics and surveys

What does positivism prioritise: reliability or validity?

Reliability - research should be repetable and produce consistent results

Which sociologists are associated with positivism?

Comte and Durkheim

What is a criticism of positivism?

Sociological research can never be completely objective or unbiased

What is the interpretivist approach to research?

Humans have free will and meanings, so society cannot be studied like the natural sciences

What research to interpretivists favour?

Qualitative, small-scale, in-depth research, such as interviews and observations

What do interpretivists prioritise: validity or reliability?

Validity - accurately understanding people’s experiences and meanings

What is Verstehen?

Understanding behaviour from the participant’s point of view

What are criticisms of interpretivist research?

Researcher presense may change behaviour, and findings can be subjective

What are the main stages of a research strategy?

Choose topic —> hypothesis/aim —> pilot study —> sampling

What is a pilot study and why is it used?

A small test study used to identify problems and improve methods beofre the main research

What are the main sampling methods?

Random/systematic, stratified, cluster/multi-stage, quota, snowball, and opportunity

What are the main difficulties when conducting sociological research?

Defining the topic, reviewing evidence, choosing methods, accessing participants, and avoiding bias

What are the main ethical requirements of sociological research?

Informed consent/right to withdraw, anonymity and confidentiality