Choosing a Research Method: Within this methods topic you will be studying many different research methods. Before you consider any of these in any detail you will need to be aware of all the factors that might influence the researchers choice of research method/s. This includes having an understanding of different types of data, practical issues, ethical issues, theoretical issues & the issues regarding the choice of research topic itself. By the end of this topic you should: > Know what the main types of data are & what research methods sociologists use > Understand the practical, ethical. Theoretical factors influencing choice of method & topic, and be able to assess their relative importance. > Understand the difference between Positivist & Interpretivist approaches to research.

Types of Data: Quantitative Data: Qualitative Data: One of the first things that researchers will take into account when conducting research is the type of data that they want to obtain from their studies. Quantitative Data: This is NUMERICAL information which is usually obtained in large quantities i.e. on a MACRO Scale (Quantity). This is standardised data is OBJECTIVE & RELIABLE. It is easy to QUANTIFY. Qualitative Data: This is TEXTUAL information which is usually obtained in smaller quantities i.e. on a MICRO Scale (Quality). This is detailed, in-depth data that is SUBJECTIVE & VALID. It is difficult to quantify and relies on INTERPRETATIONS. Give examples of topics you could study that would be better suited to Quantitative Data & b) Qualitative Data.

Primary Sources: Secondary Sources: Researchers also need to take into account whether or not they wish to use/ need to use Primary or Secondary Sources… This is information collected by sociologists themselves during their research i.e. it is NEW data. Primary Sources: This allows researchers to gather specific information that they need for their particular research. This can be costly & time consuming. This is information that has been collected by other researchers which the sociologist can then draw on for their research i.e. it is data THAT ALREADY EXISTS. Secondary Sources: This can be used to support Primary Sources and/or inspire new ideas for other research. It is usually quick, easy & cheap to obtain. It can however be ‘outdated’ quickly & difficult to find data to suit the sociologists current research. > Give Examples of Primary Sources of Data as well as Secondary Sources of Data. Here then, the researcher is faced different combinations of data: He/She could choose: > Primary Quantitative Data > Secondary Quantitative Data See table on next slide….. > Primary Qualitative Data > Secondary Qualitative Data

Natural/ Field Experiments Artificial Experiments Qualitative Data Quantitative Data Natural/ Field Experiments Artificial Experiments Comparative Method Small Scale Surveys (Case Studies) Primary Data Collection: Large Scale Surveys Questionnaires (Closed Ended/ Pre-Coded Qs) Questionnaires (Open-Ended Qs) Unstructured (Informal) Interviews Structured (Formal) Interviews Participant Observations Non-Participant Observations Diaries Official Statistics Secondary Data Collection: Newspaper Articles Auto/ Biographies Life Histories Documentaries (TV/ Radio)

P.E.T Practical Issues: Ethical Issues: Theoretical Issues: Moving away from choosing types of data, there are other vital factors that researchers must consider too before embarking on any research…. P.E.T Practical Issues: Ethical Issues: Theoretical Issues: Can you think what any of these might refer to/ include?

Practical Issues: Different methods use up various amounts of resources e.g. the researcher might need to employ people to carry out surveys & input data which is expensive. Participant Observations are cheap but take up lots of time. Time & Money: Governments, Businesses, Universities etc may require different types of data & therefore the researcher has limited choices e.g. Governments like to collect Statistical Data to inform Social policy. Funding Bodies: Each researcher is different & therefore may be limited in their choices of methods e.g. if hey need to blend into a group, / have good obs. Skills / patience / Memory etc. Personal Skills & Characteristics: If the topic requires opinions, feelings, thoughts on just plain facts and figures will impact on choice of method. Also whether or not the subject is sensitive or difficult to study needs considering. Subject Matter: In some cases research opportunities may occur unexpectedly & therefore effects the researchers time & planning. Research Opportunity:

Ethical Issues: …What are Ethics?... Participants should be able to refuse being researched. The researcher should be open & honest about the research so that informed consent can be given by the participant. They should be able to opt out of the research if they so wish. Consent: All participant identities should be kept confidential to prevent any negative effects. Participants have the right to refuse information. Confidentiality & Privacy: No psychological or physical harm should come to the participants. Also, participants should not be placed in any illegal or immoral situations. Danger & Harm: Extra care & attention should be give to any group/ participants that are deemed as vulnerable in terms if age, gender, disability, ethnicity, physical or mental health. Vulnerable Groups: This is when the researcher goes ‘Under Cover’ & keeps their identity as a researcher hidden from the participants. This obviously creates many ethical problems as deceit, lying, lack of consent etc. Covert Research:

Theoretical Issues: These reflect how the researcher sees society as working e.g. can behaviour be predicted? Are individuals more important than overall structure of society? (Replicability) A reliable method is one that, when repeated by another researcher, the same results will be obtained. Reliability: This applies to Quantitative Methods like Experiments, written questionnaires (closed questions). Validity: (Truthfulness) A valid method is one that produces a true, full picture of what is being studied. It is not Repeatable as different results could occur everytime the method is implemented. This applies to Qualitative Methods like Participant Observations. Representativeness: Whether or not the participants are a good cross-section of the group the researcher is interested in. If the participant ‘Sample’ is a good cross-section then the information obtained from them can be ‘Generalised’ to the bigger group. Generally speaking, the bigger the sample, the more Representative it becomes. Methodological Perspective: There are 2 main groups of sociologists who have conflicting views on how society works. These are known as POSITIVISTS & INTERPRETIVISTS (See booklet)

Choice of Topic: A sociologists choice of topic depends largely on what theoretical perspective they are affiliated with/ interested in e.g. Feminists might study the Domestic Division of Labour or Wage differences between males & females. Theoretical Perspective: The social, political & economic climate of society might influence which topics get studied e.g. In the 1950s, the rise in feminism led to a focus in gender inequality; and now global Warming / green crime (e.g. toxic dumping) is recently a hot topic of research. Societies Values: As research is often expensive it needs funding. This funding comes from Universities, Charities, Government Bodies, Businesses etc. As such these organisations often get to dictate which topics should studied and which ‘aren’t worth’ studying & therefore not worth their funding. Funding Bodies: Practical factors: Time, Geography, Transport, Accessibility may all impact on the choice of topic.