1. Before we start: A quick check…
Are you wearing your lanyards?

2. Homework…
Police statistics

3. Recap
What did we learn about last lesson?

4. TYPES OF RESEARCH METHOD
PRIMARY DATA
SECONDARY DATA
Data generated “first hand”
by the sociologist
Using “second hand” data,
which already exists

5. TYPES OF RESEARCH METHOD
QUANTITATIVE
QUALITATIVE
Methods which generate
numerical (numbers) information
Methods which generate
rich, in-depth data (words)

6. Today…Sampling

7. Today’s lesson objectives…
You will be able to identify key terms in relation to sampling. 1
You will be able to understand the different sampling methods in sociological research methods. 2
Be able to explain the strengths and weaknesses of each method. 3
You will be able to answer a research methods question. 4
Today’s lesson objectives…

8. When conducting a piece of research, it would be impossible to study the entire population. It costs too much and would be time consuming.

9. Key Terms: Target Population
Before carrying out interviews or surveys, the researcher must identify the target population or group that they want to study.
This is the people that the researcher aims to study. For example, college students, the unemployed, pensioners.

10. Sample
A small group chosen from the target population. =

11. Sampling Frame - The list where the sample is selected from:
In order to gather a sample you need a sampling frame.
- Telephone directory
- electoral register (voting)
- Class list/register
Weakness of sampling frame
- not everyone will be listed in these
Sampling Frame - The list where the sample is selected from:

12. Key word: Representativeness: The idea that the sample should have the same mix of people as the target population
Sampling is representative if the characteristics of the sample group reflect the characteristics of the target population.

13. How sociologists judge whether a piece of research is useful
VALIDITY
RELIABILITY
REPRESENTATIVENESS

14. If you were trying to look at attitudes to Justin Bieber amongst 14 year olds (target population), but only had a sample of girls this would be a non representative. This sample would be biased as you only asked girls (boys are left out).
Non-Representative

15. Matching task – check progress of key words

16. Sampling Key Terms A small group chosen from the target population
Sample
The people that the researcher aims to study
Target population
The idea that the sample should have the same mix of people as the target population
Representative
The list where the sample is selected from
Sampling frame

17. Random Sampling
Random sampling means that members of the population have an equal chance of being selected.
A list (sampling frame)is put together of everybody in the target population
Participants are then selected randomly (usually using a computer or out of a hat) from list.
random number generator

18. Strengths and weaknesses of Random Sampling
Reduces researcher bias
+strength
Quick and easy to use
If sampling frame is flawed then results will be flawed.
- weakness
Lack of control over choice of participants – not representative of population

19. Systematic Sampling
This is when there is a system to the sample. Choosing every 3rd participant is a system.
The researcher decides on a pattern for the selection of the sample and then follows this to select who will be part of the sample.

20. Strengths and weaknesses of Systematic Sampling
Can give unbiased samples from large populations.
strength
More representative
Only people on the register stand a chance of being selected.
weakness

21. Quota Sampling
The researcher makes sure they ask a certain number of different sorts of people. The researcher checks the person they are interviewing is the correct age, gender etc.
E.g. if you were researching nurses and you knew that 90% were female and 10% male, your sample would reflect this proportion. (You would have 9 women and 1 male if you had 10 participants).

22. Strengths and weaknesses of Quota samples.
Deliberate effort is made to make the sample representative
Strength
Time consuming
weakness
Bias in the sample as the researcher choses participants

23. This is when the researcher has one participant, and then that person brings more people along to be part of the research, and then those people bring more people to be part of the research so the sample gets bigger.
Snowball sampling
Snowball sampling is useful for outsider groups – such as criminals. The researcher uses one contact to introduce them to a second contact and so on.

24. Strengths and weaknesses of Snowball Sampling
Simple and easy
Can get access to hard to reach groups – e.g. criminals
Non representative and doesn’t involve a sampling frame

25. Opportunity Sampling
In opportunity sample you use the participants that are available at the time.
This is not representative as the people who are available at the time are not guaranteed to be a cross-section of the population.

26. Strengths and weaknesses of Opportunity Sampling
Not representative – you can only speak to those available at that time
weakness
Cheap and convenient

27. Check your understanding - worksheet
Do check your understanding
Exam practice

28. Sampling Key Terms What term means a sample chosen by chance?
Random sampling.
What term means a small group chosen from the target population?
Sample
What term means a sample where every tenth name is chosen?
Systematic sample.
The idea that the sample should have the same mix of people as the target population
Representative
What terms means the people that the researcher is aiming to study?
Target population.
What term means that the sample used, were people who happened to be available
Opportunity sample
What term means the place that the researcher gets their sample from?
Sampling frame
The term used when the researcher is looking for a certain number of particular groups
Quota sampling
What term means that a researcher uses one contact to find another, slowly building up a sample?
Snowballing sample

29. Which sampling method would be the best for a sociologist to use?
Consider the following things:
Is the sampling method time consuming?
Is the sampling method complex?
Is the sampling method expensive?
Is the sampling method representative?
Is the sampling method biased?
Exam Questions

30. Exam Question

31. Extension questions

32. You want to do a study on heroin users, are you most likely to use…
Systematic sampling
Random sampling
Opportunity sampling
Quota sampling
Snowball sampling

33. Ron has taken the list of football players in his league as his sampling frame and numbered them in groups of 10 (so the first 10 are 1-10 and are also numbered 1-10, etc.). He then picks everyone numbered ‘5’ is this…
Random sampling
Systematic sampling
Opportunity
Snowball sampling b

34. James has taken the list of sixth form students as his sampling frame and given every student a number (1-50). He then puts all of the numbers into a hat; his ‘sample’ is made up of the people whose number’s he picked out of the hat. Is this:
Random sampling
Systematic sampling
Opportunity sampling
Quota sampling a

35. Systematic sampling Random sampling Opportunity sampling
Susan divides her population into categories & then asks people
in the street who fit into the categories until she has enough of
each type
Systematic sampling
Random sampling
Opportunity sampling
Quota sampling

36. Homework
Widen your knowledge of methods used in the social sciences by using the library or the internet to find out about some of the following
Rosenhan experiment
Milgram experiments into obedience
Asch experiments into conformity
Zimbardo – Stamford prison experiment