What do positivists argue research should be?

Why do they argue this?

Give some examples of standardised methods of research preferred by positivists

What do positivists use the data they obtain to make?

How do interpretivists disagree?

What do interpretivists want to find out with the research they conduct?

What open-ended research methods do interpretivists prefer?

What do such methods of research allow the researcher to gain and how?

What are the 3 key concepts sociologists use to judge the usefulness of a research method?

For a method to be reliable, it must be _________

What does reliability mean using?

What can a reliable piece of data be used for?

What can't sociologists study every member of the group they are interested in studying?

What do the characteristics of the sampled group need to be in order to the data to be representative?

What does this mean the sociologist will be able to make on the basis of evidence from the sample?

Why do positivists emphasise the need for representativeness?

What does 'validity' refer to?

What is the difference between primary and secondary data?

Give some examples of secondary sources of data?

What are the three main factors that influence a researchers choice of method?

What are the two methodological types?

Which one prefers data to be scientific, objective and quantitative?

What do intepretivists prefer data to be?

Give 2 examples of research methods preferred by each type

How many factors are there surrounding the practical issues of a research method?

What are these factors?

TIME

MONEY

SOURCE OF FINANCE

PERSONAL FACTORS

RESEARCH SUBJECTS

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY

PERSONAL DANGER

What are the three ethical factors?

Why must researchers gather informed consent from their research subjects?

Research subjects have the right to _________

What does this mean about the research subjects when the research is published?

Give one reason why this may be hard to achieve

How may the research subjects be affected by sociological research?

How can practical, ethical and theoretical factors be interrelated?

What is triangulation?

What 5 factors affect a sociologists choice of topic?

PRACTICAL FACTORS

FUNDING BODIES

SOCIETY'S VALUES

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE

CHANCE