Research Methods Cheat Sheet
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Types of data Types of data (cont) Stages of research
Primary Data - - Time Qualit Type of - Detailed - Longer 1. Choice Deciding They need
data collected Relevant Consuming ative data that is inform‐ process to of topic whether to know
by the Inform‐ - Can be data focused ation that analyse the what
researcher ation - costly around explores the data research they’re
themselves Can dependant opinion, reason‐ as it all will focus studying
i.e. experi‐ Control on the feelings ings- varies due on • social
ments / method‐ methods and why Based on to problems •
surveys / ology used something human subjective sociol‐
observ‐ is experience nature If ogical
ations. happening. which not problems
Secondary Data - - Inform‐ Complex gives careful,- 2. Aim Consid‐ It is
data collected Already ation may data and better researcher ering the important to
by other gathered be old and harder to validity can have main have a
people & so inaccurate analyse. a negative research research
organi‐ quicker - - Questi‐ Subjective impact on goal in goal
sations Usually onable Data. the results their study
cheaper whether it -
3. Operat‐ Breaking Precise
to can be behaviour
ionalise down the measur‐
access applied research hypothesis ement of
Positivism vs interpretivism
Quanti‐ Numerical, - Best - Harder to values or aim into social
tative data statistical for analyse POSITIVSM - INTERPRETIVSM - concrete phenomena
information repres‐ and give Theory appraoch Approach which tries to values cannot
that is entati‐ reasonings based on natural see explanations from that can occur
objective. veness - Can't and factual causes - sujects perspective. be without it
Answers and explore idea surrounds They want Verstehen measured and it
factual genera‐ why objectivity and (Meaning) and qualit‐ allows
questions lisability positivists want ative data with reasons others to
instead of - statistical, quanti‐ as to why something replicate
giving Broader tative data that happened. your
reason‐ study - reveals the truth. research
ings. greater Preferred research Preferred research 4. Choose Choosing It is
number methods: Quanti‐ methods: Qualitative, target people important to
of tative, Offical Statis‐ Personal Documents, population with the have a
subjects tics, Social Surveys, Participant Observ‐ character‐ defined
/ Unstructured ation, Unstructured istics you research
Interviews / Questi‐ Interviews want to population
onnaires research
Stages of research (cont)
5. Choosing The sampling
Choose between method is
sampling random crucial to
method and non- ensure the
random sample is
sampling generalisable
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Research Methods Cheat Sheet
by holly6901 (holly6901) via cheatography.com/126769/cs/24705/
Stages of research (cont) (cont) Ethics and access (cont) Sampling methods (cont)
6. Choosing It is important to Funding – This may affect the research System‐ • Most • Large
Choose between choose the method, if lots of funding is available the atic: represent‐ sample
research qualitative correct research researcher may employ a team and be able randomly ative as it needed to
method and quanti‐ method for your to complete in-depth interviews, if funding is choosing relies in ensure that
tative aims low the researcher may need to choose a a number statistical statistically it
methods cheaper option such as postal questionn‐ and odds • It is is likely to be
7. Carry out Carrying out the aires. picking easy to representative
Conduct your chosen method every 10th execute and • Not truly
research method on correctly Triangulation strengths and weaknesses e.g. understand • random • by
your sample improves the 7,17,27 Provides chance might
• The methods • Can be expensive
validity of your e.c.t control get same
cancel out the and time-cons‐
data results.
disadvantages and uming depending
8. Looking for Spotting allow sociologists to on the methods Stratified: • Relatively • Requires
Analyse patterns in patterns guarantee validity chosen dividing small sampling
data the data correctly can the sample • can frame which
• Can reveal new • The methods
allow for new population be used with includes
information and have to
discoveries into confidence details of
hypotheses complement one
sampling that it's still significant
another and cancel
Ethics and access frames represent‐ characteristics
out the disadv‐
and using ative • of population
1.Informed consent – research subjects antages
systematic Requires a being studied
should be fully aware of the study and its • Provides a better • More skills are
sampling smaller • Timely • May
aims understanding of the needed to analyse
sample than take a lot of
2. No deceit – sociologists should not keep problem the vast amounts of
random researchers
information or lie about the purpose of the data
sampling
study
Sampling methods
3. Privacy is kept – the privacy of the
research subjects should be safeguarded as Random: • Lack of • Time-consuming
much as possible names bias as it and expensive due
are is to the information
4. Protection from harm – protection from
picked randomly needed • Sample
physical harm, emotional harm and profes‐
randomly chosen • selection bias can
sional harm
from a Simplicity occur when a
5. No illegal or immoral behaviour – sociol‐
list as there sample chosen is
ogists need to avoid situations where they
are no not representative
could be drawn into illegal behaviour
additional
Access – some groups have the power to steps
resist sociologists such as the rich and
powerful therefore, data on these groups is
usually secondary data using statistics.
Gatekeeping – A gatekeeper has contact
with the research subjects and will check
any interview for sensitive subjects
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Research Methods Cheat Sheet
by holly6901 (holly6901) via cheatography.com/126769/cs/24705/
Sampling methods (cont) Sampling methods (cont) Sampling methods (cont) (cont)
Snowball: • Used • Very unlikely to Volunteer: • More • Could take a Purposive: • Tends to • Makes no
When mainly be truly represent‐ Partic‐ ethical long time to Involves be easiest attempt to be
one with ative since based ipants because get enough researchers and truly repres‐
person groups on people who becoming participants people to do choosing quickest entative, so
leads you who are have contact with part of a have experiment • individuals or way of can't
to hard to one another • study approached Rules out cases from a collecting generalise
another identify or Representati‐ because researcher • certain particular a sample • from the
access veness of the they May have occupations place that may lead findings • Is
(e.g. sample is not volunteer an interest and types of reflect the to a good open to bias •
criminals) guaranteed. The when in the people - nature of response It is
• The researcher has no asked or subject so unreprese‐ their rate • Is vulnerable to
process is idea of the true in they are ntative • research affordable researcher
cheap, distribution of the response less likely to Expensive to judgement
simple population and of to an give biased place advert Opportunity: • Less • Biased •
and cost- the sample. • advert information Taking the time Cannot be
efficient. • Sampling bias is • Easy to do sample from consuming generalised •
This also a fear of Quota: • • Accessibility people who • Easy to Researcher
sampling researchers when Like Advantages of potential are available use • has control
technique using this stratified of stratified respondents at the time Cheap over selection
needs sampling sampling random affects their the study is so may be
little technique. Initial but the sampling chances of being carried subjective to
planning subjects tend to researcher but can be being included out and fit the their views
and fewer nominate people decides conducted in the sample. criteria you're
workforce that they know how many without • May be less looking for
compared well. Because of people in variables representative
to other this, it is highly each being than random Statistics strengths and weaknesses
sampling possible that the group are available and stratified
• They are often • They may not be
techni‐ subjects share the involved from random
extremely easy representative of the
ques. same traits and sampling sampling •
and cheap to wider population as
characteristics, frame • Results may
access as they they are collected by
thus, it is possible Useful for be distorted
are usually online independent bodies
that the sample groups with and not
that the no sampling representative
researcher will frame •
obtain is only a Common in
small subgroup of opinion polls
the entire popula‐
tion.
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Research Methods Cheat Sheet
by holly6901 (holly6901) via cheatography.com/126769/cs/24705/
Statistics strengths and weaknesses Structured interviews strengths and Semi-structured interview
(cont) weaknesses (cont)
• Allows the • It is time consuming
• They are often • They can be politi‐ • The use of closed • They are inflexible researcher to and expensive compared
up-to-date so give cally massaged to questions creates so sociologists explain the to other methods
sociologists an make a country look lots of quantitative cannot focus on research and
understanding of better data which can be other things if they gain informed
modern behaviour converted into hear something consent so is
• They often form • They tell us very charts interesting ethical
the basis of little about the human • Because of the • Interpretivists • Interpretivists • Not reliable as it is hard
hypotheses that stories that underpin interview schedule, believe they do not see the data as to replicate
motivate research them so are disliked structured interviews produce true data valid as it
by interpretivists are quick and can allows the
allow for a larger researcher to
Questionnaire strengths and sample understand the
weaknesses world through
Unstructured interviews strengths and the participants
• Used for • Many people do not
weaknesses eyes
reaching larger respond to questionn‐
and more repres‐ aires which can cause • They allow the • Unstructured • Feminists • Positivists reject this
entative samples low response or no researcher to build interviews create a argue this see it as unscientific this
as it can be given response and can rapport which allows lot of data and method gives method lacks objectivity
to hundreds of undermine validity the participants to require the women an and reliability and fails to
people open up more which researcher to be opportunity to produce representative
can enrich data selective of what express how data that can be genera‐
• Postal questi‐ • The questions can be
they publish they really feel lised to the wider popula‐
onnaires are biased or leading
tion.
useful when the • Unstructured • The qualitative
research interviews allow the data is difficult to
Observations strengths and weaknesses
population is researcher to explain analyse as there
geographically more about the are no pre-coded • The researcher • Overt forms of
spread out research so they are answers sees things research are subject
• They are • It is difficult to useful for researching through the eyes of to the researcher
cheaper and less motivate people to unknown groups the group so the effect which may
time-consuming return postal questi‐ • They provide richer, • Studies that use researcher experi‐ result in the group
than other onnaires more detailed data unstructured ences ‘verstehen’ acting less naturally
methods which is highly valid interviews use less or empathy which as the researcher is
participants which results in highly there which
Structured interviews strengths and undermines the valid data undermines validity
weaknesses representativeness
to positivists
• Positivists regard • They are artificial
the method as and not in everyday
scientific as it life so may give false
primarily produces information as they
qualitative data are suspicious
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Research Methods Cheat Sheet
by holly6901 (holly6901) via cheatography.com/126769/cs/24705/
Observations strengths and weaknesses Content analysis strengths and
(cont) weaknesses
• Often what • Some observers get • It is very cheap as • It can be very time-
people say and too attached to the all that is needed is consuming
what they do is research group and media products
different, people show bias towards • It is a comparative • It is very subjective
may lie or not be them reporting the analysis that can as the categories
aware of their data incorrectly and be longitudinal depend on what the
actions in losing objectivity researcher thinks is
interviews important
• Observation can • Covert observation is • Quantitative • Sociologists have
be supplemented highly unethical content analysis is been accused of
with unstructured reliable as it can be analysing text out of
interviews to add repeated by other context
to the validity sociologists
Ethnography strengths and weaknesses
• Ethnography is • It usually is a
usually long-term and study of a specific
in-depth as well as group and is
qualitative so produces therefore not
lots of rich data representative of
wider society
• It allows the • It is subjective
researcher to achieve to the resear‐
verstehen with the cher’s opinions
group they study which so could be
means they are more biased
likely to open up
• The rapport built Positivists dislike
means it is high in the data as it is
validity not reliable or
analysable
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