1. AS Sociology
Research Methods Independent Study Project
For this part of the course you will need to have a clear understanding of the main research methods
used within the field of Sociology.
You will need to understand:
The advantages and strengths of each method
The weaknesses and limitations of each method
How to apply these methods to the study of health
How sociological perspectives can influence the choice of research method
The research methods that we need to cover are as follows:
Questionnaires
Structured interviews/formal interviews
Unstructured interviews/informal interviews
Longitudinal surveys
Participant observation
Non-participant observation
Experiments
You are going to work independently for the next 4 sessions. You will be assigned one research
method and you will need to use a wide range of sources in order to create resources for your
group.
You can present your resources in any way that you wish – here are some ideas.
Spider diagrams and mind maps
Charts and tables
Power point presentations
Publisher documents such as posters, leaflets and booklets.
Your resources can be hand written or word processed but they must be able to be reproduced as
you will need to share your resources with others in your group. This way you will have a wide range
of notes on each method.
You will need to include:
How the method is used – practicalities
The strengths of the method
The weaknesses of the method
What ethical issues are involved in using the method?
Examples of how the method has been used in sociology with particular reference to health
Is the method favoured by a particular sociological perspective?
A list of your references for further study
Examples of examination questions which have been asked about the method
AS Sociology Mrs H Green
