1. Involves the
researcher identifying Concerned with
a set of categories overall patterns in
and systematically
counting how many Macro society. E.g. Micro
ethnicity and
times each category
appears in the media
sociology
achievement
sociology
Ideas that
Concerned with sociologists have.
These ideas shape
small scale
how sociologists
behaviour. E.g.
impact of labelling Theory look at issues and Hypothesis
determine what they
on students see
A statement to
be tested by Primary Data collected by
research the researcher Triangulation
data
Defining the
The use of multiple
phenomena being
methods in research
studied so that it
as a means of
can be identified in
producing more
a way that it can be
reliable data than a Operational clearly understood Reliability
single method would
produce isation and used
consistently
Produce the same
results when the Provide an
research is accurate picture of
representative
repeated Validity what is being
ness
studied

2. How far the
individual, group of
situation being
studied is typical Generalisa
of the rest of the
population
bility
How far do your
findings reflect Quantative
the wider data
population

3. Positivist favour Interpretivists favour
this type of data. this type of data.
Sociology should
Sociology should
be scientific and
Qualitativ discover the Secondar
meanings, motives
analyse social e data and reasons behind y data
facts human behaviour
Data collected Time, money,
from other funding, access
sources, e.g. Practical and
statistics, diaries,
newspaper
issues in characteristics
articles research and skills of the Pilot study
researcher
Small scale
piece of
research used Social surveys
as a practice Longitudinal over a period of Ethnography
run to test for studies time
any problems
Is the study of
what is morally
right or wrong.
Study the way Ethical Informed consent, Sampling
of life of a group
issues
confidentiality and
deception are
frame
examples of this
The list of
people, or other
unit, from which Stratified
a sample is sample
drawn

4. When a sampling Researcher
frame is establishes how
subdivided into many participants
categories and Quota are needed in each
category and goes
then the sample is Questionnaire
randomly chosen
sampling looking for them
until sample is
from these fulfilled
A set of
standardised
questions that are The range of
Open
distributed by Closed possible ended
hand or post for answers is fixed
respondents to fill questions questions
in
More like unguided
conversation, where
The respondent the talk is informal
can answer Unstructured but the researcher
Participant
however they asks questions to
interviews ensure that the PPT observation
like keeps to the subject
Researcher
Researcher
joins the group
conceals the Overt
or social Covert fact that they
situation that is observation
Observation are doing
being studied
research
Presence and
Researcher is interest of the
open about the experimenter is Laboratory
fact that they Hawthorne found to be a major
Experiment
cause of the
are doing Effect behaviour of the
research research subject