Don’t answer each question individually, answer them as in one paragraph.
section 2: surveys – design and application (330 words for this section)
What is meant by rigour in social research – applied particularly to survey research?
What are some of the differences between quantitative and qualitative research? You can also write something about deductive and inductive methods here too.
Methods are important for helping you answer your research questions, when might some methods be better than others?
What was your experience of taking a survey? Was the survey user-friendly? Did it include good or bad questions? Provide a rationale for your thoughts.
If you were going to design a survey what things would you need to consider? Look at the online topic to help you find the answers. You will be asked to discuss this more fully in your tutorials.
What is the difference between using surveys for primary and secondary research?
In your area of study, what might be a survey (or surveys) you could use for secondary research?
What is the relationship between populations and samples?
It is important to write good survey questions. What are some of the things to keep in mind in writing good questions?
What are closed-ended questions? What are open-ended questions?
Why is it important to display your data?
What are some of the ways data can be displayed?
Find two examples of interesting and helpful displays of data? Put the links in case we discuss them in class.
What are some of the benefits and limitations of survey research?
Section 3: interviews – (330 words)
What is the difference between ‘structured’ and ‘unstructured’ interviews?
What are other names for ‘unstructured’ interviews?
Compared to surveys, what is a strength and a limitation?
How should we think about ‘rigour’ in qualitative research?
What is the difference between sampling in surveys and sampling in qualitative interviewing?
What is meant by the ‘researcher is central’ in qualitative interviewing?
What is the main difference between a ‘focus’ and ‘unfocussed’ group interview?
What are your main considerations in planning a focus group interview?
How would you go about conducting your focus group interview?
In your view, what is the main ethical consideration/ concern of conducting qualitative / in-depth interviews?
Section 4: UNOBTRUSIVE RESEARCH (330 words)
In your own words, describe what ‘Unobtrusive Approaches’ are.
Why are physical traces and archives ‘unobtrusive’?
Why are ‘observations’ not always ‘unobtrusive’?
Think of two ‘erosion’ physical traces
Pick one of the ‘accretion’ examples and describe how it could be used in social research.
Choose two examples and write down how they would be useful for social research. (Refer to Walliman’s list of Archive Records (pp. 82-83).
Content analysis is one way of analysing ‘texts’.
What are the key differences between ‘quantitative’ and ‘qualitative’ data analysis?
Which observational approaches are ‘unobtrusive’ and which would have an effect on the ‘observed’?
What is the connection between ‘big data’ and ‘social media’?