'Research Methods Essay\r'

'The main factors that influence a sociologist’s pick of seek method figure on dickens different theoretical approaches to the study of society; incontrovertibility and interpretivism. Positivism is an approach in sociology that believes society laughingstock be examine using similar scientific techniques to those routined in the natural sciences, much(prenominal) as physics, biology and chemistry. Interpretivism is an approach emphasizing that people agree consciousness involving personal beliefs, values and interpretations that influence the bearing they act and that they do not simply oppose to forces outside them.\r\nThese two theoretical approaches often physical exertion different enquiry methods because they wealthy person different assumptions virtually the nature of society, this influences the type of selective information they be interest in collecting. Practicality, ethics, theory and subject of study to a fault contribute to the methods utilise for question. There be versatile methods sociologists use to carry out a research on society. The two common forms ar numerical and soft research methods. I will set off by analysing the meanings behind the words, qualitative and duodecimal.\r\nQuantitative methods atomic number 18 used by people that support the use of scientific investigation, it usually includes numerical statistical methods; the economic consumption is to expand and utilize mathematical techniques, conjecture and hypothesis. In contrast to this the qualitative research method. This is usually used by sociologists that support the use of humanistic research. It differs from vicenary methods in the sense that, qualitative research methods depend on specific reasons behind the way some people in society behave.\r\nUsing the qualitative method however, they are prone to ask questions akin, ‘why? or ‘how? ’ compared to the quantitative information which would more potential ask neat forward questions like, ‘what? ’ or ‘where’. In qualitative methods the research usually focuses on abject samples instead, unlike quantitative research on the other(a) hand, focus lacks and the methods usually inhabits a large, random sample. unalike a quantitative method where the research depends restrictedly on the investigation of arithmetical or quantifiable statistics, data from qualitative research comes in many furyure medium e. g. moving images, text or sound.\r\nQualitative research was first recognised in the 1970s. Examples of Qualitative data are participant observation, direct observation, unstructured interviews, discipline studies etc. Examples of Quantitative data are questionnaires, surveys, post scales or standardised tests. They are practical issues that come across the methods sociologist whitethorn use. These derriere come from a celestial orbit of financial issues to ethical issues.\r\n* Coaching Interviewers is comparativel y hard-hitting and economical however it cost more to exactly redistributing questionnaire to people. Surveys that resort to structured interviews can cover dandy group of people with restricted resources because they are fairly cheap to administer however they cannot match the capacious numbers reached by postal questionnaire. * Questionnaire and interviews collect straight forward factual information * Questionnaire results are quantitative because they are closed-ended questions with coded answers. This makes them suitable for hypothesis- testing. Some epochs there are specific factors could cause problems amongst certain research methods.\r\n such as: * Time †Questionnaires would be more time consuming while the workload of surveys can be shared by a team * gold -researchers need an income and costs large scale. Social surveys are more high-priced than small focus groups. * Characteristics and skills of the research some situations may be risky and not all sociologist could cope handle this, a woman may have difficulty doing P. O in a monastery entrance money and opportunity. If there is no access to certain groups then secondary sources may have to be used as an alternative.\r\nAn example of this is when you shoot for researchers hoping to cover a survey on a specific gang or cult. This could be weighty especially if that gang may have a record of crime and callous behaviour. The researcher may find it really hard if not unrealizable to get access into the gang or cult; and if he was to get access he could be in immense trouble especially if he went under cover. * Some issues include ethical issues, sometimes certain research is taken on an hole-and-corner(prenominal) basis. This could be seen as illusory.\r\nSome people would struggle that researchers should be 100% honest with the people they are researching on, it is only ethical, moral and honest that this form of seriousness is shown amongst whom the research is based on neverthel ess when doing a research as an undercover researcher the questions of ethics arises. Is it morally correct that someone should be studied and researched on without consent or acknowledgement of such thing? The law is that undercover research can only be approved as enormous as there is no other alternative that is available.\r\nPosivists like their research to be scientific whereas Interprevists like to get into the shoes and go through the situation. Feminists, Ann Oakley decides her pickaxe of methods and topic according to her own experience of childhood and motherhood. As a feminist she avoided methods which she described as having a male-stream bias (positivism). She selected the more qualitative and sketch methods of unstructured interviews and participant observation. She deems that the commission of sociology is to include the lives of the respondents.\r\n'