Documents as sources of data
Why might a collection of personal letters from the nineteenth century be low in representativeness?
Because it would be difficult to read old-fashioned styles of handwriting
Because it can be hard for a modern day researcher to understand such materials
Because they might have been forged by an unscrupulous dealer
Because at that time literacy was mainly limited to middle class males
Because at that time literacy was mainly limited to middle class males
The selective retention of letters, diaries and autobiographies from historical periods reflects the social conditions of the time. For example, the introduction of the penny post in the nineteenth century may have led to more letters being written, but this would have been counteracted by the limited availability of education and literacy skills. Consequently, the documents available from the period in question are not representative of the population as a whole, being written by a subset only. A further complication arises when we consider why certain letters have been kept while others, presumably, have been destroyed. A feminist perspective would notice the relatively low proportion of letters extant from that period written by women, since boys were more likely than girls to have received an education at that time.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 548
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 548
Because at that time literacy was mainly limited to middle class males The selective retention of letters, diaries and autobiographies from historical periods reflects the social conditions of the time. For example, the introduction of the penny post in the nineteenth century may have led to more letters being written, but this would have been counteracted by the limited availability of education and literacy skills. Consequently, the documents available from the period in question are not representative of the population as a whole, being written by a subset only. A further complication arises when we consider why certain letters have been kept while others, presumably, have been destroyed. A feminist perspective would notice the relatively low proportion of letters extant from that period written by women, since boys were more likely than girls to have received an education at that time.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 548
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 548
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Which of the following is not an example of an official document?A. A report of a public inquiry into a disaster
B. A PhD student’s collection of interview transcripts
C. Documentation from a pharmaceutical company about a new drug
D. A leaked memo from one member of parliament to another
What is semiotics?
A. The study of semi-detached houses
B. A half-baked attempt at social research
C. The method of semi-structured interviewing
D. The science of signs
Why is it necessary to consider the authenticity of personal documents? Select all that apply.
A. Because they have been seen by other people
B. Because they might have been “ghost written” or heavily edited by other authors
C. Because they might not reflect the true feelings of the writer
D. Because documents can never be trusted
Why can it be difficult to establish the authenticity of virtual data?
A. Because we do not know who wrote the material on a web site
B. Because virtual data are not as good as actual data
C. Because it may require specialist “inside knowledge” to understand the text
D. Because it is usually presented in the form of visual images
Why is it important to study the way audiences “read” cultural documents?
A. To demonstrate how audiences passively accept whatever they are told
B. Because their interpretation of it may differ from that intended by the author
C. Because sociologists are running out of new things to research
D. Because there is a lot of funding available for focus group studies
Why might social researchers be interested in analysing photographs as a form of visual data?
A. To find out more about fashion, artifacts and everyday life in a particular social setting
B. To study the way photographs present idealized depictions of family life
C. To help them to see what has not been photographed and why
D. All of the above
How does qualitative content analysis differ from quantitative content analysis?
A. It is always preceded by ethnographic research
B. It involves counting the number of times certain words appear in a text
C. It is less rigid, as researchers are constantly revising their concepts
D. It is less likely to be used by feminist researchers
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