Social research strategies: quantitative research and qualitative research
An important practical issue to consider when designing a research project is:
Which theoretical perspective you find most interesting
Whether or not you have time to retile the bathroom first
How much time and money you have to conduct the research
Which colour of ring binder to present your work in
How much time and money you have to conduct the research
Answer (c) is the correct answer because of its ability to force us to transcend the constraints imposed by scarcity of time and money. At the outset, we might persuade ourselves to tackle something we can achieve well, even if it is not very exciting, rather than producing poor research on a fascinating or ‘important’ topic. Furthermore, we will be forced to consider the target population and the likelihood of being able to construct probability samples. Practicality has to do with how you would implement your theoretical approach and the colour of the ring binder, while certainly an important issue, is an aesthetic choice.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 36-37
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 36-37
How much time and money you have to conduct the research Answer (c) is the correct answer because of its ability to force us to transcend the constraints imposed by scarcity of time and money. At the outset, we might persuade ourselves to tackle something we can achieve well, even if it is not very exciting, rather than producing poor research on a fascinating or ‘important’ topic. Furthermore, we will be forced to consider the target population and the likelihood of being able to construct probability samples. Practicality has to do with how you would implement your theoretical approach and the colour of the ring binder, while certainly an important issue, is an aesthetic choice.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 36-37
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 36-37
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The qualitative research strategy places a value on:A. Using numbers, measurements and statistical techniques
B. Generating theories through inductive research about social meanings
C. Conducting research that is of a very high quality
D. All of the above
The constructionist ontological position suggests that:
A. Social phenomena and their meanings are constantly being accomplished by social actors
B. Individuals are born into a world of rules and structures that they cannot change
C. Building and construction work presents an ideal opportunity to exercise the sociological imagination
D. Social facts and objects have an external reality, independently of the people who perceive them
What is the epistemological position held by a positivist?
A. There is no substitute for an in-depth, hermeneutic understanding of society
B. Scientific research should be based on value-free, empirical observations
C. Events and discourses in the social world prevent us from having direct knowledge of the natural order
D. It is important to remain optimistic about our research, even when things go wrong
Which of the following is an ontological question?
A. Should I use questionnaires or interviews in my project?
B. What can (and should) be considered acceptable forms of knowledge?
C. How long is it since I last visited the dentist?
D. Do social entities have an objective reality, external to social actors?
What does an empiricist believe?
A. We should not apply natural science methods to social science research
B. It is the sociologist’s aim to understand the meaning of social action
C. Knowledge, in the form of ‘facts’, should be gained through sensory experience
D. Research conducted within the British empire was biased and unreliable
What is a ‘grand theory’?
A. One that was proposed by one of the major theorists in the sociological tradition
B. One that is highly abstract and makes broad generalizations about the social world
C. An intermediate level explanation of observed regularities
D. A particularly satisfactory theory that makes the researcher feel happy
Which of the following is an example of value-free research?
A. Conscious partiality
B. Sympathy for the underdog
C. Unstructured interviewing
D. None of the above
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