Social Research Methods

    Focus groups
    What should the moderator say in their introductory remarks?
    It is always important to include an introductory preamble at the beginning of a focus group session, in order to provide the participants with all the information they need to contribute. You should take the opportunity to explain why the research is being done, what you will do with the data and discuss certain ethical issues, such as anonymity and confidentiality. In this sense, a focus group is no different to any other method used for qualitative data gathering. Bryman says (p511) that for a focus group introduction, you should also “present some of the conventions” of focus group participation, like one person speaking at a time, that all viewpoints are important and the expected duration of the meeting.
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 511
    Author: rikazzz Comment
    Planning a research project and formulating research questions
    The role of a project supervisor is to:
    If you are writing an undergraduate or postgraduate dissertation, you will normally be allocated an academic supervisor to help you. The role of the supervisor is to provide intellectual support and practical guidance on carrying out a research project, as well as critical but constructive feedback on your written work. Most institutions stipulate the amount of contact a student may expect to have with their supervisor, so it makes sense to use the resource to the full. It may be the case that the supervisor will be one of your examiners, so discussing work-in-progress regularly is very productive. However, it is important to remember that they cannot do the research for you and if you are late, well, that’s your responsibility!
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 75
    Author: rikazzz Comment
    Qualitative data analysis
    What is a “substantive theory” in Strauss & Corbin’s view?
    Strauss & Corbin (1998, cited on page 576) distinguish between two main types of grounded theory, both of which are seen to emerge from the process of qualitative data analysis. A substantive theory is one that explains an empirical instance or specific area of study, which can then be tested in new settings, whereas a formal theory operates at a higher level of abstraction and applies to a wide range of phenomena, because data will have been collected in contrasting settings. A substantive theory may never be more than just that, but when a formal theory emerges, it applies to several substantive areas.
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 576
    Author: rikazzz Comment
    Ethics and politics in social research
    Which of the following factors does not add a political dimension to the research process?
    It is argued that, just like ethical issues, political issues pervade every aspect of the research process. The social researcher cannot conduct their research in a social and moral vacuum because of a number of factors: their own beliefs and values will shape what they come to research and how they interpret the findings; gatekeepers may try to control what is said about their group or organization; and similarly, the company, industry or research council that is funding the study may impose limits on the types of projects that are carried out and the way findings are reported.
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 141-144
    Author: rikazzz Comment
    Mixed methods research: combining quantitative and qualitative research
    Which version of the debate about multi-strategy research suggests that quantitative and qualitative research is compatible?
    There is an argument for using a mixed-methods approach, apart from attempting to counter the arguments against. One of these is called the “technical” argument. In essence, this is the argument which distinguishes between data-gathering and (even) data-analysis techniques, as being autonomous, on the one hand and the espoused epistemologies of researchers on the other. This argument sees the ‘competing’ research strategies as compatible, making mixed methods research feasible.
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 637
    Author: rikazzz Comment
    Planning a research project and formulating research questions
    Why is it helpful to keep a research diary or log book while you are conducting your project?
    It can be very helpful to keep a written log book or diary of the whole period during which you conducted your project. This is because the research process is typically long, busy and full of unexpected turns of events. Keeping a record of what happened, and when, will help you to monitor how well the research is progressing (in terms of survey response rates, etc.) and whether you are managing to answer your research questions. It will also be an extremely useful resource when it comes to writing up your “Methods” chapter later on, as you will already have a set of notes about the research process in chronological order, and this will encourage you to be reflexive about your own role in shaping the outcomes of the project.
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 86
    Author: rikazzz Comment
    Language in qualitative research
    Conversation Analysis (CA) and Discourse Analysis (DA) differ from other qualitative research methods in that they treat language as:
    Whereas other methods of qualitative research (such as in-depth interviewing and focus groups) treat language as simply the medium through which we access data, CA and DA focus on the way language is used as a topic worthy of study in its own right. Although there are close linkages between CA and DA, CA focuses on spoken language in conversations and DA examines all other forms of language presentation, including transcripts of spoken language.
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 526
    Author: rikazzz Comment
    Sampling in qualitative research
    What can be generalized from a purposive sample?
    The big problem for many researchers is that very little can be generalized from findings emerging from purposive samples. This approach to sampling is done, after all, because a probability sample may not be feasible or appropriate. So generalizability, or the lack of it, is bound into the definition of sampling type. Onwuegbuzie and Leech (2010, cited on page 418) point out, however, that it is possible to generalize from one case to another that is broadly similar. We are cautioned not to make claims for our data that cannot be supported by our research methods.
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 416-418
    Author: rikazzz Comment
    Structured observation
    Cohen’s kappa is a measure of:
    One of the problems encountered in structured observation concerns the degree of inter-observer consistency. The point is that we need to feel confident that separate observers do not see things so very differently from each other as to use different codes for essentially the same behaviour. Cohen’s kappa is a statistical measure of the degree of agreement between two people’s coding of the same situation, over and above what could have happened by chance. Naturally, the same observer might code the same things a little differently over time, so intra-observer consistency can also be a problem. These are problems of reliability, not validity.
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 276, Key concept 12.3
    Author: rikazzz Comment
    Sampling in qualitative research
    Why is an ethnographic study unlikely to use a probability sample?
    Ethnographic research tends to rely on convenience or snowball sampling, because the ethnographer can only glean information from whoever is prepared to talk to them. The shifting population of such groups also makes it difficult to map out the sampling frame from which a probability sample could be selected. However, as a qualitative research design, it is generally seen as more important for this technique to lead to interpretive understanding than to statistical generalisation.
    Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 418
    Author: rikazzz Comment