Sampling

Pilot Studies

Case Studies

Comparative Studies

Content Analysis

Triangulation

Longitudinal Studies

Why have samples?

When carrying out questionnaires you need to select your sample-the people you will actually do your research on-carefully so that research is ‘representative’ (i.e. results apply to whole population, not just the sample). Sample has to be cross-section of whole population; generalisations can then be made.

It makes research more manageable by making it possible to research smaller numbers or respondents: keeps down time and money.

Key terms:

Population: whole group that you are studying ,e.g.: everyone in your year group, all young males between age of 16-18, every home owner in specific neighbourhood

Sampling Frame: list of everyone in the ‘population’ e.g. registration list of all Year 10’s

Sample: group of people taken from sampling frame, who actually do research, e,g, 1 in every 10 from year group.

Most common types: Random samples: everyone in population has equal chance of being

chosen/draw names out of hat/not always representative /may end up with sample being dominated by one section of group

Stratified samples: Divide sampling frame into specific groups to avoid former problem. Then take random sample from within each group. Stratify by gender, age, ethnic group etc.

Systematic samples: Select sample by following a regular pattern eg every tenth in sampling frame.

Cluster samples: If ‘population is spread over a large geographic area (whole country) Certain areas chosen and random samples taken from these areas. Avoids time and expense of travelling around country.

No sampling frame needed for these:

Quota samples: Researcher asked to find twenty people who…eg are taking accelerated subjects (often used in market research)

Snowball samples: Asking one respondent to put researcher in contact with one or several more respondents. Used when normal sampling won’t work eg gangsters

Why should samples be representative?

What’s the difference between the sampleand the sampling frame?

How does the term ‘population’ differ from everyday use when discussing sampling?

If you wanted to get a representative sample of students who will study abroad after leaving NES. How would you go about it? Which sample would suit best and why?

Pilot Studies

An initial study carried out in advance of main research

Aim: to help researchers identify problems with research early and rectify them

Case Studies

In depth, detailed study of one particular example of a type of group, organisation or event.

Eg: Researcher studies particular behaviour of students in (only)one school- ‘A Glasgow Gang Observed’ was a case study.

Limitations: can’t generalisefrom findings (unless earlier research shows findings as typical)

Strengths: Valuable as may be used to develop ideas for further testing. Adequate for student research

There have been a number of cases of feral

children raised in social isolation with little or

no human contact. Few have captured public

and scientific attention like that of young girl

called Genie. Almost her entire childhood was

spent locked in a bedroom where she had

grown up isolated and abused for over a

decade, Genie’s case was one of the first to

put the critical period theory to the test. Could

a child reared in utter deprivation and isolation

develop language? Could a nurturing

environment make up for a horrifying past?

Example of a case study

Content AnalysisUsed to investigate the content of mass

media ( eg books, films, magazines etc)

The researcher might count the number of times a certain behaviour appears thus helping to build up a picture of patterns of behaviour. (eghow many minutes women and men appear in a certain programme)

It produces reliable quantitative data. It is unobtrusive and objective.

However it can be time-consuming and while telling us the ‘quantity’ not much said about quality of relationship studied..

Comparative Studies

Comparing two or more similar groups, institutions, egtwo schools

Often used to compare two different countries or cultures

Useful to avoid ethnocentric attitudes (assuming that our way is always best!)

This refers to carrying out research using more than one method or using more than one researcher

Aim: to check the validity of findings

The findings of a questionnaire could be checked against an in depth interview with a sample of respondents or by participant observation

Improves validity and reliability

Example

Eileen Barker’s study of the ‘Moonies’ (a religious sect) See P.45 text book

Aim of research to find out to what extent the members were brainwashed into joining the sect.

Carried out overt observation, living in their communities.

Also carried out interviews and sent questionnaires to all Moonies in Britain.

Enabled her to check that findings from one research were not contradicted by those of another.

Conclusion: members not brainwashed; free to join and leave.

What type of research is this?

Research which takes place at regular intervals over a long period of time-Enables researcher to track changes in lives of individuals

Longitudinal studies show us that groups (eg lone parents, poor) are not fixed and unchanging, they move in and out of these groups over time

Disadvantage: difficult to maintain initial numbers; some participants move away, lose contact, wish to no longer take part or die.

1. ‘7UP ‘ study carried out beginning 1964 examined lives of 7 year olds (panel study)from different social classes, interviewed them intermittently over next 42 years at 7 year intervals).Results fascinating in that it showed that children from privileged backgrounds became privileged adults while those from working class backgrounds moved only marginally up the class system

2. British Household Panel Survey: 1991 ongoing, tracks 5000 households

3. The Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) follows the lives of around 19,000 children born in the UK, starting 2000/1. It has carried out 4 studies so far and next sweep of study is due 2012.

LOOK UP ANY OF THESE STUDIES ON THE INTERNET!

1. What’s the main reason why researchers carry out pilot studies?

2. Explain one benefit and one drawback of case studies.

3. Which two research methods did Eileen Barker use in her study of the Moonies? Why did she feel the need to use two different methods?

4. What kind of comparative study may prove useful for you as an amateur sociologist?

5. What can longitudinal studies offer the researcher that shorter studies cannot?