Research Methods Essay

The of import factors that influence a sociologists choice of look method regard on two different theoretical approaches to the con of society favorableness and interpretivism. Positivism is an approach in sociology that believes society layabout be analyze using similar scientific techniques to those officed in the natural sciences, such as physics, biology and chemistry. Interpretivism is an approach emphasizing that people have mind involving personal beliefs, values and interpretations that influence the way they act and that they do non simply respond to forces outside them.These two theoretical approaches often utilisation different research methods beca work they have different assumptions about the nature of society, this influences the grammatical fountain of data they be interested in collecting. Practicality, ethics, theory and subject of study also contribute to the methods utilise for research. There are various methods sociologists use to carry out a res earch on society. The two common land forms are numeric and qualitative research methods. I will lower by analysing the meanings behind the words, qualitative and quantitative.Quantitative methods are used by people that support the use of scientific investigation, it norm on the wholey includes numerical statistical methods the purpose is to expand and utilize mathematical techniques, conjecture and hypothesis. In separate to this the qualitative research method. This is usually used by sociologists that support the use of humanistic research. It differs from quantitative methods in the sense that, qualitative research methods estimate on detail reasons behind the way some people in society behave.Using the qualitative method however, they are prone to pick out questions like, why? or how? compared to the quantitative data which would more than likely occupy straight forward questions like, what? or where. In qualitative methods the research usually focalizationes on sm all samples instead, unlike quantitative research on the other(a) hand, focus lacks and the methods usually inhabits a large, random sample. Unlike a quantitative method where the research depends restrictedly on the investigation of arithmetical or quantitative statistics, data from qualitative research comes in many medium e. g. despicable images, text or sound.Qualitative research was first recognised in the 1970s. Examples of Qualitative data are participant observation, direct observation, unstructured interviews, case studies etc. Examples of Quantitative data are questionnaires, surveys, attitude scales or convertible tests. They are practical issues that affect the methods sociologist may use. These can come from a range of financial issues to ethical issues.* Coaching Interviewers is comparatively clear-cut and economic however it cost more to merely redistributing questionnaire to people. Surveys that resort to structured interviews can cover great group of people wit h restricted resources because they are somewhat cheap to administer however they cannot match the huge 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. virtuallytimes there are specific factors could cause problems amongst authoritative research methods.Such as * Time Questionnaires would be more time consuming while the workload of surveys can be shared by a team * Money - detectives need an income and cost 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 hindrance doing P. O in a monastery adit and opportunity. If there is no access to certain groups then secondary sources may have to be used as an alternative.An example of this is when you mystify researchers hoping to cover a survey on a specific gang or cult. This could be dangerous peculiarly if that gang may have a record of crime and thickened 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 curiously if he went under cover. * Some issues include ethical issues, sometimes certain research is taken on an hugger-mugger basis. This could be seen as illusory.Some people would argue that researchers should be 100% honest with the people they are researching on, it is only ethical, moral and honest that this form of sincerity is shown amongst whom the research is base on nevertheless 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 underc over research can only be approved as longsighted as there is no other alternative that is available.Posivists like their research to be scientific whereas Interprevists like to get into the shoes and go by dint of the situation. Feminists, Ann Oakley decides her choice 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 intimate methods of unstructured interviews and participant observation. She deems that the commission of sociology is to include the lives of the respondents.