What is operationalisation?

defining a concept so that it can be measured. For example, measuring social class by occupation.

What is a pilot study?

a small trial run before the main research. It tests the method.

Which of these is a hypothesis?

Girls spend more time on homework than boys. It is a statement that can be tested.

What is the target population?

the whole group the research is about. The sample is drawn from it.

A researcher measures "being religious" by how often a person attends a place of worship. What might be wrong with this?

some people hold strong beliefs without attending, so it may not be a valid measure. A measure is only useful if it captures the concept.

Stages in research design · Cambridge IGCSE Sociology

In plain words

Good research is planned backwards from the question. Before anyone is interviewed, the researcher has decided exactly what they want to know, who can tell them, and how fuzzy ideas like "class" or "success" will be measured.

7 things to know

Selection of topic: the researcher chooses what to study. The choice is shaped by their interests, by what funders will pay for, by what is in the news, and by whom they can reach.
Aims: statements of what the research is trying to find out.
Hypothesis: a statement that can be tested, predicting what the research will find, such as "pupils who have a quiet place to study get better grades".
Target population: the whole group that the research is about, such as all the 16-year-olds in a country.
Methods: the researcher chooses how to collect the data, such as questionnaires, interviews or observation, to fit the aims.
Operationalisation: defining a concept in a way that can be measured. "Social class" might be measured by a parent's occupation. "Achievement" might be measured by exam grades.
Pilot study: a small trial of the research, carried out before the main study, to check that the questions are clear and the method works.

Worked example

A student plans research into whether wealth affects happiness. Explain why operationalisation is needed, and suggest how to do it.

"Wealth" and "happiness" are vague. Different people would understand them differently.
They must be defined so that they can be measured in the same way for everyone.
Wealth could be measured by household income. Happiness could be measured by a score from 1 to 10 that people give their own lives.
Now the two can be compared across the sample.

Tips and tricks

A hypothesis is a statement, not a question. "Does class affect results?" is an aim. "Middle-class pupils get higher results" is a hypothesis.
The purpose of a pilot study is to find problems before the real thing: unclear questions, missing answer choices, interviews that run too long.

5 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Stages in research design: 5 questions and answers

These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.

What is operationalisation?
- choosing the sample
- publishing the results
- defining a concept so that it can be measured (the answer)
- asking for permission
For example, measuring social class by occupation.
What is a pilot study?
- a small trial run before the main research (the answer)
- the final report
- a list of the target population
- a study of aircraft crews
It tests the method.
Which of these is a hypothesis?
- Why do people commit crime?
- I am interested in families.
- A study of 500 students
- Girls spend more time on homework than boys. (the answer)
It is a statement that can be tested.
What is the target population?
- the people who drop out
- the whole group the research is about (the answer)
- the researchers
- the people in the pilot study
The sample is drawn from it.
A researcher measures "being religious" by how often a person attends a place of worship. What might be wrong with this?Stretch
- it cannot be counted
- it is illegal to ask
- some people hold strong beliefs without attending, so it may not be a valid measure (the answer)
- attendance is the same for everyone
A measure is only useful if it captures the concept.

5 questions

Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.

Worksheet

3 questions, 8 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

Stages in research design

Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 8 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

What is meant by the term "target population"?[2]
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The whole group of people that the research is about, from which the sample is taken.
I got this one
What is meant by the term "hypothesis"?[2]
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A statement that predicts what the research will find, and that can be tested.
I got this one
Explain why a researcher carries out a pilot study.[4]
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It is a small-scale trial run of the research before the main study. It shows whether questions are clear and understood, and whether the method works in practice. Problems can be corrected, which saves time and money and makes the main study more valid and reliable.
I got this one

Answers: Stages in research design

1. The whole group of people that the research is about, from which the sample is taken.
2. A statement that predicts what the research will find, and that can be tested.
3. It is a small-scale trial run of the research before the main study. It shows whether questions are clear and understood, and whether the method works in practice. Problems can be corrected, which saves time and money and makes the main study more valid and reliable.