Which method would an interpretivist be most likely to choose?

an unstructured interview. It gives in-depth, qualitative data.

What is a gatekeeper?

a person who controls access to a group. A headteacher is the gatekeeper to pupils.

Which is a practical issue?

the cost of the research. Time, money and access are practical matters.

How might a funder affect research?

by influencing what is studied and how. Whoever pays may have an interest in the findings.

Only 15% of a sample return a questionnaire about exercise. What is the likely problem?

people keen on exercise are more likely to reply, so the results are unrepresentative. Those who reply are not typical.

Theoretical and practical issues in research

In plain words

In a perfect world a sociologist would pick the ideal method for the question. In the real one, the choice is squeezed by what they believe, whom they can reach, how many will answer, who is paying and how long they have got.

6 things to know

Researcher perspective is the theoretical issue. A positivist wants reliable, quantitative data, so chooses questionnaires, structured interviews or statistics. An interpretivist wants valid, qualitative data, so chooses unstructured interviews or participant observation.
Access to the sample: the researcher must be able to reach the people. Some groups are hard to reach, such as criminals, the very rich, or pupils, who can be reached only with a school's permission.
A gatekeeper is a person who controls access to a group, such as a headteacher or a prison governor.
Response rate is the proportion of the sample that takes part. A low rate makes the sample less representative, because the people who take part may differ from those who do not.
Funding and cost: research costs money for staff, travel and printing. Whoever pays, such as a government, a charity or a business, may influence the topic and the method. A researcher with little money uses cheaper methods.
Time: participant observation can take years. A questionnaire can be completed in weeks. Deadlines limit what can be done.

Worked example

A lone student has four weeks and no funding to research attitudes to homework in her school of 900 pupils. Recommend a method.

Time and cost rule out long interviews with many pupils and any observation over months.
A short online questionnaire is free, quick, and can reach all 900 pupils.
Access: she needs the headteacher's permission, as the gatekeeper.
To raise the response rate, the questionnaire could be completed in form time.

Tips and tricks

"Practical issues" means time, money and access. "Ethical issues" means right and wrong. "Theoretical issues" means positivist or interpretivist. Keep the three apart.
When asked why a researcher chose a method, try one reason of each type: practical, ethical and theoretical.

5 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Theoretical and practical issues in research: 5 questions and answers

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

Which method would an interpretivist be most likely to choose?
- official statistics
- a postal questionnaire
- an unstructured interview (the answer)
- a structured interview
It gives in-depth, qualitative data.
What is a gatekeeper?
- a person who answers a questionnaire
- a person who controls access to a group (the answer)
- a person who pays for research
- a person who analyses data
A headteacher is the gatekeeper to pupils.
Which is a practical issue?
- informed consent
- deception
- the positivist view of data
- the cost of the research (the answer)
Time, money and access are practical matters.
How might a funder affect research?
- by influencing what is studied and how (the answer)
- by making the sample random
- by removing the need for ethics
- by answering the questions
Whoever pays may have an interest in the findings.
Only 15% of a sample return a questionnaire about exercise. What is the likely problem?Stretch
- people keen on exercise are more likely to reply, so the results are unrepresentative (the answer)
- the data are qualitative
- the sample is now too large
- the questions were all open
Those who reply are not typical.

5 questions

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

Worksheet

3 questions, 10 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

Theoretical and practical issues in research

Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 10 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

What is meant by the term "response rate"?[2]
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The proportion of the people in a sample who actually take part in the research.
I got this one
Explain how the researcher's perspective affects the choice of method.[4]
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A positivist wants objective, quantitative data that is reliable, so chooses methods such as questionnaires and structured interviews. An interpretivist wants in-depth, qualitative data that is valid, so chooses methods such as unstructured interviews and participant observation.
I got this one
Explain two practical issues that affect research.[4]
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Any two, each explained: time, because some methods such as observation take years; funding, because large studies are costly and funders may influence the research; access, because some groups are hard to reach or need a gatekeeper's permission; response rate, because few replies make the sample unrepresentative.
I got this one

Answers: Theoretical and practical issues in research

1. The proportion of the people in a sample who actually take part in the research.
2. A positivist wants objective, quantitative data that is reliable, so chooses methods such as questionnaires and structured interviews. An interpretivist wants in-depth, qualitative data that is valid, so chooses methods such as unstructured interviews and participant observation.
3. Any two, each explained: time, because some methods such as observation take years; funding, because large studies are costly and funders may influence the research; access, because some groups are hard to reach or need a gatekeeper's permission; response rate, because few replies make the sample unrepresentative.