tagtag.com/sociologydegree
Interviews & Surveys
Epistemology + Ontology + Method =
Methodology
"An Epistemology is a theory of knowledge, it presents a view and justification for what can be regarded as knowledge - what can be known, and what criteria knowledge must satisfy in order to be called knowledge rather than beliefs." (Blaikie, 1993)
Methodology continued...
"Ontology refers to the claims or assumptions? about the nature of social reality - claims about what exists, what it looks like, what units make it up and how these units interact with each other" (Blaikie,
1993)
"Methods of research are the actual techniques or procedures used to gather and analyze the data related to some research questions or hypothesis" (Blaikie, 1993)
Philosophy and Craft
Researchers must have clear answers to some very basic questions.
1. How do I know that my research provides answers which are valid?
2. What is the nature of the social reality I have chosen to investigate?
3. Why have I selected a particular technique as the best tool for the job?
The Surveyors
Or quantitative researchers, variable analysts and social statisticians - number crunchers.
What holds the various members of this group together is the epistemological principle that explanation consists of uncovering the statistical, regularities, tendencies, patterns,
orderly outcomes.
Asking Questions : Survey Research
Subjects respond to a series of items in a questionnaire or an interview.
To discover attitudes that can not be directly observed, political or religious beliefs.
Survey continued...
Shed light on a cause and effect relationship.
Most commonly used to produce descriptive findings.
To paint a picture of the subjects views on a particular issue.
The term Population refers to the people who are the focus of research.
Random sampling - requires a sampling frame. Or a part of the population that reflects the whole.
National political surveys use a sample of 1500 people to see the political mood of the entire population
Survey cont....
Random sampling - requires a sampling frame. Or a part of the population that reflects the whole.
National political surveys use a sample of 1500 people to see the political mood of the entire population.
Computer programs generate random samples of the population.
Postal questionnaires - such as the national census, taken in Singapore every 5 years.
Subjects have to answer questions which are exactly the same. Resulting in quantitative data.
Stages involved in the construction of a questionnaire are of vital significance.
It must be easy to understand.
Closed-ended requires a yes or no answer.
Open-ended requires a response from he subject. Usually applied for in-depth interviews.
A combination of the two is called a semi-
structured interview.
Sampling
Trying to be Representative and randomly selected.
Sampling
Trying to be Representative and randomly selected.
Random - computer generated.
Stratified - ensure that your sample of the population represents a broad spectrum of groups etc?
Quota - Fix a number from each ethnic category for example,
then ask as many people as necessary until you have reached your desired number.
Purposive - select a particular group or area that contains the type you need.
Interviews & Surveys continued...
Home Site Map my.TagTag
Terms of Use
TagTag.com