research methods

Comes right from the source have gathered the data first hand. The sociologists has collected it them self.

Data gathered from someone other than the sociologists.

Social surveys, participant observation and experiments

Documents and official statistics

These involve asking people questions in a written questionnaire or an interview

The sociologist joins in with the activities of the group they are studying

Sociologist use laboratory mainly some times filed or comparative method

Researchers will find information by looking at letters, emails, diaries, photographs, official reports, novels newspapers, the Internet and television broadcasts

Produced by the government on a range of issues as well as statistics produced by charities businesses, churches and other organisations

know data is valid, data is reliable also know the process of how data was collected.

they is a cost barriers need funding for information, it is time consuming and do not have data to compare.

do not need funding to get the information, quick and easy to access also trends can be identified.

may not be specific or valid for the topic you are looking at, could be old and out dated also could be untrustworthy

They are more scientific sociologists, see your behaviour as a result of wider forces. Research should uncover behaviour causes. favour quantitative data.

are more artsy, emotional sociologists. How are you? Don’t understanding peoples behaviour from a small-scale perspective, focusing on meaning. Favour, qualitative data.

Based on interpretation

Factually, true, and not open to interpretation

Research can be repeated and obtain the same or similar results

representative is how the group can be generalised to fit the wider population