What are the pros and cons of interviewing as a research method? This essay will focus on interviewing as a research method. It will analyse the strengths and the limitations of using qualitative interviews as a research method. It will begin with a brief description of what interviews are and the different types of interviews and how they can be used as a research method. Secondly it will go onto explaining different approaches to interviews which have specific strengths and limitations.
Sociology examines how our behavior individually and in groups is influenced by social processes and what that means. In fact once you start seeing things with a sociological perspective – things will never be the same. It’s knowing how and why we do what we do that engages us with the world around us and makes us more effective agents for social change. However, sociologist C. Wright Mills describes sociology as “the intersection of biography and history?” A lot of you may wonder what he mean: well from my studying and perspectives; The reason why he say sociology is the interception of biography and history is because, Biography: happens to individuals and History: happens to society. For example, every
If you simply want to take a look into the behaviors of individuals then you will want to use qualitative research methodology. However, if you want to look at the statistics or percentage aspects of a situation then it is important that you use the quantitative research methodology. Mixed method research is actually where the use of quantitative and qualitative research method is both being used together to conduct a research and using both forms of data to come to a conclusion. It is appropriate to use both if a researcher wants to look at an issue in a 360 degree manor meaning they would like to see how many people the issue is actually affecting, as well as why it is affecting them. Scientifically sound research actually supports the function of a human service manager because the results or findings of this research is often backed up and proved successful by science laws, as well as being backed up by facts.
Examine reasons why some sociologists choose to use interviews when conducting their research. Sociologists tend to carry out researches which are relevant to the study being inspected. This helps them to gather the data, correlations and confirms theories needed to fulfil certain questions. A way to find out specific research can be done through certain types of interviews, which are: * Structured Interviews - formal * Unstructured Interviews – informal * Semi-Structured Interviews – in-between formal & informal * Group Interviews An interview can involve the researcher asking subject-based questions to receive the information they need to know. They are scheduled as a part of a social scheme as the questions are being communicated through verbal use with the respondent.
Chem 1 Lab B. Reflect on the important scientific practices of (1) Asking Questions, (2) Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, and (3) Analyzing and Interpreting Data by doing the following: 1. Define each of the three scientific practices. a. Asking Questions: Asking questions is where we discuss what we are looking for in our scientific practices, asking what, when, where, why, how and who.
4. Report the conclusions- The researcher develops explanations for the findings. These explanations involve the extent to which the findings confirm the theories and hypotheses the study was addressing. 5.3 Publish results- publishes results of the study so that it can be replicated. 5.4 Further replication- repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances.
What kind of research method you will use depends on what kind of report you are writing, if you will dig deep into the research or if you will do more of a basic research. Qualitative research is a method that is focuses on the “why” and “how” of the report, while the quantitative method focuses more on the numerical part of things and answers questions such as “How much?”, “ How many?” and How often?”. The main differences are qualitative research were created in the human and psychological sciences and has a lot to do with theories based on hermeneutics, phenomenology, and sociology. It focuses more on words and how people feel about certain situations. These have to do with human interpretation and personal experience you can collect this information through interviews.
Assess the relationship between sociology and social policy (33 marks) Social policy is generally thought of as tackling ‘social problems’, especially the welfare of the population. In order to understand this relationship, sociologists distinguish between social problems and sociological problems. According to Worsley, a social problem is some piece of social behaviour that causes public friction and/or private misery and calls for collective action to solve it. For example, poverty, educational under-achievement, juvenile delinquency and divorce may all be seen as social problems by members of society, and governments may be called upon to produce policies to tackle them. Worsley also said that a sociological problem id and pattern of relationships that calls for explanation.
Throughout her piece, Downie uses many different evidences to support her arguments. Her stylistic devices will be investigated to examine its effectiveness. In the article, Downie uses a satirical tone with the intent to bring about the real issue at hand. She uses her opening
Social facts, positivists argue, can be observed, measured, and quantified, (hence why positivism is also known as Quantitative) producing data/statistics which, when analysed can reveal correlations, patterns of behaviour, causes (cause and effect), and ultimately, laws of human behaviour. By creating data through research methods such as structured interviews, questionnaires, and social surveys using a deductive approach to the relationship between theory and results, the emphasis is placed on the testing of theories. They also believe that it is important to examine society as a whole, using a large scale (macro) methodology, and consider social facts (institutions, beliefs, norms &values of society) to have an external existence to a person, but having an influence on behaviour, and the way a person acts. Therefore, it could be said that human beings essentially are directed by social facts, by norms, values and beliefs, and are part of wider society. Durkheim’s study of suicide being an example of this, he gathered data on suicide (social fact) and members of different religious beliefs (set), by analysis of such data and found a link between Protestantism and a high rate of suicide.