Essay about Methods for Acquiring Information

Sample answer:Some sociologists do surveys and use other quantitative methods. Other sociologists use ethnographic methods and interviews; these are qualitative methods. Some people could try to argue that one approach is better than the other,

The method has 5 phases: asking the question, researching existing sources, formulating a hypothesis, designing and conducting the study, and drawing conclusions. There are a few ways sociologist could gather information about the education system. One too could be surveying students and faculty. Sociologists also could use field research or participant observation to observe first hand in classrooms and schools. Ethnography could be used to observe the school system in a county or

Sociologists develop theories to explain and analyze society at different levels and from different perspectives. Sociologists study everything from the micro level of analysis of small social patterns to the “big picture” which is the macro level of analysis of large social patterns.

| -The observer may be biased-There is no control over variables, so it makes it difficult to draw conclusions (Brain, C, 2000).-Requires high level of participation which can cost a lot and take up a lot of time-People might change their behaviour if they know that they are being observed-Researcher might miss something while they are watching and taking notes (University of Surrey, 2014).

The philosophical justification for survey research is cost containment with a large volume of research. It is also one of the most efficient and quick methods to gather large amounts of information. Data analysis can be completed in a short period of time and generalization is better, particularly when the representative sample is of a population. It also helps elimination of bias in result interpretation as subjects have the ability to remain anonymous.

The first type of research that is used in the field of sociology is experiment research. Experiment research involves creating an experiment based off an hypothesis to answer an question. The scientific method is used to keep the experiment on track and follow a set of guidelines. This experiment is done in a controlled setting in which the design of the experiment is to answer the hypothesis. Data is gathered based on what the participants do or act during the experiment. The data gathered is quantitative, in which the data gathered is expressed in numbers. There are both benefits and limitations of

The first method the textbook brings up is surveys. The textbook describes this method as being a way to reach a larger number participants, and is used to see patterns and relationships among

A questionnaire is research which involves a number of different questions to gather information from the people who are filling it in. Questionnaires are designed as a way to find out what people are thinking. An advantage of questionnaires is that it is very practical because it is quick to collect information from the people filling out the questionnaire. Another advantage of questionnaires is that the same questions is asked to everyone filling the questionnaire out so easy to sum up. The final advantage to questionnaires is that large information can be collected. There are also some disadvantages to questionnaires which is that there is no way of telling how much though someone who is filling the questionnaire out has put it. Another disadvantage is that the person filling it out may forget what has happened to fill it out so it won’t be reliable. The final disadvantage to questionnaires is that there is no way to tell how truthful a respondent is being.

At the same , I found a lot of advantages of doing a questionnaire survey.For example, practical and large amounts of information can be collected from a large number of people in a short period of time and in a relatively cost effective way, ant it can be carried out by the researcher or by any number of people with limited effect to its validity and reliability.

The questionnaires will be given out at my placement, church and class, so that the information will collect from a large portion of a group.

Sociology is the study of diverse subjects in a society which includes: religion, race culture, and social classes. It also involves the study of the behavior of people and all the changes that happen in society. In each social setting, there are shared beliefs which also change through time. Sociology informs us of the making of policies which tend to improve the lives of people in a setting. It provides distinct perspectives to generate new ideas and modify the old ones. The sociological research uses different techniques to provide evidence of any aspect of social life. Qualitative data such as ethnography and archival works as well as quantitative data like statistical modeling of

Whereas a structured interview follows a standardised format, in an unstructured interview the interviewer has complete freedom to vary the interview. Supporters argue that this brings a number of important advantages. Such as, rapport and sensitivity, the interviewee's views are clearer, the ability to check understanding, flexibility and the ability for the interviewer to explore unfamiliar topics. However, there are multiple disadvantages to using unstructured interviews in sociological research. Such as, practical problems, which include, time and sample size, training, and interpersonal skills, there are also issues with representativeness, reliability, quantification and validity.

Sociologists use many different designs and methods to study society and social behavior. Most sociological research involves ethnography, or “field work” designed to depict the characteristics of a population as fully as possible.

How does one observe while simultaneously participating? It is an awkward position for the researcher to be in—the very nature of the term “participant observation” is at odds with each other; therefore the author must keep a degree of distance in order to fully observe and record their observations. At the same time, the author must do as the locals do, which is: it is very important for the researcher to connect with members of the population. As the researcher gets to know the members of a group he or she will be studying, it is important that they learn to make friends quickly so they can be accepted in the community and obtain quality research in the form of observation, interviews, and accurately record field notes. Additionally, the researcher will have to take all their personal thoughts, interviews, and observations and organize the data with an eye towards their own biases and subjectivities. These are some of the positive aspects of participation observation, but there are many potential drawbacks as well.

In survey method research, participants answer questions administered through interviews or questionnaires. After participants answer the questions, researchers describe the responses given. In order for the survey to be both reliable and valid it is important that the questions are constructed properly. Questions should be written so they are clear and easy to comprehend.