1) Choosing a research topic and method requires considering practical, ethical, and theoretical factors like the type of data needed, funding constraints, and one's methodological perspective. 2) Researchers must understand different data types like quantitative and qualitative, and whether to use primary or secondary sources. They also need to weigh practical issues of time, money, and skills as well as ethical issues of consent and harm. 3) A sociologist's choice of topic depends on their theoretical perspective and the social values and funding priorities of the time, which can influence what topics get studied. Practical factors like access may also impact topic selection.

1. thod:
Choosing a Research Me ethods.
y differen t research m
studying man of all the
topic you will be u will need to be aware
this methods any detail yo od/s. This
W ithin
e r a n y of t h ese in hoice of re search meth s, ethical
Befor e you consid ence the r esearchers c of data, pr actical issue
at might influ ferent types ic itself.
fact or s t h of dif e choice of research top
erstanding
having an und regarding th
includes & the issues
etical issues
issues, theor
hould:
f th is topic you s
By the end o
h methods
data are & what researc
he main types of
> Know what t
se
sociologists u luencing
al factors inf
al. Theoretic
stand the pr actical, ethic to assess the
ir relative
> Under and be able
thod & topic,
choice of me
importance.
rpretivist
e between Po sitivist & Inte
the differenc
> Understand
research.
approaches to

2. Types of Data: unt when conducting
research
s will take into acco
in gs that researcher their studies.
One of the first th want to obtain from
that they
is the type of data
ich is usua lly obtained
Quantita tive Data: This is NUMERICAL information wh le (Quantity).
a MACRO Sca
. on
in large quantities i.e
QUANTIFY.
IABLE. It is easy to
OBJECTIVE & REL
This is standardised data is
lly obtained in
Qualitative Data: form ation which is usua
This is TEXTUAL in (Quality).
. on a MICRO Scale
smaller quantities i.e
It is difficult to
ta that is SUBJ ECTIVE & VALID.
This is detailed, in-depth da ATIONS.
quantify and re lies on INTERPRET
pics you
Give examples of to
ld be
could study that wou
better suited to
a
a)Quantitative Dat
&
b) Qualitative Data.

3. use/ need to use
take into account wh ether or not they wish to
Researchers also need to
urces…
Primary or Secondary So
themselves
formation colle cted by sociologists
Pr imary Sources: This is in r research i.e. it is NEW data.
during thei r particular
er specific informatio n that they need for thei
This al lows researchers to gath
& time consuming.
rese arch. This can be costly researchers
n that has been collected by other it is
Secon dary Sources: This is informatio t can then draw on for their research i.e.
which the sociologis
DY EXISTS.
data THAT ALREA
r research. It
ary Sources and/or inspire new ideas for othe
n be used to support Prim & difficult to find
This ca
to obtain. It can howe ver be ‘outdated’ quickly
is us ually quick, easy & cheap
ists current research.
data to suit the sociolog
econdary
Primary Sources of Data as well as S
> Give Examples of
Sources of Data.
He/She could choose:
er is faced differen t combinations of data:
Here then, the research
ive Data
> Primary Quantitat
itative Data .
> Secondary Quant See table on next slide….
e Data
> Primary Qualitativ
ative Data
> Secondary Qualit

4. a Qualitative Data
Quantitative Dat
ld
periments Natural/ Fie
Artificial Ex Experiments
d
Comparative Metho Small Scale Surveys (C
ase
Large Scale Surveys Studies)
Primary
Data n-Ended Qs)
Questionnaires (Close
d Questionnaires (Ope
Collection: s)
Ended/ Pre-Coded Q Unstructured
(Formal) (Informal) Interviews
Structured
Interviews t
t Participan
icipan ions
No n-Part ions Observat
vat
Obser
Diaries
Official
Secondary Newspaper A
rticles
Statistics
Data
Collection: phies
Auto/ Biogra
Life Histories
ies
Documentar
(TV/ Radio)

5. tal factors that
g types of data, there are other vi
Moving away from choosin ing on any research….
researchers must cons ider too before embark
Practical Issues: P.E.T
Ethical Issues:
s:
Theoretical Issue
these
Can you think what any of
might refer to/ include?

6. Practical Issues: e up various amounts of
resources e.g. the
Different methods us rveys & input
Time & emplo y people to carry out su
researcher might need to cheap but take up
Money: Part icipant Observations are
data which is expensive.
lots of time.
quire different types
s, Universities etc may re
Funding Governments, Businesse ed choices e.g.
of data & therefore the researcher has limit Social policy.
Bodies: ct St atistical Data to inform
Governments like to colle
erefore may be limited
Each rese archer is different & th to blend into
Personal Skills & in their choices of methods e.g. if hey need
ce / Memory etc.
Characteristics: a group, / have good obs. Skills / patien
on just plain facts and
in ions, feelings, thoughts
If the topic requires op ether or not the
oice of method. Also wh
Subject figures will impact on ch considering.
Matter: subject is sensitive or difficult to study needs
occur unexpectedly
Research In some cases rese arch opportunities may
e & planning.
Opportunity: & therefore effe cts the researchers tim

7. Ethical Issues: …What are Ethics?...
The researcher
le to re fuse being researched.
Participants should be ab formed consent
open & honest abou t the research so that in
Consent: should be to opt out of the
icipant. They should be able
can be given by the part
.
research if they so wish
tial to prevent
l participant identitie s should be kept confiden
Confi dentiality Al Participants have the ri
ght to refuse
any negative effects.
& Pr ivacy:
information.
come to the
No psychologica l or physical harm should
not be placed in any
Danger & Harm: participants. Also, participants should
ns.
illegal or immoral situatio
rticipants that
ould be give to any group/ pa
Extra care & attention sh sability, ethnicity,
Vulnerable in terms if age, gender, di
Groups: are deemed as vulnerable
h.
physical or mental healt
s their identity
er goes ‘Under Cover’ & keep
This is when the research obviously creates
Covert from the participants. This
as a researcher hidden consent etc.
Research:
many ethical problems as deceit, lying, lack of

8. s:
Theoretical Issue y as working e.g. can beha
viour be predicted?
searcher sees societ
These reflect how the re l structure of society?
Are individuals mor e important than overal
ated by another
Reliability: (Replicability) A reliable metho d is one that, when repe
will be obtained.
rese archer, the same results
ds like Experiments.
This applie s to Quantitative Metho
true, full picture
Validity: (Truthfulness) A valid metho d is one that produces a
erent results could
It is not Repeatable as diff
of what is being studied.
od is implemented.
occur everytime the meth
Observations.
e Methods like Participant
This applies to Qualitativ
s:
Representativenes s-section of the group
icipants are a good cros
Whether or not the part ipant ‘Sample’ is a good
the researcher is inte rested in. If the partic
from them can be
cross-section then the information obtained
bigger
‘Gen eralised’ to the bigger gr
oup. Generally speaking, the
the sample, the more
es.
Representative it becom
Methodological
Perspective: licting views on
of so ciologists who have conf
There are 2 main groups SITIVISTS &
how society work s. These are known as PO
separate PowerPoint)
IN TERPRETIVISTS (See

9. Choice of Topic:
tical perspective
topic depend s largely on what theore
A sociologists choice of nists might study the
Theoretic al they are affiliated with/ interested in e.g. Femi
een males & females.
Perspective: Domestic Division of Labour or Wage differences betw
which topics get
economic climate of society might influence
Societies The social, political & pic of research.
ing has/ is recently a hot to
Values: studied e.g. Global Warm
g comes from
pensive it ne eds funding. This fundin
As research is often ex c. As such these
vernme nt Bodies, Businesses et
Funding Universities, Charities, Go studied and which
to dictate which topics should
Bodies: organisations often get worth their funding.
‘aren’t worth’ st udying & therefore not
impact on the
Practical Time, Geography, Transport, Accessibility may all
factors: choice of topic.

10. Choice of Topic:
tical perspective
topic depend s largely on what theore
A sociologists choice of nists might study the
Theoretic al they are affiliated with/ interested in e.g. Femi
een males & females.
Perspective: Domestic Division of Labour or Wage differences betw
which topics get
economic climate of society might influence
Societies The social, political & pic of research.
ing has/ is recently a hot to
Values: studied e.g. Global Warm
g comes from
pensive it ne eds funding. This fundin
As research is often ex c. As such these
vernme nt Bodies, Businesses et
Funding Universities, Charities, Go studied and which
to dictate which topics should
Bodies: organisations often get worth their funding.
‘aren’t worth’ st udying & therefore not
impact on the
Practical Time, Geography, Transport, Accessibility may all
factors: choice of topic.