Research Methods | AQA GCSE Sociology (8192)
Research Methods
- 106 questions
- 6 subtopics
- Paper 1
- Paper 1 and Paper 2
Research Methods is examined in Both papers, as social theory and methodology.
It covers research design, hypotheses and data analysis, sampling methods, questionnaires and interviews, observation and mixed methods, types of data and official statistics and reliability, validity, ethics and practical issues.
Sample questions from Research Methods
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Research design, hypotheses and data analysis
What is data analysis?
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Data analysis is the process of organising and examining collected data to find patterns and draw conclusions. Analysis shows whether the evidence supports the hypothesis. -
Research design, hypotheses and data analysis
A bar chart shows that 30% of girls and 22% of boys in one school gained grade 7 or above in English. What does the chart show, and what can it not tell us?
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The chart shows girls outperforming boys by 8 percentage points in that school. The chart cannot explain why the gap exists or show whether other schools have the same pattern. -
Sampling methods
What is a systematic sample?
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A systematic sample selects every nth name from a sampling frame, such as every tenth pupil on a register. The starting point is usually chosen at random. -
Sampling methods
What is a snowball sample?
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A snowball sample starts with one or two participants who introduce the researcher to others like them. The sample grows through personal contacts. -
Questionnaires and interviews
What is an attitude survey? Give a UK example.
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An attitude survey measures people's opinions and values on social issues. The British Social Attitudes survey has asked adults in Britain their views on issues such as marriage since 1983. -
Questionnaires and interviews
What is a semi-structured interview?
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A semi-structured interview uses set questions but lets the interviewer probe with follow-up questions. The format balances comparability with some depth. -
Observation and mixed methods
What is ethnography?
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Ethnography is the in-depth study of a group's way of life, usually by spending a long period among them. Ball's study of a comprehensive school, based on three years of fieldwork, is an example. -
Observation and mixed methods
Why might a researcher choose covert rather than overt observation of a street gang?
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A gang would probably refuse access or change its behaviour if it knew it was being studied. Covert observation avoids the observer effect and gives more valid data.
The 6 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Research design, hypotheses and data analysis | Research aims and hypotheses, pilot studies, analysing qualitative and quantitative data, worked percentage and mean calculations, case studies and longitudinal studies. | 26 |
| Sampling methods | Research populations and sampling frames, random, systematic, stratified, quota and snowball samples, representativeness and generalisability. | 16 |
| Questionnaires and interviews | Questionnaires and social surveys, open and closed questions, attitude surveys and response rates, structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews, focus groups and interviewer bias. | 16 |
| Observation and mixed methods | Participant, non-participant, covert and overt observation, ethnography, going native and the observer effect, and triangulation and mixed methods. | 16 |
| Types of data and official statistics | Primary and secondary, quantitative and qualitative data, positivism and interpretivism, official and non-official statistics, the census, documents and content analysis. | 16 |
| Reliability, validity, ethics and practical issues | Reliability, validity and bias, informed consent, confidentiality, harm and data protection, and the time, cost and access issues that shape a choice of method. | 16 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA GCSE Sociology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 578 questions with their answers.