1. Before we start: A quick check…
Are you wearing your lanyards?

2. SMART Targets from Unit 1 test
Targets have now been entered on to pro portal
Please go and have a look
To be reviewed by 27th Nov - so please use the time to revise key areas

3. STRUCTURE OF THE GCSE COURSE
Unit 2
Unit 1
Understanding Social Processes
Compulsory Core (we’ve done this bit!)
Research Methods
Option – Family (50%)
Understanding Social Structures
Compulsory Core
Research Methods (recap)
Option - Crime & Deviance (50%)

4. We will cover all of this content over the next few weeks
The plan!
You need to know:
What is social research?
What are samples?
What are questionnaires?
What are the different types of interviews?
What are the different types of observation?
How do sociologists choose a method?
How do sociologists evaluate research?
We will cover all of this content over the next few weeks

5. Compulsory core: Research Methods
GCSE Sociology: Unit 1
Compulsory core: Research Methods
Lesson 1/6 – What is social research?
Aim of this lesson:
To understand the main ideas of social research and its purpose. We will look at the types of data used and the steps of research.
Lesson objectives are:
All students will be able to:
To recognise the strengths and weaknesses of primary & secondary data and to give an example
To recognise the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative data and give an example
Access all resources and homework at

10. Things are not always what they seem…

11. The Aim of Sociological Research
To move from subjective to more objective knowledge of something:
Subjective
knowledge
Objective
knowledge
An individual’s everyday understanding that comes from their values, experiences and beliefs.
Knowledge that is independent of opinion, prejudice and bias. 11

12. Why do sociologists do social research?
To have a better understanding of how society works
To use their findings to influence how society is organised
To make people think differently about issues
To influence government when they are deciding on new policies
Although…influencing government is not always easy! It can take time for ideas to be accepted.

13. What are Research Methods?
Group discussion
How do Sociologists gather information for their research?
List all the ways you can think of.
- Use the images to help you.

14. How do Sociologists gather information for their research?
Observation (watching people)
Interviewing people (asking questions)
Reading newspapers, books, journals, diaries, historical documents
Surveys – questionnaires
Gathering statistics
How do Sociologists gather information for their research?

15. What different sorts of data do sociologists use?
Key Word
Data – is the information that sociologists use in their research reports.

16. What different sorts of data do sociologists use?
Primary Data
Secondary Data
Facts:
Information gathered directly by the sociologists.
They speak to the participant directly (face to face).
The findings from their research are based on interactions, answers and opinions from participants.
The sociologists knows exactly where the information has come from, knows how true the data is and knows who has been asked questions.
Methods:
Interviews
Questionnaires
Observations
Experiments
The information already exists, so it has been collected by somebody else.
It provides a popular source of information for sociologists.
Is often used in research studies.
A good way for a sociologist to build an understanding of the bigger picture.
Allows sociologists to examine the past.
Official Statistics – census (key word)
Non-Official Statistics
Data from Social Surveys
Use of Personal Documents/Diaries
Newspaper reports

17. 1) Can you identify any advantages of using primary data?
S&C – can you also identify any disadvantages of both types of data
1) Can you identify any advantages of using primary data?
2) Can you identify any advantages of using secondary data?
Advantage –
Researcher knows where the information has come from.
They know who has been asked questions.
May be more trustworthy
Advantage –
Saves the researcher time
Allows the researcher a chance to see the big picture
Disadvantage – it can be expensive and time consuming (finding participants etc.)
Disadvantage –
Difficult to verify where the data came from.
May be inaccurate.

18. Different Types of Data
Data is information collected by research. Data is used by sociologists in their reports and publications.
Quantitative Data
Qualitative Data
Is numerical (numbers) and can be placed into categories and ranked. (Census is an example)
This type of data can be presented as graphs and percentages
Qualitative research is in words and has lots of detail. Normally in a written form (words/sentences).
This type of data can be used to construct written reports and make theories about society.
For example…
Surveys of Families from ‘Easton’ show that 78% do not feel they have enough income to meet their needs and desires. It was found that most families in the town earn less that £20,000 per year.
For example…
Interviews with families in ‘Easton’ showed that they find other ways to make them feel happy, even though financial worries exist. Many of the parents drink over the recommended limit a week.

19. 1) Can you identify any advantages of using quantitative data?
S&C – can you identify the disadvantages of both types of data
1) Can you identify any advantages of using quantitative data?
2) Can you identify any advantages of using qualitative data?
Advantages –
May be more reliable (reliability)
More objective
Can see comparisons, trends
Advantages –
More depth and detail (validity)
Gives a true picture of issue/topic
Disadvantages –
Time consuming,
Can be influenced by interviewer bias,
Results are dependent on the skills of the researcher
Disadvantages –
Less detailed than qualitative – may miss vital information
Research can be expensive to conduct

20. Validity vs Reliability

21. Reliability (gathered via quantitative methods) means the research could be repeated – e.g. surveys and structured interviews
Validity (gathered via qualitative methods) means whether the research actually gets close to the truth of what is happening– e.g. participant observation and unstructured interviews

22. What is a participant?
Simply, a participant is a person who is taking part in your research. For different types of research you will have different kinds of participants.
Female school students used as participants to research the impact peer pressure has on the age girls begin to wear make-up.
Criminal gang used as participants to investigate the role of illegal drugs in gang violence.
Working mother used in interview research to investigate the difficulties of balancing work life and home life as a breadwinner.

23. Before starting any research, a sociologist must decide what their research aim is and where they will gain a sample of people from (next lesson)
They may need to gain access to the people they wish to study and seek permission.
Once they have a research aim and a sample, sociologists may need to carry out a pilot study.
Research Aim

24. What is a Pilot Study?
When you carry out research it is hard to know whether it will work out. Research is also often expensive. 1
A pilot study is a trial run to iron out any problems before starting the real thing. 2
For example, if a sociologists was using a questionnaire, they may send the questionnaire to ten of their colleagues to check that the questions make sense, before sending them to their 200 participants. 3

25. Look at the research scenarios below:
Group Task: Scenarios
Look at the research scenarios below:
Identify the participants, the type of research and the type of data used.
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
Dr Popper is trying to find out about the behaviour of teenagers at the cinema. He predicts that girls are less likely to go to the cinema than boys. He carries out a survey stood outside the Odeon in Trowbridge and gives the survey to teenagers he sees walking into the cinema. The questions involve ranking answers from 1 to 10 on how much they agree with statements. The teenagers give the questionnaires back to him. He then analyses results and produces statistics.
Dr King is trying to find out how divorce has changed over time. He uses the government website to find statistics from each year of the number of divorces filed. He is particularly interested in the number of women who filed for divorce. He predicts that the number of women who filed will divorce will peak at the same time that the feminist movement peaked. He will use the information to plot a graph and see if there is a relationship between the two.
S&C: Write your own scenario (like those above). Make sure you include information on the kind of participants which are used, the data and type of research.

26. Quantitative or Qualitative?
Plenary: This or That
Primary or Secondary?
Aiming to find out what life was like in 1066 by looking at the Bayeux Tapestry (famous tapestry which maps out the story of the Battle of Hastings).
Quantitative or Qualitative?

27. Quantitative or Qualitative?
Plenary: This or That
Primary or Secondary?
Primary school teacher aimed to find out the favourite fruit of their students by asking them to fill out the survey question.
Quantitative or Qualitative?

28. Key terms for this lesson
Data
Primary data
Secondary data
Qualitative data
Quantitative data
Census
Pilot study
Key terms for this lesson

29. Check your understanding
Have I achieved the learning objectives?
All students will be able to:
To recognise the strengths and weaknesses of primary & secondary data and to give an example
To recognise the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative data and give an example
Complete worksheet - feedback
Check your understanding

30. Homework task
Use the internet to look at crime rates for men and women. 1
Examine official statistics for crime on your area. 2
Try looking at 3

31. Next lesson: What are samples?

32. Plenary: Complete this table using the statements below.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of secondary sources?
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Personal documents may provide in-depth data
Unsure of the quality
Ease of Access
Researchers may interpret information differently
Writers may present a biased view
Low Cost
May not be true (validity)
Fill in gaps that primary research leaves