1. Do now – Red box activity!
I’ve marked your books and have given you each individual tasks and questions to complete and respond to.
You must complete these inside the red box in your books using your green pen . These may be spellings, grammar, redrafts, extension questions…
Make sure you read each point carefully and ask if you are unsure.
You have 10 mins only!
TIF: Use your green pen to go back through your book and respond to other comments I have made

2. Now – Target setting
Turn to the progress tracker at the front of your book.
In the first box, write in:
Keywords __
Book work___
Current grade ___
Then write your target based on the next steps I have given you.

3. Evaluating the project
Aims/Hypothesis
Pilot studies
Selecting samples
Collecting data
Analysing data
Evaluating the project

4. Why is it important to use both closed & open questions?
What is the difference between a structured and unstructured interview?
Why is it important to use both closed & open questions?
Why are pilot studies useful?
Why is it sometimes necessary to use secondary research?

5. Exam Practice
Identify and explain one reason why sociologists use a pilot study in questionnaire-based research. (4 marks)
One reason is because a pilot study often shows up mistakes or problems. For example, by piloting a questionnaire, a sociologist can check whether the wording of questions is clear to the respondents. The sociologist can also check that the questionnaire doesn’t take too long to complete. If it takes up too much time or some questions are unclear, the sociologist can change the questionnaire before sending out lots of copies.

6. Qualitative or quantitative?

7. Research continued – Observation
Date: Saturday, 15 April 2017
Research continued – Observation
Starter: Write a list of all the TV shows you can think of where people were being observed (watched) e.g. Big Brother
Lesson Outcomes:
Describe different observation techniques.
Analyse the strengths & limitations of different observation techniques.
Did they know? Was the observer part of the group? Did their behaviour change?

8. Participant Observation
The researcher gets actively involved in the actions of the groups they are researching. e.g. If a person is observing gangs they will take part in the activities of the gang.
Clip to show Louis Theroux participating in gambling.
Task
Define this keyword
Describe situations where this method would be good
Analyse the advantages & disadvantages
TIF - What do you think ‘the observer effect’ may be?

9. Non Participant Observation
When a researcher observes but does not take part in the activity. This is like when you have had someone come in and observe a lesson.

10. Overt Observation
This is where the group you are watching know that you are a researcher.

11. Covert Observation
This is where the people you are researching do not know you are there to observe them.

12. Observations
Researcher takes part in activities in order to study it e.g. joins a gang.
Participant observation
Non-participant observation
Overt observation
Covert observation
Researcher observes from a distance e.g. observing a lesson.
Respondents know they are being observed.
Respondents do not know they are being observed.
n.b observations could also be quantitative if noting statistics

13. Jennni Ward (2008) studied drug use and drug selling within the London rave dance culture during the 1990s. Semi-covert participant observation was used as the main study method. By blending in among her friends, she was able to examine drug use and selling activities as they occurred in their natural settings. In doing so, she generated in-depth, rich data. Jenni Ward suggests that sitting down with a drug seller, pen poised ready to record illegal activities, could have closed down a study before it even began.
I located myself over a five-year period in London nightclubs, dance parties, bars and pubs and people’s houses. I was already a member of the rave dance drugs culture when my study began. I was friends with people whose social and leisure lives were embedded within the ‘clubbing’ scene. These people became a focus of my study. Rather than people being systematically recruited to my study, they were drawn in, as part of the friendship circle to which I belonged.
I used a semi-covert style of observation, as while many of the people I was socialising with knew I was undertaking a study of drug selling, over time they often forgot that I was a researcher. They simply viewed me as a member of the friendship group to which we belonged. The problem with this was that many observations were made in situations where people were not fully aware that their actions were the focus of my research. In my desire not to upset naturally occurring activities, I generally did not announce my research.
What does Jenni Ward mean by ‘semi-cover participant observation’?
What were the advantages of her method?
What were the risks
Why could this be seen as unethical?

14. a) Are not harmed. b) consent. c) covert. d) daily life e) full member
a) Are not harmed b) consent c) covert d) daily life e) full member f) illegal activities g) observer effect h) overt i) too many questions j) unethical
With participant observation (PO), the researcher studies a group by becoming a (1)___ of the group and participating in its (2)___. In an (3)___PO study, the group’s members are aware that the participant observer is doing research on them. However, this may lead to the (4)___-whereby group members change their behaviour because they know they are being studied. In a (5)___PO study, the researcher does not tell the group that they are carrying out research. This avoids the observer effect but means that the researcher may avoid asking (6)____ in case they ‘blow their cover’. Some supporters of covert PO argue that it may be the only way to study (7)___ and that it is acceptable so long as participants (8)___as a result of taking part in the research. Others argue that covert PO is justified because it removes the observer effect. However, critics argue that covert PO is (9)___or morally unacceptable. This is because participants are not informed that they are being studied so they do not get the chance to give, withhold or withdraw their (10)___

15. Each method of observation has its advantages and disadvantages…
Research method
Advantage
Disadvantage
Participant observation
Non-participant observation
Overt observation
Covert observation
Observer can be a part of the process so can really see & experience what is going on
Can be dangerous for observer
Observer remains safe
Observer cannot get a feel for what is happening
Ethical
“observer effect” means respondents may act differently
Unethical
Respondents act as they normally would

16. Qualitative research – i.e. observing or interviewing
Advantages
Disadvantages
Can provide full picture of answers and reasons behind them (ethnographic)
Can be used to inform answers to social issues
Not easy to compare
May be time consuming to analyse
Observer may be biased when interpreting
Think of an example of research that would be suited to qualitative research.

17. Research continued – Sampling
Date: Saturday, 15 April 2017
Research continued – Sampling
Lesson Outcomes:
Describe different sampling techniques.
Identify sampling strengths & limitations.
Apply representativeness and reliability to studies using different sampling techniques.

18. INPUT 1
What is sampling?
Jane wants to find out about how the attitudes of students affect their GCSE grades.
Constructing a sample comes early on in the process of sociological research. It involves selecting the people you will carry out the research with/on. Research population: the group of people or institutions (family, schools etc) at the heart of the research. Why can’t we sample the whole population? Sample frame: a list of the members of the population (e.g.: school register or postcode list)
John needs to research the roles of single fathers in the home.
Wendy is researching the genders of fraud criminals.
Bob wants to find out why a growing proportion of violent criminals are female.
Alan is researching the role of the family in gender socialisation of girls under the age of 5 in Hertfordshire.
LO: Understanding different types of samples and their strengths and weaknesses.

19. Ways to sample (sampling methods)
ACTIVITY 1
Snowball Sampling:
Quota Sampling:
Systematic Sampling:
Random Sampling:
Stratified Random Sampling:
Each member of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample. Researchers use a computer to generate random numbers (e.g. Lollypop sticks)
This involves using every nth number from a sample frame. E.g.: every fifth person in a sample of 100 people (person 5, 15, 25 etc)
Used for difficult groups without a sample frame, the researcher contacts one member of the population and gains their trust, they then connect the researcher to others. (e. g.: gangs or homeless people)
Sample population is divided up in proportion to the wider population and researchers find the quota (number) to research from. E.g.: street researchers need to make up their sample of teenagers or middle aged women
Researchers divide population into strata (layers) and select random samples of each strata in relation to the proportion of people in society. E.g.: Westfield: 62% white background, 25% Indian/Pakistani - a sample of 10 people would include 6 people of any white background and 3 people of Indian/Pakistani background.
LO: Understanding different types of samples and their strengths and weaknesses.

20. Strengths & Limitations
INPUT 2
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths and weaknesses in sample methods can be identified using the language of sociology:
Validity
Representative
Reliable
LO: Understanding different types of samples and their strengths and weaknesses.

21. REVIEW 2
Type of sample
Description
Strength
Limitation
Systematic Sampling
Random Sampling
Stratified random sampling
Systematic sampling
Snowball Sampling
LO: Understanding different types of samples and their strengths and weaknesses.

22. Sampling – who are you going to ask?
Random
Stratified
Systematic
Quota
Snowball
Opportunistic
Set quota controls e.g. age, sex, ethnicity etc. For example “I will only question teenage girls.”
Use a sampling frame (list) and choose respondents using a pattern e.g. “I will question every 10th person on this list.”
Ask a small group of people and then get them to pass it on to another set of people e.g “I will ask 10 single mums and then get them to ask another 10 single mums.”
Use a sampling frame (list) and choose respondents randomly so that everyone has an equal chance of being chosen e.g. “I will choose a random 10 people from this list.”
Select the group based on the makeup of a certain strata e.g. “There are 60% girls and 40% boys in this school. Therefore, 60% of those I sample will be girls and 40% boys.”
Questioning anyone available

23. Sampling – who are you going to ask?
Random
Stratified
Systematic
Quota
Snowball
Opportunistic
Set quota controls e.g. age, sex, ethnicity etc. For example “I will only question teenage girls.”
Use a sampling frame (list) and choose respondents using a pattern e.g. “I will question every 10th person on this list.”
Ask a small group of people and then get them to pass it on to another set of people e.g “I will ask 10 single mums and then get them to ask another 10 single mums.”
Use a sampling frame (list) and choose respondents randomly so that everyone has an equal chance of being chosen e.g. “I will choose a random 10 people from this list.”
Select the group based on the makeup of a certain strata e.g. “There are 60% girls and 40% boys in this school. Therefore, 60% of those I sample will be girls and 40% boys.”
Questioning anyone available

24. Ethical issues
Anonymity = can you ensure that no-one finds out who your respondents are?
Confidentiality = can you ensure that private answers are kept private?
Informed consent = do your respondents understand what they are consenting to?

25. Exam Questions – There will always be a set of questions asking you to plan a research project
(e) As a sociologist, you have been asked to investigate attitudes towards citizenship education among students in a large comprehensive school.
(i) Identify and explain one possible ethical issue that you might need to address while you are carrying out your research (4 marks)
(ii) Identify one secondary source of information that you would use in your study and explain why you would use this source (4 marks)
(iii) Identify one primary method of research that you would use in your study and explain why this method would be better than another primary method for collecting the data that you need (6 marks)