What is the key difference between quantitative and qualitative methods in terms of the type of data they collect?

Quantitative methods collect numerical data that can be statistically analysed, while qualitative methods collect non-numerical data that explores meanings, experiences and interpretations.

What does sampling strategy involve in research design?

Sampling strategy involves decisions about how to select participants from a population, including choices about sample size, sampling technique (random, stratified, snowball etc.) and how representative the sample needs to be.

What does operationalisation of concepts mean in sociological research?

Operationalisation involves turning abstract concepts into measurable indicators that can be observed and recorded in research.

What factors influence method selection in research design?

Method selection involves choosing appropriate research methods based on the research question, theoretical perspective, practical constraints, and the type of data needed.

Why must researchers consider validity and reliability when designing research?

Validity ensures the research measures what it claims to measure, while reliability ensures the research can be replicated with consistent results. Both are essential for producing trustworthy findings.

What do data collection procedures involve in research design?

Data collection procedures involve planning how data will be gathered, including the sequence of activities, recording methods, timing, and practical arrangements for conducting the research.

AQA A-Level Sociology 7192

Education

Topic overview The role and functions of education Class differences in educational achievement Labelling, subcultures and processes within schools Gender and educational achievement Ethnicity and educational achievement Selection and marketisation Privatisation and vocational education Educational policy, equality and globalisation

Methods in Context

Topic overview Access, gatekeepers and research ethics in schools Choosing methods for research in schools Data, theory and validity in educational research

Theory and Methods

Topic overview Research design and choosing a method Sources of data and types of data Positivism, interpretivism and research ethics Consensus, conflict, structural and social action theories Modernity and post-modernity Is sociology a science?Objectivity, value freedom and social policy

Culture and IdentityOptional topic

Topic overview Conceptions of culture Socialisation and the agencies of socialisation The self, identity and difference Identity, age, disability, ethnicity, gender and class Identity, production, consumption and globalisation

Families and HouseholdsOptional topic

Topic overview Functionalist views of the family Marxist and feminist views of the family The New Right, postmodernism and family policy Marriage, cohabitation and divorce Family diversity and the personal life perspective Conjugal roles and domestic labour Power relationships and domestic violence The social construction of childhood Birth rates and death rates Family size and the ageing population Migration and globalisation

HealthOptional topic

Topic overview The social construction of health and models of illness Class and gender inequalities in health Ethnic and regional inequality, and access to health care Mental illness and the power of the medical profession The sick role and the globalised health industry

Work, Poverty and WelfareOptional topic

Topic overview Poverty: definitions, explanations and distribution The welfare state and welfare provision The division of labour and the control of work Work, worklessness and life chances Globalisation and the global division of labour

Beliefs in SocietyOptional topic

Topic overview Ideology and science as belief systems Functionalist views of religion Marxist and feminist views of religion Religion as a force for social change Churches, sects, denominations and cults New religious movements and New Age movements Religion, gender, ethnicity, age and social class Secularisation Believing without belonging and postmodern religion Globalisation, fundamentalism and religion worldwide

Global DevelopmentOptional topic

Topic overview Theories of development and underdevelopment Globalisation, transnational corporations and aid agencies Aid, trade, industrialisation and urbanisation Environment, conflict and human development Population, gender and postcolonial critiques

The MediaOptional topic

Topic overview The new media and its significance Ownership, control and media globalisation The selection and presentation of the news Media representations of social groups Media effects and models of the audience Reception analysis and selective filtering

Stratification and DifferentiationOptional topic

Topic overview Theories of stratification Life chances and dimensions of inequality Defining and measuring social class Changing structures of inequality and globalisation Social mobility

Crime and Deviance

Theory and Methods

7 subtopics
20 things to know
Papers 1 and 3

What Theory and Methods covers

Theory and Methods is examined on both Paper 1 and Paper 3. It covers research design and the full range of methods, the positivist and interpretivist positions behind them, the main theoretical traditions, and the debates about science, values and social policy.

Where it is assessed

Papers 1 and 3

Theory and Methods, examined on both written papers that carry it.

Study

What is the difference between subjectivity and objectivity in research?

Evaluation

How can sociology contribute to evaluating existing policies?

Study

What factors influence the relationship between sociology and social policy?

Take Theory and Methods further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

Quantitative data vs Qualitative data
Quantitative data: numerical information suitable for statistical analysis. Qualitative data: non-numerical information exploring meanings and experiences.
Validity vs Reliability
Validity: the extent to which research captures what it claims to measure. Reliability: extent to which a procedure produces consistent results when repeated.
Primary data vs Secondary data
Primary data: information collected first-hand for the current investigation. Secondary data: information already collected by another person or organisation.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is the key difference between quantitative and qualitative methods in terms of the type of data they collect?
Model answer
Quantitative methods collect numerical data that can be statistically analysed, while qualitative methods collect non-numerical data that explores meanings, experiences and interpretations.
2
What does sampling strategy involve in research design?
Model answer
Sampling strategy involves decisions about how to select participants from a population, including choices about sample size, sampling technique (random, stratified, snowball etc.) and how representative the sample needs to be.
3
What does operationalisation of concepts mean in sociological research?
Model answer
Operationalisation involves turning abstract concepts into measurable indicators that can be observed and recorded in research.
4
What factors influence method selection in research design?
Model answer
Method selection involves choosing appropriate research methods based on the research question, theoretical perspective, practical constraints, and the type of data needed.
5
Why must researchers consider validity and reliability when designing research?
Model answer
Validity ensures the research measures what it claims to measure, while reliability ensures the research can be replicated with consistent results. Both are essential for producing trustworthy findings.
6
What do data collection procedures involve in research design?
Model answer
Data collection procedures involve planning how data will be gathered, including the sequence of activities, recording methods, timing, and practical arrangements for conducting the research.

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Education

Methods in Context

Theory and Methods

Culture and Identity

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AAll change begins with an act of deviance.

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Theory and Methods revision questions

What does Theory and Methods cover in AQA A-Level Sociology?: 7 subtopics: research design and choosing a method, sources of data and types of data, positivism, interpretivism and research ethics, consensus, conflict, structural and social action theories, modernity and post-modernity, is sociology a science? and objectivity, value freedom and social policy. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
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