Why is a questionnaire suited to large-scale research such as the census?

A questionnaire can reach millions of people quickly and cheaply, with no interviewer needed. Identical questions make the answers easy to count and compare.

Give two weaknesses of postal or online questionnaires.

Postal and online questionnaires often get low response rates, so the replies may not be representative. Fixed answers may not fit what respondents really think, lowering validity.

What is a structured interview, and which large UK survey uses them?

A structured interview asks every interviewee the same questions in the same order, like a spoken questionnaire. The Crime Survey for England and Wales uses structured interviews with a large sample of households.

Eduqas GCSE Sociology C200QS

Socialisation, Culture and Identity

Topic overview Key sociological concepts Nature, nurture and feral children Agents of socialisation and social control

Families

Topic overview Family diversity and global family forms Social change and family structures Conjugal roles and family relationships Theories of the role of the family Criticisms of the family

Education

Topic overview Theories of the role of education Processes inside schools Patterns of educational achievement Class, ethnicity and achievement Gender and achievement

Sociological Research Methods

Topic overview Types of data and their usefulness Questionnaires, interviews and observation Sampling techniques Practical issues in research Ethical issues in research

Social Differentiation and Stratification

Topic overview Theories of stratification Power and authority Evidence of inequality in the UK Factors affecting life chances Poverty and deprivation

Crime and Deviance

Topic overview Social construction of crime and deviance Social control, police and courts Patterns of crime by class, gender, ethnicity and age Theories of crime and deviance Sources of data on crime

Applied Methods of Sociological Enquiry

Topic overview Designing a sociological research project Interpreting graphs, charts and tables

Sociological Research Methods

Questionnaires, interviews and observation

3 things to know
Component 1

Overview

Reliability and validity, open and closed questions, structured and unstructured interviews, interviewer bias, Ann Oakley on interviewing, participant and covert observation, and James Patrick's Glasgow gang.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What does validity mean in sociological research?

Key term

What does reliability mean in sociological research?

Key term

What is the difference between closed and open questions?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What does validity mean in sociological research?
Model answer
Validity means the data gives a true picture of what is being studied. Valid research captures what people really think, feel or do.
2
What does reliability mean in sociological research?
Model answer
Reliability means another researcher using the same method would get the same results. Standardised methods, such as closed-question questionnaires, tend to be highly reliable.
3
What is the difference between closed and open questions?
Model answer
Closed questions offer fixed answers to choose from and produce quantitative data. Open questions let respondents answer in their own words and produce qualitative data.
4
Why is a questionnaire suited to large-scale research such as the census?
Model answer
A questionnaire can reach millions of people quickly and cheaply, with no interviewer needed. Identical questions make the answers easy to count and compare.
5
Give two weaknesses of postal or online questionnaires.
Model answer
Postal and online questionnaires often get low response rates, so the replies may not be representative. Fixed answers may not fit what respondents really think, lowering validity.
6
What is a structured interview, and which large UK survey uses them?
Model answer
A structured interview asks every interviewee the same questions in the same order, like a spoken questionnaire. The Crime Survey for England and Wales uses structured interviews with a large sample of households.

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Socialisation, Culture and Identity

Families

Education

Sociological Research Methods

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A rate this low risks an sample.

unrepresentativeaccurateethical

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AThe response rate is 23%.

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CA rate this low risks an unrepresentative sample.

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Polygyny means one husband married to several wives at once.

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