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Basics 1 Basics................................................ 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Organisation of the site 1.3 Method and methodology 1.4 Data, information and evidence 1.5 Theory 1.6 Ontology and epistemology 1.7 Subjectivity and objectivity 1.8 Validity 1.9 Reliability and accuracy 1.10 Representativeness and bias 1.11 Reflexivity 1.12 Dichotomies 1.13 Product or producer 1.14 Research process 1.15 Triangulation Orientation 2 Orientation........................................ 2.1 Identifying approaches 2.2 Positivism 2.3 Phenomenology 2.4 Critical social research 2.5 Conclusion Observation 3 Observation...................................... 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Aspects 3.3 Methodological approaches 3.4 Access 3.5 Recording data 3.6 Analysing observational data 3.7 Summary 3.8 Conclusion In-depth interviews 4 In-depth interviews........................... 4.1 Introduction 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Document analysis and semiology 5 Document analysis & semiology........ 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Conversation and discourse analysis 6 Conversation and discourse analysis. 6.1 Introduction Secondary Data 7 Secondary data.................................. 7.1 Introduction 7.2 7.3 7.4 Surveys 8 Surveys........................................ 8.1 Introduction 8.2 xxx 8.3 xxx 8.4 8.5 3.6 Mumtaz: Women of Pakistan 3.7 Liddle: Daughters of Independence 3.8 Conclusion Experiments 9 Experiments..................................... 9.1 Introduction 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 4.6 Duffield: Black Radicalism 4.7 Conclusion Ethics 10 Ethics............................................. 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Research outcomes 11 Research outcomes ....................... 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6
Conclusion 12 Conclusion..................................... 12.1 Introduction 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5

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A Guide to Methodology

Activities

The following is a list of all the activities in the Guide with links to the location in the text.

Activity 1.4.1 Examine copies of the week’s press (both broadsheet and tabloid) noting any headlines, articles or stories based on journalistic preconceptions. Explain what these might be.

Activity 1.4.2 List five methods you would consider using if you wanted to find out under what circumstances the police would make an arrest? Consider some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Activity 1.5.1 Write down three other questions relating to the social world about which you could theorise. Compare your answers with those with other members of your tutor group.

Activity 1.5.2 Why do you think someone labelled as deviant would be likely to embrace further deviant behaviour? Look up Becker’s labelling theory and see if your view agrees with his.

Activity 1.5.3 From the following list of items, identify three each of the following: research traditions, sociological perspectives; sociological theories; social research methods:
functionalism, labelling theory, positivism, structuralism, in-depth interviewing, critical social research, participant observation, phenomenology, race relations cycle, sociobiology, experiments, the Protestant ethic.

Activity 1.6.1
Which of the following are epistemological statements and which are ontological?
Human being need something to believe in.
Human beings are capable of knowing reality.
People like to have order in their lives.
Knowledge is simply the correct recognition of facts.
Humans are creative beings.
We cannot know the world we can only see it from our point of view.

Activity 1.7.1
Which of the following could be said to be 'objective' statements?
The Eifel Tower is 324 metres tall.
Pavarotti is an excellent singer.
All swans are white.
I have a pain in my tooth.
Barcelona are the best football team in Europe.
I like ice cream.
I need to cut the grass.

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© Lee Harvey 2011, last updated 10 July, 2011
Citation reference: Harvey, L., 2011, Researching the Real World, available at qualityresearchinternational.com/methodology, All rights belong to author.