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Research Methods
Lesson 4
Questionnaires
Objectives:
• To explain to explain how to use questionnaires in sociological
research
• To be able to outline strengths and weaknesses of using
questionnaires
Lesson Objectives
• Understand the difference between open and
closed ended questions
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages
of using questionnaires
Questionnaires
• What is a questionnaire?
• Why may they be useful in conducting
sociological research?
• What could be some
strengths/weaknesses of conducting
questionnaires?
Social Surveys
• Social surveys are one of the most
common methods used by sociologists;
they involve gathering information by
asking people about their behavior,
attitudes, opinions etc.
• There are two types of social survey:
• Questionnaires
• Interviews
Types of questions
Open
Closed
Do
you know what these are?
Ended
Ended
Can you give examples of
Question
these? Question
s
s
Pilot Studies
• It’s a small scale trial study conducted
before the main study in order to test
the feasibility of the main study and to
refine the research methods being used
– Test how ambiguous the questions are
– Develop the research
TIP skills of the
researcher
A typical
short exam question may ask you
– Decide
whether
or not
to proceed
two
reasons
as to why
people
conductwith
pilotthe
research
studies
1.Questionnaires
• Written lists of questions
• The researcher has to choose how to
administer them and they will decide this
by thinking about the response rate
• You need to be aware of different ways of
administering them and potential
advantages and disadvantages of each
–
–
–
–
Face to face
Telephone
Postal
Internet
Face to face
• Relatively high
response rate
• researcher can
clarify questions
• Interviewer may
influence responses
(interviewer bias)
• Time consuming and
therefore may be
expensive
By Post
• Relatively cheap and
easy to gain a
geographically
dispersed sample
• No interviewer bias
as no direct contact
• Response rates tend
to be very low
• Respondents may not
be typical of the
population as a whole
Telephone
Over the internet
• Cheap, easy to access
a geographically
dispersed sample
• Response rates may
be low
• Response rate likely
to be low
• Limited to those with
internet access
• Very cheap and quick
to send to a widely
dispersed sample
• Respondents may be
influenced by the
voice of the
interviewer
Advantages/disadvantages of
conducting questionnaires
Advantages
Disadvantages
Cut and stick advantages and
disadvantages of questionnaires –
pick 3 of each that you think you will
remember.
TASK
• Complete the sentences on
page 16 of your booklet.
• Work in groups/pairs