In the context of the various social structures, social processes and social issues detailed in the specification, students should be able to:
- identify, describe and explain various methods and methodological issues
- identify and explain the advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses of a particular method for a specific area of research
- demonstrate an understanding of the process of research design for a specific area of research, including practical difficulties and ethical issues
- demonstrate an understanding of the relevance and usefulness of various primary and secondary sources for a specific area of research
- demonstrate the ability to interpret data presented in a variety of forms.
Content | Additional information |
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Research design | Describe and explain the processes involved in research design: the establishment of appropriate aims and relevant hypotheses, the use of pilot studies, the selection of appropriate sampling methods and the analysis of data. |
Qualitative and quantitative methods | - Describe and explain qualitative and quantitative methods (questionnaires, interviews, observations) and assess the value, application, and strengths and weaknesses of different methods.
- Assess the usefulness of the mixed methods approach.
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Different types of data | Assess the usefulness of different types of data, qualitative and quantitative data, and official and non-official statistics. |
Primary and secondary sources | Describe and explain primary and secondary sources of data. |
Interpretation of data | Demonstrate the ability to interpret graphs, diagrams, charts and tables to discern patterns and trends in statistical data. |
Practical issues | Practical issues including time, cost and access. |
Ethical issues | Ethical issues are consent, confidentiality and harm to participants and how the issues can be addressed. |
