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Q Strenths and Limitations of Different Quantative Research Methods Positivism

Quantitative research methods use numerical data to test hypotheses and generate cause-and-effect relationships in a controlled manner. Common quantitative methods include experiments, questionnaires, interviews and official statistics, each with their own advantages and disadvantages related to control, validity and representation.

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34 views3 pages

Q Strenths and Limitations of Different Quantative Research Methods Positivism

Quantitative research methods use numerical data to test hypotheses and generate cause-and-effect relationships in a controlled manner. Common quantitative methods include experiments, questionnaires, interviews and official statistics, each with their own advantages and disadvantages related to control, validity and representation.

Uploaded by

hurabbaslgs
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Quantitative research methods

Quantitative research methods are favoured by positivists


because they are objective and numerical, which means data
can be cross-examined to generate cause and effect
relationships, and generalizations can be made. Quantitative
research methods include laboratory experiments, field
experiments, questionnaires, structured interviews and official
statistics.

Laboratory experiments
Favoured by positivists, lab experiments test hypothesis in a controlled environment
where the researcher changes the independent variable and measures the effect on
the dependent variable.

ADVANTAGES

Highly reliable- the original experiment can specify precisely what steps were
followed in the original experiments
Can easily identify cause and effect relationships

DISADVANTAGES

Artificiality - lab experiments are carried out in a highly artificial environment and
may not reveal how people act in the real world, any behaviour in these conditions
may be artificial.
The Hawthorne effect - a lab is not a formal or natural environment - If people know
they are being studied, they may act differently.
Ethical issues - the researcher needs informed consent of the participants - this may
be difficult to obtain.
Unrepresentative: the small-scale nature of lab experiments reduces their
representativeness.
It would be impossible to identify and/or control all the variables that might exert an
influence on certain social issues (Eg. a child's education)
FIELD experiments
Field experiments take place in the real social world, whereby the sociologist either
creates a situation or adapts a real-life situation to their research purpose. Those
involved are usually unaware of the research taking place.

ADVANTAGES

Less artificiality - field experiments are set in real-world situations.


Validity - people are unaware of the experimental situation (no Hawthorne effect) and
are in their usual social environment, they will act normally.

DISADVANTAGES

Ethical issues - involves carrying out an experiment on people without their informed
consent.
Less control over variables than laboratory experiments.
Limited application - field experiments can only be applied to a limited number of
social situations.

QUESTIONNAIRES
Favoured by positivists, written or self-completed questionnaires are a form of social
survey and can be distributed in a range of ways - notably, via post, email or handed
out in person. Questionnaires are typically a list of pre-set questions that are closed-
end questions with pre-coded answers.

ADVANTAGES

Practical - questionnaires are cheap and quick.


Quantifiable data.
Representative - reach a geographically widespread research sample.
Reliable - the questionnaire can be easily repeated due to how the questions are pre-
set.
Limited ethical issues - the respondent is under no obligation to answer the question.

DISADVANTAGES

Response rate - postal questionnaires in particular obtain a low response rate, which
may hinder the representativity.
Low validity - People may be more willing to lie.
Unrepresentative - You are likely to get a certain group of people who would be more
willing to answer the questionnaire.
The interviewer isn’t there to ask follow up questions and explain questions the
participants if they don’t understand.
Structured interviews
The positivist favoured method of structured interviews involve face-to-face or over-
the-phone delivery of a questionnaire. In turn, they use a list of pre-set questions
designed by the researcher and asked of all interviewees in the same way.

ADVANTAGES

Practical - training interviewers and administration is easy and cheap.


Representative - can reach a geographically wide research sample.
Results are easily quantifiable because they use closed-ended questions with coded
answers.
Reliable - the structured process provides a ‘recipe’ for reproducibility.

DISADVANTAGES

Lack of validity: People may lie or exaggerate.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS
Official statistics are quantitative data collected by government bodies. This method
is favoured by positivists because data is quick, cheap and easy to access, and it
covers a wide range of social issues.

ADVANTAGES

Practical - Cheap and easy to obtain.


Practical - easy to access.
Allow to cross-examine, and deduce cause and effect relationships.
Collected at regular interviews, so you can compare trends over time.
Representative - often cover large groups of people.
Reliable - have to be filled out by law.

DISADVANTAGES

The government collects these for its own benefit, misinterpreted by sociologists.
Definitions may be different.
Unreliable - census coders may make errors, or people may fill them out incorrectly.

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