Stages in Research Design (AQA AS Sociology): Revision Note

Stages in research design

• Sociologists follow a step-by-step process to ensure their research is well-planned, ethical, and effective

• This helps produce valid and reliable results that can be analysed and evaluated

• The main stages include:

  • forming a hypothesis

  • operationalising concepts

  • defining the population

  • sampling

  • conducting a pilot study

  • carrying out the research

  • reporting the findings

Hypothesis

• A hypothesis is a clear, testable prediction about the relationship between two variables that the sociologist wants to test

  • E.g., pupils from working-class backgrounds achieve lower GCSE results than those from middle-class backgrounds

• It shapes the direction of the research and influences method, sampling, and data collection decisions

• After the study has been conducted, if the findings do not support the original hypothesis, sociologists must either modify it or reject it altogether

• Positivists prefer to formulate a hypothesis because they aim to identify and explain cause-and-effect relationships in social behaviour

• Interpretivists prefer broad aims over hypotheses, focusing on understanding the meanings individuals give to their actions

Choice of method

• Sociologists select a method based on:

  • their theoretical perspective (positivist or interpretivist)

  • the type of data required (quantitative or qualitative)

  • practical factors like time, cost, and access

  • ethical considerations (e.g., informed consent, avoiding harm)

• Common methods include

  • questionnaires

  • interviews

  • observations

  • secondary data

Research population

• The research population is the larger group that the sociologist is interested in studying.

  • E.g., all secondary school pupils in the UK studying for their GCSEs

• Researchers define who they are studying to ensure the research is relevant and meaningful

Operationalising concepts

• Researchers must operationalise their concepts—this means turning abstract ideas into something measurable

  • E.g., educational achievement could be measured using GCSE results, while social class could be measured by asking about a student's parental occupation

• Operationalisation ensures the hypothesis can be tested using observable and collectable data

  • E.g., by asking students what GCSE grades they got and asking parents what their job is

Sampling

• A sample is the smaller sub-group selected from the research population to take part in the study

• The sample should reflect the characteristics of the wider population to ensure representativeness

• The sociologist will have a sampling frame from which the sample of participants is selected

• Good sampling increases the generalisability of the findings, which is important to positivists

Pilot study

• A pilot study is a small-scale test run of the main research project that aims to iron out any problems

• It is carried out on a very small sample of participants

• It helps test whether:

  • questions are clear and understandable

  • the method works in practice and allows for the collection of valid data

  • ethical issues arise during data collection

• Findings from the pilot study allow improvements to be made before the main study begins

Research

• The research is then carried out in full using the chosen method

• The sociologist collects, records, and stores the data in a systematic and ethical way

Report writing

• Once the research is completed, the sociologist produces a detailed report that includes:

  • the research aims, hypothesis, method, and sample

  • presentation and analysis of the findings

  • evaluation of the research process, including challenges faced and how they were overcome

• The report may also consider how the researcher's personal views and potential bias toward the topic may have influenced their interaction with participants

• This process, known as reflexivity, is commonly used by interpretivist sociologists to acknowledge and reflect on their role within the research