Collecting & Analysing Data (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Revision Note

Collecting data

• Once researchers have completed a pilot study and selected a sample, they are ready to begin collecting data

• There are a variety of research techniques or methods that sociologists can choose from, depending on whether they wish to collect primary or secondary data:

• The research methods above allow sociologists to collect quantitative or qualitative data

Practical issues

• The research methods that sociologists choose may also depend on practical issues, such as time, cost and access

• Sociologists may avoid using certain research methods, such as unstructured interviews, because they require a lot of time and money to carry out, input and analyse the data

  • Instead, they may have to consider a small-scale project that may be cheaper to conduct

• The researcher's access to resources can be a major factor in determining which methods they will use

  • E.g., a well-known professor will likely have access to more research funds than a young student

Analysing data

• Once the sociologist has collected their data, they will need to analyse it

• It might be necessary for them to analyse hundreds of completed questionnaires or interview transcripts

• Analysing data entails interpreting or making sense of the information and summarising the key outcomes

• Computer software can help sociologists analyse data quickly because it can:

  • summarise the data

  • examine relationships between factors

  • present results as graphs and bar charts

• The sociologist can then draw conclusions and determine whether the data gathered supports their hypothesis