Research Issues: Validity, Reliability, Objectivity, Representativeness And Ethics As Important Concepts In Assessing The Value Of Different Research Methods (Copy)
Positivism (Auguste Comte, Émile Durkheim)
Core Idea
- Research should be scientific, objective and reliable
Application to Key Research Concepts
- Validity
- Less prioritised compared to reliability
- Concerned that subjective data may reduce accuracy
- Reliability
- Very important → results should be replicable
- Standardised methods (questionnaires, experiments) preferred
- Objectivity
- Essential → researcher must remain neutral and detached
- Representativeness
- Large samples required to generalise findings
- Ethics
- Important but sometimes secondary to scientific goals
- Application
- Best methods are those that maximise reliability, objectivity and representativeness
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Sociology Full Scale Course
Interpretivism (Max Weber)
Core Idea
- Research should prioritise validity and understanding meanings
Application to Key Research Concepts
- Validity
- Most important → research must reflect true meanings and experiences
- Reliability
- Less important → behaviour is complex and not always repeatable
- Objectivity
- Complete objectivity is not possible
- Representativeness
- Small samples acceptable if they provide depth
- Ethics
- Very important → protect participants and build trust
- Application
- Best methods are those that maximise validity and depth of understanding
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Sociology Full Scale Course
Functionalism (Émile Durkheim)
Core Idea
- Research should identify social facts through objective methods
Application to Key Research Concepts
- Validity
- Important but secondary to identifying patterns
- Reliability
- Very important → ensures consistency
- Objectivity
- Essential for studying society scientifically
- Representativeness
- Large-scale data preferred
- Ethics
- Generally low concern when using secondary data
- Application
- Emphasis on reliability, objectivity and general patterns
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Sociology Full Scale Course
Marxism (Karl Marx)
Core Idea
- Research should reveal inequality and power structures
Application to Key Research Concepts
- Validity
- Important for uncovering real experiences of inequality
- Reliability
- Useful but not the main priority
- Objectivity
- Difficult due to ideological influence
- Representativeness
- Important for showing patterns of inequality
- Ethics
- Research should benefit oppressed groups
- Application
- Methods should balance validity with critical analysis of power
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Sociology Full Scale Course
Feminism (Ann Oakley)
Core Idea
- Research should prioritise ethics, equality and lived experiences
Application to Key Research Concepts
- Validity
- Very important → reflects real experiences of women
- Reliability
- Less important than depth
- Objectivity
- Criticised → may hide gender bias
- Representativeness
- Important to include diverse female experiences
- Ethics
- Central → avoid exploitation and ensure respect
- Application
- Best methods prioritise validity, ethics and representation
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Sociology Full Scale Course
Postmodernism (Jean Baudrillard)
Core Idea
- No single method can fully assess reality → all concepts are relative
Application to Key Research Concepts
- Validity
- Depends on perspective → no absolute truth
- Reliability
- Consistency does not guarantee truth
- Objectivity
- Impossible → all knowledge is subjective
- Representativeness
- Society is fragmented → difficult to represent fully
- Ethics
- Important for including diverse voices
- Application
- Emphasis on multiple perspectives rather than fixed criteria
Key Synoptic Application
- Positivists → prioritise reliability, objectivity and representativeness
- Interpretivists → prioritise validity and meaning
- Functionalists → focus on patterns and objectivity
- Marxists → focus on inequality and critical validity
- Feminists → prioritise ethics and representation
- Postmodernists → reject fixed criteria, emphasise diversity