Skip to main content
EnglandSociologySyllabus dot point

What are the strengths and limitations of questionnaires and interviews for researching social inequality?

Component 2: self-report methods including questionnaires (closed and open) and interviews (structured, unstructured, semi-structured and group), their practical, ethical and theoretical strengths and limitations, and the interviewer effect.

An OCR A-Level Sociology Component 2 guide to self-report methods. Covers questionnaires (closed and open), structured, unstructured, semi-structured and group interviews, the interviewer effect, the validity versus reliability trade-off, and feminist methodology (Oakley), with the PET framework and exam skills the methods paper rewards.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.815 min answer

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page

Jump to a section
  1. What this dot point is asking
  2. The answer
  3. Examples in context
  4. Try this

What this dot point is asking

OCR Component 2 expects you to evaluate self-report methods, where people report on themselves: questionnaires and interviews. You need their practical, ethical and theoretical (PET) strengths and limitations, the difference between structured and unstructured types, the interviewer effect, and the validity versus reliability trade-off, all applied to the study of inequality.

The answer

Questionnaires

Questionnaires are practically strong: they are cheap, quick and can reach large, representative samples, which positivists value for finding patterns in inequality. Their standardised questions make them reliable and repeatable. Their weaknesses are theoretical and practical: low validity (respondents may misunderstand questions or give socially desirable answers), low response rates, and no chance to probe or clarify.

Interviews

Interviews vary by structure:

  • Structured interviews use fixed questions read out in the same order, like a spoken questionnaire: reliable and quick, but less valid, favoured by positivists.
  • Unstructured interviews are flexible, conversational and guided by the respondent: high validity and depth, favoured by interpretivists, but less reliable and time-consuming.
  • Semi-structured interviews combine fixed and open questions, and group or focus interviews involve several respondents together.

All interviews face the interviewer effect: the interviewer's age, gender, ethnicity or manner can influence the answers given, threatening validity.

The trade-off and feminist methodology

There is a validity versus reliability trade-off: structured methods are more reliable but less valid, while unstructured methods are more valid but less reliable. Feminists such as Oakley criticise the detached, "masculine" model of interviewing and argue researchers should build rapport and reciprocity, especially when interviewing women, to gain richer, more honest data. The choice between methods is driven by practical, ethical and theoretical (PET) factors.

Examples in context

A top answer never lists generic pros and cons. It applies each strength and limitation to the named context and uses the PET framework to structure the evaluation.

Try this

Q1. Outline two limitations of using questionnaires. [4 marks]

  • What the marker wants. Two limitations (AO1, two marks each): low validity from misunderstanding or social desirability, and low response rates, each briefly developed.

Q2. Outline and explain two reasons why a positivist might prefer structured interviews. [10 marks]

  • Cue. Two developed points: standardised questions make them reliable and repeatable, and they produce quantifiable data for finding patterns, each applied to the study of an inequality such as the gender pay gap.

Exam-style practice questions

Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.

OCR H580/02 201810 marksOutline and explain two practical advantages of using questionnaires to study social inequality. [10]
Show worked answer →

An Outline and explain question (AO1 and AO2). Each advantage needs explanation and an applied example.

Advantage one. Cost and speed: questionnaires can be sent to large numbers cheaply and quickly, producing big representative samples, for example a postal survey reaching thousands of households about income.

Advantage two. Reliability: standardised questions mean the study can be repeated and the results compared, useful for tracking inequality over time. The top band applies the advantage to the study of inequality.

OCR H580/02 202215 marksEvaluate the strengths and limitations of using unstructured interviews to investigate the experiences of low-paid workers. [15]
Show worked answer →

A research-methods evaluation question (AO1, AO2 and AO3) marked by levels of response. Apply the PET framework to the context.

Strengths. High validity: the flexible, conversational style lets low-paid workers explain their experiences in their own words, building rapport and uncovering meanings (interpretivist, Oakley on rapport).

Limitations. Low reliability and representativeness: each interview differs, so it cannot be repeated exactly, and small samples are unrepresentative; the interviewer effect may bias answers, and the method is time-consuming.

Judgement. Unstructured interviews suit the validity needed to understand low-paid workers' experiences, but are weaker on reliability and generalisability. Applying PET to the named context reaches the top band.

Related dot points

Sources & how we know this