What practical and ethical issues must sociologists consider when doing research?
The practical, ethical and theoretical considerations that affect the choice of research method, the role of pilot studies, and the meaning of reliability and validity.
A focused answer on research considerations for WJEC GCSE Sociology: practical, ethical and theoretical factors in choosing a method, pilot studies, and the meaning of reliability and validity.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers the considerations that affect how sociologists do research: practical, ethical and theoretical factors, the role of pilot studies, and the meaning of reliability and validity. You need to explain that a researcher's choice of method depends on time, money and access (practical), on protecting participants (ethical), and on the kind of data wanted (theoretical), and to define reliability and validity. These ideas let you evaluate any piece of research.
Practical considerations
Ethical considerations
Theoretical considerations
Pilot studies, reliability and validity
Try this
Q1. Identify two ethical considerations in research. [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Any two of: gaining informed consent, keeping information confidential and protecting identities, avoiding harm or distress, and being honest and avoiding deception.
Q2. Explain the difference between reliability and validity. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Reliability means the research could be repeated and would give similar results, so it is consistent, while validity means the research measures what it claims to measure, giving a true picture; research can be one without the other.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC (Component 2)4 marksDescribe two ethical issues a sociologist must consider.Show worked answer →
A describe question (AO1). Reward two distinct, developed ethical issues.
Consent. Researchers should get the informed consent of participants, who should know what the research involves and agree to take part.
Confidentiality. Researchers should keep participants' information private and protect their identity, so no harm comes to them.
Top band. Two clearly different ethical issues, each described with what it means in practice.
WJEC (Component 2)6 marksExplain why a sociologist might carry out a pilot study.Show worked answer →
An explain question (AO1 and AO2). Reward developed reasons.
Testing the method. A pilot study is a small-scale trial run that lets the researcher test whether the questions or method work before the main study.
Improving the research. It can reveal confusing questions or practical problems, which can then be fixed, saving time and money and improving the data.
Top band. Developed reasons showing how a pilot study improves the main research.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Sociology (Wales) specification (C200QS) — WJEC (2017)