How do sociologists choose who to study, and what existing sources can they use?
The idea of a sample and a sampling frame, the main sampling methods including random and quota sampling, and the secondary sources sociologists use such as official statistics and the mass media.
A focused answer on sampling and secondary sources for WJEC GCSE Sociology: samples and sampling frames, random and quota sampling, representativeness, and secondary sources such as official statistics and the mass media.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers sampling and secondary sources. You need to explain what a sample and a sampling frame are, why a sample should be representative, and describe the main sampling methods (such as random and quota sampling). You also need to describe the secondary sources sociologists use, such as official statistics and the mass media, and note their strengths and weaknesses. Sampling decides who is studied; secondary sources provide ready-made data.
Samples and sampling frames
Representativeness
Sampling methods
Secondary sources
Try this
Q1. What is a sampling frame? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. A sampling frame is the list from which a sample is drawn, such as a school register or an electoral roll, containing the members of the population the researcher could choose to study.
Q2. Explain why a sample needs to be representative. [Short explanation]
- Cue. A sample needs to be representative, reflecting the wider group in things such as age, gender and class, because only then can the findings be generalised to the whole population; an unrepresentative sample would give misleading results.
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)2 marksExplain what is meant by a 'sample'.Show worked answer →
A short knowledge question (AO1). Reward a clear definition with development.
Definition. A sample is the smaller group of people actually studied, chosen to stand for the larger group the research is about.
Development. A good sample is representative, meaning it reflects the wider group, so the findings can be generalised.
Top marks. A clear definition plus the idea of representativeness earns both marks.
WJEC (Component 2)4 marksDescribe two secondary sources a sociologist might use.Show worked answer →
A describe question (AO1). Reward two distinct, developed sources.
Official statistics. Figures collected by the government, such as census data or crime statistics, useful for spotting patterns.
The mass media. Newspapers, television and online content, which can show how issues are presented, though they may be biased.
Top band. Two clearly different secondary sources, each described with what it offers.
Related dot points
- The stages of the research process, the aim and hypothesis, the difference between primary and secondary data, and the difference between quantitative and qualitative data.
A focused answer on the research process and types of data for WJEC GCSE Sociology: the stages of research, aims and hypotheses, primary and secondary data, and quantitative and qualitative data.
- The main primary research methods: questionnaires, interviews, observations and experiments, and the strengths and weaknesses of each for sociological research.
A focused answer on primary research methods for WJEC GCSE Sociology: questionnaires, structured and unstructured interviews, participant and non-participant observation, and experiments, with the strengths and weaknesses of each.
- 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.
- The definitions of crime and deviance and how they vary by time and place, and how crime is measured through official statistics and victim surveys, including the problem of the dark figure of unrecorded crime.
A focused answer on crime, deviance and crime measurement for WJEC GCSE Sociology: the definitions of crime and deviance, how they vary, and measuring crime through official statistics and victim surveys, including the dark figure.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Sociology (Wales) specification (C200QS) — WJEC (2017)