SOC6 Sociological research methods personal learning checklist

AQA GCSE Sociology 8192 · Paper 1 & 2 · Specification 3.7

Support your confidence with precise concepts, evidence and a reasoned argument. Quick checks do not assess a complete evaluation or research design.

Name ____________________ Class __________ Date __________

Tick one box per statement. Red: need help. Amber: partly confident. Green: can do independently.

I canRedAmberGreen
Research design and evidence
Formulate a focused aim, hypothesis and observable indicators.
Explain how pilots improve design without guaranteeing final validity.
Distinguish primary, secondary, qualitative and quantitative evidence.
Evaluate reliability, validity, representativeness and causal claims separately.
Distinguish correlation from causation with alternative explanations.
Sampling and access
Define a population and assess coverage of a sampling frame.
Compare random, systematic and stratified sampling with suitable frames.
Distinguish quota from stratified random selection and evaluate access biases.
Evaluate snowball, opportunity and volunteer recruitment in context.
Assess sample size, non-response, representativeness and gatekeeper effects.
Questionnaires and surveys
Compare closed and open questions for the particular research aim.
Design neutral questions avoiding ambiguous or combined judgements.
Evaluate response bias, attitudes and socially desirable answers.
Interviews and group discussion
Compare structured, unstructured and semi-structured interviews.
Explain interviewer effects and power relationships in a specific enquiry.
Assess focus groups' interaction, disclosure and confidentiality limits.
Observation and case studies
Distinguish participation and awareness dimensions of observation.
Evaluate overt and covert research with practical and ethical constraints.
Explain researcher influence, reflexivity and risk of over-identification.
Assess case studies and ethnography without claiming population prevalence.
Compare longitudinal and cross-sectional designs, including attrition.
Secondary sources and mixed methods
Evaluate official and non-official statistics using definitions and collection.
Evaluate documents and design transparent content analysis.
Assess mixed methods and triangulation, including shared limitations.
Ethics and safeguarding
Plan informed consent, genuine withdrawal and appropriate permissions.
Distinguish confidentiality and anonymity and communicate their limits.
Identify and address harm, sensitive disclosure, deception and institutional pressure.
Data interpretation and application
Interpret graphs, tables and percentages using scope, units and denominators.
Design and evaluate a feasible, ethical study in each of the four substantive topics.
Construct conclusions separating evidence, inference, causation and generalisation.

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