Research Methods Essays – How to Write Them

Essay planning and writing for the AS and A Level sociology exams – hints and tips

The research methods section of the AS sociology 7191 (2) exam (research methods and topics in sociology) consists of one short answer question (out of 4 marks) and one essay question (out of 16 marks).

You should aim to spend approximately 20-25 minutes answering this essay question

This longer methods question will nearly always ask you to evaluate either the strengths or limitations of a particular method, for example ‘Evaluate the strengths of using social surveys in Social Research’.

This means that you will need to evaluate either the strengths or the limitations of the particular method as directed in the question.

You should always use the following structure whether talking about strengths or limitations of the method. Remember that you will need to emphasis the relevant sections depending on whether you are asked to evaluate strengths or limitations.

1. Define the method

2. Explain why Positivists like or dislike the method

3. Explain why Interpretivists like or dislike the method

4. Validity – explain why the method has good or bad validity

5. Reliability – explain why the method has good or bad reliability

6. Representativeness – explain how easy it is to get a large, representative sample

7. Practical factors – explain what practical strengths or limitations the method has

8. Ethical issues – explain any ethical problems associated with the method, or talk about the ethical strengths as appropriate

9. Say what kind of topics this method is useful for researching and why

10. Say when you wouldn’t use this method and why

11. Compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of different types of the method.

• It is good practice to use examples of actual examples of research studies that have used the method under examination, preferably woven into the body of the essay.

• It is also good practice to distinguish between different ways of doing the method throughout, as you are asked to do in number 11.

• You can remember the above 11 point plan by memorizing the handy acronym DPIVRRPETTC

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Methods in Context Essay Template

Assessment Objectives and Key Skills in A Level Sociology – for an explanation of what ‘evaluation’ means

AQA Assessment Resources – AS paper 2 has an example of a pure research methods question.