Survey, Participant Motivation As A Social Participant Vervation And Research Methods

Research methods refer to different critical procedures which researchers apply in collection and analysis of data aimed at making a correct decision. In the selection of a certain sociological research method, researchers identify themselves with a research approach which best fits their subject of study by giving the most appropriate data thus correct decision making. In sociology, research methods are extensive. Sociology covers qualitative, quantitative, primary and secondary sources of data which is arrived at by use of varied research methods. This paper will focus on defining and discussing the similarities and differences between survey, participant observation and experiment as they apply in sociology.

Definitions.

Survey is a social

It is an information gathering approach which is designed to completely show features of a certain group of study concerning their social way of life in a natural outlook. In this approach, the researcher remains different from the community which he/she is gathering information about. At times, the researcher tries to observe and functionally gets involved in developing the setting being studied. As such they share information with the community being studied and design critical research notes according to the experiences they observe and hear. This forms a basis for researchers to analyze the topic of

The methods differ in suitability and fields of application. Survey is more appropriate in behavioral and social sciences, and experiments are applied in natural and physical disciplines while participant observation best fits in different fieldworks.

The methods also differ in goals and objectives of the study. Participant observation aims at providing detailed notes on what was observed during the study, and surveys focus on explaining desires of every member in a certain sample group while experiment aims at explaining features of participants and other aspects.

Survey information uses a set of precisely defined questions and instructions where responses are recorded. Participant observation information can be presented in the form of pictures, sketches, maps and recording among others. Experiments provide a written response concerning the readings and findings(Gravetter& Forzano, 2018).

The research methods use different sample population size. Surveys use relatively large sample population while experiments and participant observation use relatively small sample population. This creates a difference in the response rate and the time has taken in arriving at the final decision. Moreover, the methods are applied in varied forms of research. Experiments are used when the research is experimental, whereas surveys are applied when the study is descriptive. On the other hand, the participant observation approach is used when the research is observational in