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AQA GCSE · Question 16 · Sociological Research Methods
SOURCE TEXT:
Item C
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) produced a report on university enrolment by personal characteristics from 2014/15 to 2018/19. This report found that the vast majority of students that attend university are from white backgrounds, although the number of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is increasing year on year.
[Image of a bar chart showing university enrolment by ethnicity from 2014-15 to 2018-19]
Source: HESA 2020
QUESTION:
From Item C, examine one strength of the research.
SOURCE TEXT:
Item C
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) produced a report on university enrolment by personal characteristics from 2014/15 to 2018/19. This report found that the vast majority of students that attend university are from white backgrounds, although the number of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is increasing year on year.
[Image of a bar chart showing university enrolment by ethnicity from 2014-15 to 2018-19]
Source: HESA 2020
QUESTION:
From Item C, examine one strength of the research.
How to approach this question
Look at the source of the data (HESA - a government agency). Think about the general strengths of using official statistics in sociological research. Select one strength (e.g., reliability, large scale, trends over time) and explain it in the context of Item C.
Full Answer
One strength of the research is that it is based on official statistics from HESA, which are likely to be highly reliable. Because the data is collected systematically every year using the same categories, another researcher could repeat the exercise and get the same results. This makes the findings trustworthy.
Official statistics, like those from HESA, are a major source of secondary data for sociologists. Their strengths include: they are often collected on a very large scale, making them representative; they are collected regularly over time, allowing for the analysis of trends; they are generally seen as reliable because they are collected in a standardised way; and they are cheap and easy for sociologists to access. However, they also have weaknesses, such as potentially lacking validity if the categories used don't match the sociologist's research aims.
Common mistakes
Stating a strength without linking it to the item. For example, just saying 'it is reliable' without explaining why the data from HESA is likely to be reliable.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Sociology Paper 2
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