Describe and evaluate the main research methods employed in social sciences.

... Lisa Flavell Psychology Describe and evaluate the main research methods employed in social sciences. Within the study of psychology, and in fact all of the social sciences, many different techniques can be used when obtaining data for research. Research is immediately important for any social scientist as allows for justified conclusions to be drawn concerning the subject of study. The social scientist's choice as to which method to choose is influenced by a number of factors. These factors include time (for example deadlines, etc.), financial obstructions and practicalities (for example access to subjects, conditions, etc). The discipline that the researcher belongs too and the school of thought within that discipline can also be determining factors. An example of this would be a behaviourist leaning towards an observational procedure or a Psychoanalysist may be prone to use introspection or psychoanalysis. Another factor would be the desired outcome of the research, whether it be qualitative or

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