12. Sociological methods. Questionnaire survey and interview.

Sociological Methods. Questionnaire Survey and Interview

Definition and Purpose

• Sociology studies the interactions and relationships between members of society.
• Sociological methods collect information about opinions, attitudes, behaviour, knowledge and social conditions.
• In dentistry they help assess oral hygiene habits, dental attendance, patient satisfaction, fears, motivation and barriers to treatment.

Main Sociological Methods

• Direct observation – Indirect observation – Questionnaire survey Interview – Documentary analysis – Social experiment.

Questionnaire Survey

• Prepared set of questions answered by respondents.
• Questionnaire = ALWAYS ANONYMOUS
• Used for collecting information from large population groups quickly and economically.

Requirements

• Questions should be:
• Clear and understandable – Adapted to the target group – Logically arranged – Limited in number – Related to study aims.
• Include:
• Control questions (check consistency) – Filtering questions (select relevant respondents).

Types of Questions

• Closed – fixed answers, easy statistical processing.
• Open – free answers, richer information but harder analysis.
• Semi-open (mixed) – fixed answers + additional free response; often the most practical type.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Advantages: cheap, fast, large samples, lots of information, few resources, standardised answers, anonymity.
• Disadvantages: depends on honesty, possible misunderstanding, no clarification, difficult analysis of open questions, lower response rates.

Types of Inquiry

• Direct group inquiry – Direct individual inquiry – Indirect inquiry Postal survey – Sociometric inquiry.

Interview

• Direct questioning conducted by an interviewer.
• Used when more detailed information is required.

Types

• Structured – Semi-structured – Unstructured (free) Telephone interview.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Advantages: clarification possible, detailed information, observation of reactions, higher completion rate.
• Disadvantages: time-consuming, expensive, requires trained personnel, difficult to standardise, interviewer bias.

Other Sociological Methods

• Observation
• Direct or indirect recording of behaviour and events.
• Advantages: quick, economical, easy documentation.
• Disadvantages: observer bias, behaviour may change during observation.
• Documentary Analysis
• Study of medical records, clinical cases, reports, textbooks and statistics.
• Advantages: recorded information, minimal observer bias, retrospective use.
• Disadvantages: time-consuming, requires specialists, depends on document quality.
• Social Experiment
• Groups placed under controlled conditions to study behaviour and responses.
• Limited by ethical and organisational factors.

Requirements for a Good Sociological Study

• Objectivity.
• Reliability.
• Validity.
• Representativeness.
• Economic efficiency.