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Sociology vocabulary · Research Methods

Respondent

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/rɪˈspɒndənt/nounCore term

In sociology, respondent means: A person who answers the questions in a survey, questionnaire or interview.

In Turkish: yanıtlayıcı, katılımcı, cevaplayıcı

How it is used

Used mainly in survey research; qualitative researchers often prefer participant or interviewee. The response rate is the percentage of people contacted who actually take part. Respondents are usually promised anonymity or confidentiality.

Example sentences

  1. Nearly 40 per cent of respondents said they had never contacted a local official.

  2. Respondents were assured that their answers would remain anonymous.

Common collocations

  • survey respondents
  • response rate
  • the majority of respondents
  • anonymous respondents
  • surveyA research method that asks a group of people the same set of questions, through a questionnaire or a structured interview, to collect comparable data.
  • samplingThe process of selecting a smaller group of people or cases from a larger population so that the researcher can study them and draw conclusions.
  • informed consentAgreement to take part in research, given freely by a participant who has been told clearly about the study's aims, methods, risks and the right to withdraw.
  • semi-structured interviewAn interview based on a prepared list of topics or questions that the researcher can reorder, rephrase or follow up, so that participants can answer in their own words.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Research Methods

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