Inside This Unit: The Full Breakdown
Unit 2 covers choosing and designing an appropriate method (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed), defining variables and sampling, and conducting research ethically.
Why it matters
A sound, ethical method is what makes your eventual conclusions trustworthy.
Key concepts
- Match method type (qualitative/quantitative/mixed) to the question.
- Validity = measuring what you intend; reliability = consistent results.
- Ethics requires informed consent, no harm, and integrity.
Research Method & Ethics
Practice justifying a methodology, defining variables, choosing a defensible sampling strategy, and designing for validity and reliability while protecting participants and minimizing bias and confounding.
AP exam tip
Watch your sample — a convenience sample of friends or peers can quietly bias your whole study.
Connections to other units
- Unit 1: The method must fit the question and gap.
- Unit 3: Method quality determines how far results generalize.
