Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of focus groups?
A)Focus group moderators require special skills.
B)Focus group data are easy to analyze.
C)Focus groups are often difficult to assemble.
D)Focus groups allow for multiple viewpoints to be heard.
E)Focus groups afford the researcher less control than individual interviews

Accepted Answer

D

Question 2

In a complete qualitative interviewing process,a researcher will perform all but which of the following?
A)thematize
B)statistically analyze
C)transcribe
D)verify
E)design

Accepted Answer

Qualitative research does not involve statistical analysis as it aims to understand people's experiences, perceptions, and attitudes towards a phenomenon. The other options are all essential components of a complete qualitative interviewing process. Thematizing involves identifying the main themes or patterns in the data, transcribing involves converting the audio or video recordings into written transcripts, verifying involves cross-checking the data to ensure its accuracy, and designing involves developing a comprehensive plan to guide the data collection and analysis process.

Question 3

Which of the following is POOR advice for recording observations in the field?
A)Don't trust your memory anymore than you have to
B)You must always take notes during the observation
C)Take notes in stages
D)Advance preparation on recording anticipated observations better enables you to record unanticipated observations
E)All of these choices are good advice

Accepted Answer

Taking notes during the observation is crucial to ensure accuracy and avoid relying solely on memory. The other choices are also good advice, but B is the only one that is necessary for proper observation recording.

Question 4

Sara wanted to learn about battered women.She entered the world of a battered women's shelter and lived with the women in order to fully learn about the views of these women.She wanted to write a detailed and accurate description about the lives that the women reported.Which of the following approaches best describes Sara's research paradigm?
A)Naturalist
B)Ethnomethodology
C)Grounded theory
D)Institutional ethnography
E)Participatory action research

Accepted Answer

Sara's approach of immersing herself in the world of the battered women's shelter and learning from the women directly aligns with the naturalist research paradigm, which emphasizes understanding the experiences of those being studied through firsthand observation and participation in their everyday lives.

Question 5

In comparison to experiments and surveys,field research has
A)greater reliability and greater validity
B)greater reliability and less validity
C)less reliability and greater validity
D)less reliability and less validity
E)can't tell without more information about the particular study

Accepted Answer

Field research typically has less reliability due to the lack of control over variables but greater validity as it occurs in a natural setting, providing more authentic data.

Question 6

An advantage(s)of field research is(are)
A)it enables the researcher to draw statistical conclusions about the population
B)the researcher can control the variables under study
C)social processes can be studied over time
D)hypotheses can be rigorously tested
E)all of these choices are advantages of field research

Accepted Answer

The advantage of field research is that social processes can be studied over time. This is because field research is conducted in the natural setting of participants, allowing for observation of behavior in real-life situations. While hypotheses can be tested and conclusions can be drawn, field research does not necessarily involve controlling variables or drawing statistical conclusions about the population. Therefore, options A, B, and D are not correct. Option E is not a clear choice as it includes all options, but not all are necessarily advantages in every situation.

Question 7

Which of the following is not part of grounded theory?
A)Analyses of patterns
B)Analyses of themes
C)Analyses of common categories
D)All of these choices are part of grounded theory
E)Analyses of patterns and analyses of themes

Accepted Answer

All of these choices - analyses of patterns, themes, and common categories - are part of grounded theory.

Question 8

A(n) is a study that focuses on giving detailed and accurate description rather than explanation
A)Ethnomethodology
B)Naturalism
C)Ethnography
D)Grounded theory
E)Case study

Accepted Answer

Ethnography is a study that aims to provide a detailed and accurate description of a culture or social group. Its goal is to document and understand the culture or group being studied without necessarily explaining why things are the way they are. Ethnomethodology and grounded theory, on the other hand, aim to explain social phenomena, while naturalism and case studies can have elements of both description and explanation.

Question 9

Which of the following is POOR advice for a qualitative field interviewer?
A)Learn to listen,think,and talk almost at the same time
B)Be more interested than interesting
C)Do not deviate from the schedule of preestablished questions
D)Don't try to halt your respondent's line of discussion even if it's not on topic
E)All of these choices provide GOOD advice

Accepted Answer

Deviating from the preestablished questions is often necessary in order to elicit rich and detailed responses from the participants. It is important for the interviewer to be flexible and able to follow up on interesting leads that may arise during the interview.

Question 10

Among the advantages of field research is(are)that it
A)yields precise descriptive statements about a large population
B)involves the uniform application of precise operational definitions
C)allows for the modification of research design
D)produces definitive conclusions
E)is an extremely reliable technique

Accepted Answer

Field research allows for modifications to the research design because it is conducted in a real-life setting with real people, and unexpected situations can arise. This flexibility allows for adjustments to be made to the research design if necessary, leading to more accurate and reliable results. However, field research does not necessarily yield precise descriptive statements about a large population, involve uniform application of precise operational definitions, produce definitive conclusions, or necessarily be an extremely reliable technique.

Question 11

Michael is spending three months living in a commune doing participant observation in order to fully understand and document the lives of the people who reside there.What is the likely result of Michael's research?
A)Structured interview
B)Unstructured interview
C)Ethnography
D)Case study
E)Extended case study

Accepted Answer

Michael's three months of participant observation in a commune suggest that he is conducting ethnography, which involves prolonged engagement with a community to gain an in-depth understanding of their beliefs, customs, and behaviors. Ethnography involves collecting data through observation, interviews, and other forms of qualitative research, with the goal of generating a detailed and nuanced description of a culture. Structured and unstructured interviews and case studies are related but distinct research methods that may be employed in ethnographic research contexts, but they don't capture the full scope of the ethnographic approach. Extended case studies, on the other hand, apply ethnographic methods in a more focused manner, and are not the best choice for this scenario.

Question 12

To examine the social interactions of online role-playing gamers,a relatively new social phenomena,Kyoko developed a rough outline of what to look for before setting out on observation.This outline was intended to guide,but not specifically structure the observations.What approach did Kyoko use?
A)ethnomethodology
B)grounded theory
C)case study
D)the extended case method
E)participatory action approach

Accepted Answer

Kyoko used a grounded theory approach by developing a rough outline to guide her observations but allowing flexibility for new findings to emerge.

Question 13

An example(s)of the complete participant role is(are)
A)joining a sorority or fraternity to study initiation rituals without revealing your identity as a researcher
B)standing at a street corner and watching whether males or females are more likely to jay-walk
C)telling a motorcycle gang that you are a researcher and would like to ride with them for a year to understand their interaction patterns
D)being a newspaper reporter who interviews union workers to learn about recent strike efforts
E)all of these choices are examples of the complete participant role

Accepted Answer

The answer of An example(s)of the complete participant role is(are)
A)joining...

Question 14

Professor Miller planned to tape six focus groups to examine citizens' attitudes toward park development.As a research methods student,you told Miller that an advantage of the focus group method is(are)that
A)moderators require little specialized skill
B)moderators easily control the focus group's discussion
C)data tapes are easily analyzed
D)high face validity
E)differences between the groups,should they occur,are easily explained

Accepted Answer

The advantage of the focus group method is its high face validity, meaning that the method appears to measure what it is intended to measure. This is due to the fact that focus groups allow for open discussion among participants, which can provide rich and diverse perspectives on the topic being studied. While some skill is required from moderators to ensure the discussion stays focused and productive, and data analysis may not be as straightforward as with other methods, the high face validity outweighs these potential drawbacks. Differences between groups can also be easily explained through qualitative analysis of the discussion.

Question 15

Jennifer is interested in understanding the dynamics within an economically diverse high school.She interviews a wide variety of students,as well as the staff and faculty to understand how race has an effect on their education.Jennifer is using what sort of research paradigm?
A)participatory action research
B)ethnomethodology
C)ethnography
D)case study
E)institutional ethnography

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jennifer is interested in understanding the dynamics...

Question 16

Dr.Fielding is interested in the stratification system in the United States and how it is perpetuated through time.Fielding decides to examine the experiences of minority students who seek college counseling in high school.He interviews minority students in four high schools to learn whether their personal experiences tell him something about stratification in the U.S.After interviewing the minority students Fielding interviews non-minority students,school administrators,guidance counselors,teachers,parents,and social workers at the same four high schools..Fielding is probably using a/an approach.
A)participatory action research
B)ethnomethodology
C)ethnography
D)case study
E)institutional ethnography

Accepted Answer

The answer of Dr.Fielding is interested in the stratification system...

Question 17

Which of the following is the best example of a breaching experiment?
A)Walking into an elevator and turning to face the door.
B)Opening an umbrella on a beautiful day.
C)Closing an umbrella after the rain ends.
D)Looking at the sky when birds fly by.
E)None of these choices exemplify a breaching experiment

Accepted Answer

Breaching experiments involve violating social norms to observe how people react. Opening an umbrella on a beautiful day is a clear violation of the norm, and it would likely result in confused or surprised reactions from others. The other options do not involve any significant norm violations.

Question 18

Jenny wants to do research that tells the stories of rape victims.She wants to tell "their stories" the way they "really are." Jenny is using a paradigm.
A)Naturalist
B)Ethnomethodology
C)Grounded theory
D)Case study
E)Participating action research

Accepted Answer

Naturalist paradigm focuses on understanding phenomena in their natural settings, often emphasizing the subjective experiences and stories of individuals, which aligns with Jenny's goal of telling the stories of rape victims as they "really are."

Question 19

Grounded theory begins with
A)patterns
B)hypotheses
C)key variables
D)data collection
E)either patterns,hypothesis,key variables,or data collection

Accepted Answer

Grounded theory begins with data collection, as the goal of the approach is to generate a theory based on the data collected rather than starting with preconceived hypotheses or variables.

Question 20

Professor Milne was preparing to do qualitative interviewing in a field research project.Milne knew that you were a research methods student and asked for your advice.You told Milne
A)try not to alter the specific wording of questions
B)try to use the same probes with the same wording for each respondent
C)try not to alter the sequence of questions
D)be sure to think up interesting things to say when the conversation lulls
E)none of these choices

Accepted Answer

Qualitative interviewing is flexible, allowing for changes in wording, sequence, and use of probes to adapt to the flow of conversation and gather rich, detailed data.

Quiz 10: Qualitative Field Research

Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of focus groups?

In a complete qualitative interviewing process,a researcher will perform all but which of the following?

Which of the following is POOR advice for recording observations in the field?

In comparison to experiments and surveys,field research has

An advantage(s) of field research is(are)

Which of the following is not part of grounded theory?

A(n) is a study that focuses on giving detailed and accurate description rather than explanation

Which of the following is POOR advice for a qualitative field interviewer?

Among the advantages of field research is(are) that it

Michael is spending three months living in a commune doing participant observation in order to fully understand and document the lives of the people who reside there.What is the likely result of Michael's research?

To examine the social interactions of online role-playing gamers,a relatively new social phenomena,Kyoko developed a rough outline of what to look for before setting out on observation.This outline was intended to guide,but not specifically structure the observations.What approach did Kyoko use?

An example(s) of the complete participant role is(are)

Professor Miller planned to tape six focus groups to examine citizens' attitudes toward park development.As a research methods student,you told Miller that an advantage of the focus group method is(are) that

Jennifer is interested in understanding the dynamics within an economically diverse high school.She interviews a wide variety of students,as well as the staff and faculty to understand how race has an effect on their education.Jennifer is using what sort of research paradigm?

Which of the following is the best example of a breaching experiment?

Jenny wants to do research that tells the stories of rape victims.She wants to tell "their stories" the way they "really are." Jenny is using a paradigm.

Grounded theory begins with

Professor Milne was preparing to do qualitative interviewing in a field research project.Milne knew that you were a research methods student and asked for your advice.You told Milne