Deck 1: Legal Education and Risk Management (RM) 2: Qualitative Research Methods and Writing a Research Report

Question 1

We review the relevant literature to know:

A)what is already known about the topic
B)what concepts and theories have been applied to the topic
C)who are the key contributors to the topic
D)all of the above

Answer 1

all of the above

Question 2

A deductive theory is one that:

A)allows theory to emerge out of the data
B)involves testing an explicitly defined hypothesis
C)allows for findings to feed back into the stock of knowledge
D)uses qualitative methods whenever possible

Answer 2

involves testing an explicitly defined hypothesis

Question 3

What does 'sampling cases' mean?

A)sampling using a sampling frame
B)identifying people who are suitable for research
C)literally, the researcher\s brief-case
D)sampling people, newspapers, television programmes etc.

Answer 3

sampling people, newspapers, television programmes etc.

Question 4

Which of the following is not a data-collection method?

A)research questions
B)unstructured interviewing
C)postal survey questionnaires
D)participant observation

Question 5

Why is data analysis concerned with data reduction?

A)because far too much data is collected than is required
B)because we need to make sense of the data
C)because of the repetitions in answers to questionnaires
D)because the sample size has been exceeded

Question 6

The core ingredients of a dissertation are:

A)introduction; data collection; data analysis; conclusions and recommendations.
B)executive summary; literature review; data gathered; conclusions; bibliography.
C)research plan; research data; analysis; references.
D)introduction; literature review; research methods; results; discussion; conclusion.

Question 7

Which of the following is a component of ethnographic research?

A)being immersed in a social group or setting
B)participant observation, interviews, and/or documentary analysis
C)a written account of an ethnographic study
D)all of the above

Question 8

What is a key informant?

A)a group member who helps the ethnographer gain access to relevant people/events
B)a senior level member of the organisation who refuses to allow researchers into it
C)a participant who appears to be helpful but then blows the researcher\s cover
D)someone who cuts keys to help the ethnographer gain access to a building

Question 9

What is the name of the role adopted by an ethnographer who joins in with the group's activities but admits to being a researcher?

A)complete participant
B)participant-as-observer
C)observer-as-participant
D)complete observer

Question 10

Is it okay to break the law in order to maintain a "cover"?

A)yes, provided it is not very serious
B)no, never under any circumstances
C)yes, because otherwise data on criminal activity would never come to light
D)yes, provided it doesn\t cause physical harm to someone

Question 11

What is the difference between "scratch notes" and "full field notes"?

A)scratch notes are just key words and phrases, rather than lengthy descriptions
B)full field notes are quicker and easier to write than scratch notes
C)scratch notes are written at the end of the day rather than during key events
D)full field notes do not involve the researcher scratching their head while thinking

Question 12

What are the two main types of data that can be used in visual ethnography?

A)positivist and interpretivist
B)qualitative and quantitative
C)nominal and ordinal
D)extant and research-driven

Question 13

Which of the following makes qualitative interviewing distinct from structured interviewing?

A)the procedure is less standardized
B)"rambling" off the topic is not a problem
C)the researcher seeks rich, detailed answers
D)all of the above

Question 14

Which of the following is not a type of qualitative interview?

A)unstructured interview
B)oral history interview
C)structured interview
D)focus group interview

Question 15

What can you do to reduce the time consuming nature of transcribing interviews?

A)use a transcribing machine
B)employ someone to transcribe for you
C)transcribe only selected parts of the interviews
D)all of the above

Question 16

Which of the following is not a type of life story?

A)naturalistic life stories
B)researched life stories
C)true life stories
D)reflexive and recursive life stories

Question 17

Which of the following is an advantage of qualitative interviewing relative to participant observation?

A)it allows you to find out about issues that are resistant to observation
B)it is more biased and value-laden
C)it is more likely to create reactive effects
D)none of the above

Question 18

Which of the following is a disadvantage of qualitative interviewing relative to participant observation?

A)it has a more specific focus
B)it is more ethically dubious, in terms of obtaining informed consent
C)it may not provide access to deviant or hidden activities
D)it does not allow participants to reconstruct their life events

Question 19

The introductory section of a research report should aim to:

A)identify the specific focus of the study
B)provide a rationale for the dissertation, or article
C)grab the reader\s attention
D)all of the above

Question 20

What is the purpose of the conclusion in a research report?

A)it explains how concepts were operationally defined and measured
B)it contains a useful review of the relevant literature
C)it outlines the methodological procedures that were employed
D)it summarizes the key findings in relation to the research questions

Question 21

Which of the following is not normally included in a written account of qualitative research?

A)an introduction, locating the research in its theoretical context
B)an explanation of the design of the study
C)a discussion of the main findings in relation to the research questions
D)a decision to accept or reject the hypothesis

Question 22

Before submitting your dissertation, you should ensure that:

A)your writing is free of sexist, racist and disablist language
B)other people have read your final draft
C)you have proofread it thoroughly
D)all of the above

Question 23

Probability sampling is rarely used in qualitative research because:

A)qualitative researchers are not trained in statistics
B)it is very old-fashioned
C)it is often not feasible
D)research questions are more important than sampling

Question 24

The two levels of sampling used by Savage et al. (2005) for the Manchester study were:

A)random and purposive
B)convenience and snowball
C)statistical and non-statistical
D)contexts and participants