Deck 10: Qualitative Field Research

Question 1

Jessica is concerned with the problem of reactivity in her study of a local diet group.Which of the following is NOT one of her reactivity concerns?

A)The members of the diet group might alter their behaviors because they know they are being studied.
B)The members of the diet group might alter their lifestyles and behavior because they joined the group to lose weight.
C)The members of the group might expel her from doing the research.
D)The members of the group might alter their discussion of diet strategies because they know that she is studying the group.
E)The members of the group may quit the program out of fear that their identities will be revealed.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In reviewing the detailed and accurate descriptions of the stories told by battered women living in a shelter,an ethnomethodologist would say that the battered women in the shelter were

A)describing their socially constructed reality.
B)reporting their world as they made sense of it.
C)describing their world "as it really is."
D)telling us how and why the world made sense to them.
E)describing their socially constructed reality and reporting their world as they made sense of it.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

A researcher who volunteers full time at a soup kitchen to gain a deeper understanding of the volunteers,as well as the people who frequent the kitchen is likely creating a(n):

A)structured interview.
B)unstructured interview.
C)ethnography.
D)case study.
E)questionnaire.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Field research is advantageous in comparison to other methods because 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.

Question 5

Grounded theory

A)is an inductive approach to the study of social life.
B)involves the constant comparison of unfolding observations.
C)is a deductive approach to the study of social life.
D)is an inductive approach to the study of social life that involves the constant comparison of unfolding observations.
E)is a deductive approach to the study of social life that involves the constant comparison of unfolding observations.

Question 6

According to Michael Buraway,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Grounded theorists enter the field with clear cut ideas about what they'll find.
B)Extended case study theorists enter the field without preconceptions about what they'll find.
C)Grounded theorists seek to know all the literature before entering the field.
D)Extended case study theorists seek to know all the literature before entering the field.
E)Grounded theorists are meticulous in their data collection plans.

Question 7

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

A)Always stick to your original research plan once observation begins.
B)Always take as much notes as you feel is necessary.
C)Take notes in stages.
D)Advance preparation on recording anticipated observations better enables you to record unanticipated observations.
E)Do not trust your memory any more than you have to.

Question 8

An example of the complete participant role is

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 exemplify the complete participant role.

Question 9

Professor Miller taped eight focus groups to examine citizens' attitudes toward park development.As a research methods student,you told her that an advantage of the focus group is that

A)focus group moderators need little skill.
B)focus group moderators can easily control the focus group's discussion.
C)focus group data tapes are easily analyzed.
D)focus groups have high face validity.
E)focus groups are easily to coordinate.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is FALSE about participatory action research (PAR)?

A)The researcher's function is to serve as a resource to those being studied.
B)Researchers should define their subject's problems, define the desired remedies, and take the lead in helping subjects realize their aims.
C)Advocates of PAR often believe that the distinction between the researcher and the researched should disappear.
D)Advocates of PAR often believe that traditional research is elitist.
E)Advocates of PAR usually support the position of those they are working with.

Question 11

Professor Milne was preparing to do some qualitative interviewing in a field research project.Milne,mostly a quantitative researcher knew that you were a research methods student and asked for your advice.You told Milne to be sure NOT to

A)be willing to alter the specific wording of questions.
B)be conversational when using probes with each participant.
C)be willing to alter the order of questions if appropriate.
D)stick to the script, making sure not to deviate from what was planned.
E)be respectful and willing to go off topic with the participant.

Question 12

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(n) paradigm.

A)naturalist
B)ethnomethodology
C)grounded theory
D)case study
E)participating action research

Question 13

Which of the following could NOT constitute a case in a case study?

A)WWII
B)The family Stone
C)Elvis Presley
D)Cuba
E)Violence

Question 14

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)case studies
E)qualitative interviewing

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT associated with how field research is conducted?

A)seldom approaches the task with precisely defined hypotheses to be tested.
B)attempts to make sense out of an ongoing process that cannot always be predicted in advance.
C)follows a rigorous data collection protocol.
D)makes initial observations, develops tentative conclusions that suggest further observation, and revises the conclusions.
E)alternates between induction and deduction .

Question 16

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

A)participatory action research
B)ethnomethodology
C)ethnography
D)case study
E)institutional ethnography

Question 17

In comparison to experiments and surveys,field research typically 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.

Question 18

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 your schedule of pre-established questions.
D)Don't try to halt your respondent's line of discussion even if it's not on topic.
E)Enter the interview with an open mind of what the results may be.

Question 19

An advantage of field research is

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)it always employs the newest form of technology.

Question 20

Ralph wants to study juries,and more specifically what forepersons do on juries.According to the Loflands,Ralph is most interested in studying

A)practices.
B)episodes.
C)encounters.
D)roles.
E)settlements.

Question 21

The qualitative field research interview is typically

A)unstructured.
B)structured.
C)similar to the survey interview.
D)unstructured and similar to the survey interview.
E)structured and similar to the survey interview.

Question 22

Which approach was originally developed by Dorothy Smith to better understand women's everyday experiences by discovering the power relations that shape those experiences?

A)institutional ethnography
B)participatory action research
C)naturalism
D)focus groups
E)grounded theory

Question 23

Which of the following is FALSE regarding qualitative field research?

A)Field research is well suited to studying social processes over time.
B)Field research is well suited to studying behaviors within their natural setting.
C)Field research is well suited to studying attitudes within their natural setting.
D)Field research is well suited for quantitative analysis.
E)Field research is well suited for flexible research approaches

Question 24

Which one of the following is NOT a topic particularly appropriate for field research?

A)attitudes and behaviors best understood in their natural settings
B)social processes over time
C)events taking place within a relatively limited area and time
D)the effect of watching a video in a laboratory on prejudice
E)studying consequences of natural disasters

Question 25

Xavier studied the social interactions within the basketball team at her school.Which one of the following did she study?

A)practices
B)episodes
C)groups
D)settlements
E)encounters

Question 26

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.

Question 27

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..

Question 28

"Going native" is associated with

A)playing the complete observer role.
B)doing any type of field research.
C)doing qualitative interviews.
D)playing the complete participant role.
E)not playing a role but actually adopting characteristics of the group under study

Question 29

Field observation differs from some other models of observation in that it's a different type of data-collecting activity and also a(n)

A)experimental method.
B)method for testing precisely defined hypotheses.
C)expansion of the sampling methods used in quantitative analyses.
D)theory-generating activity.
E)outdoor experimental method for testing hypothesis

Question 30

Which of the following exemplifies 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)Wearing sunglasses on a sunny day.

Question 31

Zeke studied friendship patterns among pairs of women and pairs of men.Which one of the following did he study?

A)relationships
B)social worlds
C)organizations
D)lifestyles or subcultures
E)encounters

Question 32

Which of the following questions differentiates the various epistemologies within the different paradigms?

A)What is data?
B)How should we collect data?
C)How should we analyze data
D)What is data and how should we collect data?
E)What is data, how should we collect data, and how should we analyze data?

Question 33

A(n)_____ focuses on giving a detailed and accurate description rather than explanation.

A)ethnomethodology
B)naturalism
C)ethnography
D)grounded theory
E)case study

Question 34

To examine the social interactions of online role playing gamers,a relatively new social phenomena,Anthony 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 Anthony use?

A)ethnomethodology
B)grounded theory
C)case study
D)the extended case method
E)participatory action approach

Question 35

Ethical issues involving deception pertain particularly to

A)the complete observer role.
B)the complete participant role.
C)naturalistic studies.
D)participatory action research.
E)laboratory studies

Question 36

Matilda wanted to bring about a dozen first-time users of personal digital assistants to a room where they could engage in a guided discussion of the topic.She should use

A)institutional ethnography.
B)participatory action research.
C)naturalism.
D)focus groups.
E)ethnomethodology

Question 37

Hans wanted to rebuild or improve the theory on adjustment to retirement.In his research,he gave particular attention to all the ways in which observations conflict with theories,based on a sound knowledge of the literature in this area.Which approach did he use?

A)ethnomethodology
B)grounded theory
C)case studies
D)the extended case method
E)participatory action approach

Question 38

The use of specific,single incidences to discover the flaws in current theory,and then to create revisions is an example of:

A)focus groups.
B)extended case method.
C)ethnography.
D)case study.
E)qualitative interviewing.

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT part of grounded theory?

A)analyses of patterns
B)analyses of singular points of view
C)analyses of common categories
D)analyses of observational data
E)analyses of themes.

Question 40

Jamie is interested in uncovering the institutional practices that create sexism in politics.She will probably use the _________ paradigm.

A)naturalism
B)ethnomethodology
C)grounded theory
D)institutional ethnography
E)participatory action research

Question 41

In qualitative interviewing,it is important

A)to agree with what the respondent is saying verbally and with body language so that respondents know you are listening.
B)to clarify any inaccuracies the respondent may have about actual matters so they are not misguided.
C)to not spend a lot of time on issues that are not of interest to you as the researched.
D)to be aware of your responses so that you are confident that you are not shaping the respondent's answers in any way.
E)to discuss only matters that are important and related to the subject at hand.

Question 42

A qualitative interview is most like a(n)

A)experiment.
B)oral questionnaire.
C)ethnography.
D)conversation.
E)role playing

Question 43

Which one of the following is NOT good advice for recording observations?

A)take notes as you observe
B)avoid rewriting your notes
C)include both your empirical observations and your interpretations
D)don't trust your memory
E)rewrite your notes at the end of each day

Question 44

In _______________,multiple people are brought together in a private,comfortable environment to engage in a guided discussion of some topic.The subjects are selected based on the relevance to the topic under study.

A)experiments
B)focus group
C)ethnomethodology
D)grounded theory
E)observation

Question 45

When a police officer goes undercover and joins the Ku Klux Klan in an effort to determine if there are any criminal activities being planned,he/she has engaged in _________.

A)simple observation
B)participant observation
C)natural observation
D)experimental observation
E)complex observation

Question 46

Sadie studied one family over several months to describe the social dynamics in the family.Which paradigm did she use?

A)ethnography
B)naturalism
C)focus group
D)case study
E)participatory action research

Question 47

The most appropriate first step in field research is to

A)identify informants.
B)search the relevant literature.
C)establish rapport with the people to be observed.
D)write a draft of your final report.
E)write a proposal

Question 48

Lorenzo did a study of delinquents in high school and wanted to understand delinquents as they make sense of their social worlds.He was particularly interested in the taken for granted expectations that the delinquents followed.Lorenzo was using which paradigm?

A)ethnomethodology
B)participatory action research
C)naturalism
D)grounded theory
E)case studies

Question 49

Harry,an ethnographer,lived among the homeless in Queens,New York,for a year,and has recently written a book on his observations.Based on his experiences that the homeless took care of each other in Queens,he concludes that homeless people will take care of one another in all locations.In stating that conclusion,Harry has committed the

A)ecological fallacy.
B)individual fallacy.
C)group fallacy.
D)aggregate fallacy.
E)ethnographic fallacy.

Question 50

In addition to performing interviews for research purposes,Piet began to serve as a resource to them by providing contacts for social services.He worked with them to understand their problems and how they could be remedied,and directed his research in a way that would benefit them and reduce their plight.Which paradigm did Piet use?

A)participatory action research
B)case study
C)ethnography
D)naturalism
E)institutional ethnography

Question 51

In order to conduct a productive qualitative interview,an interviewer needs to establish:

A)rapport
B)distance
C)separation
D)power differential
E)friendship

Question 52

John studied underground miners by becoming a miner.He became increasingly concerned about his role,how he might affect what he studied,and how much he should become involved in the lives of the miners.He gave these issues a lot of thought,particularly regarding their impact on the study.This sense of things acting on themselves is known as

A)indexicality.
B)focus groups.
C)symbolic realism.
D)reflexivity.
E)sensibility

Question 53

If we are interested in studying the rates of divorce,illness or domestic violence in field research,we are focusing on _____________.

A)groups
B)organizations
C)roles
D)episodes
E)practices

Question 54

A researcher who is interested in studying the effects of poverty in a low-income neighborhood introduces himself to the residents as a researcher,and informs them of his research interest.In gathering data,not only does he observe and record the routine activities of these residents,but also participates in neighborhood council meetings,and even accompanies some of the residents to employment agencies.This researcher is known as a(n)________.

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

Question 55

_______________ research is the process whereby the disadvantaged subjects define their problems,define the remedies desired,and take the lead in designing the research that will help them realize their aims.

A)Oppression
B)Civil rights
C)Correction
D)Participatory action
E)Beneficial

Question 56

Research that is a process of producing knowledge and political outcomes that are beneficial to oppressed people is known as

A)oppression research.
B)civil rights research.
C)emancipatory research.
D)correction research.
E)beneficial research.

Question 57

The following are all sampling strategies in field research except

A)random sampling.
B)quota sampling.
C)snowball sampling.
D)purposive sampling.
E)These are all sampling strategies used in field research.

Question 58

If a researcher was conducting field research within a labor union protest,and found herself neither believing nor disbelieving in the union's stance,,she is experiencing:

A)naturalism
B)reflexivity
C)non-reflexivity
D)reaction
E)universality

Question 59

The paradigm that is based on the assumption that social reality is "out there," ready to be observed and reported by the researcher as it "really is" is known as

A)ethnomethodology.
B)symbolic realism.
C)naturalism.
D)extended case method.
E)institutional ethnography

Question 60

Focus groups are typically used in

A)post-experiment debriefing.
B)educational research.
C)developing a theory.
D)marketing research.
E)therapy

Question 61

Qualitative field researchers must always participate in what they are studying.

Question 62

A focus group is organized to bring together as diverse a population as possible.

Question 63

Advocates of PAR equate access to information with power.

Question 64

Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory.

Question 65

Focus group participants are typically selected via probability samples.

Question 66

In his study of the behavior of psychiatric nurses,Lamilton is concerned with reactivity amongst the study population.Which of the following would likely NOT be a concern regarding reactivity?

A) the nurses might ignore his presence and not provide useful information to observe.
B) the nurses may act differently than they normally would due to his presence
C) the nurses may ask him to leave
D) the nurses may ask for transfer or reassignment to not be observed
E) the nurses may intentionally not converse amongst each other while at work.

Question 67

Journalists and social scientists differ with regard to interviews in their

A) methods used.
B) relationship to data.
C) recording of interviews.
D) presentation to interviewees.
E) use of interview guides.

Question 68

In most interviewing protocols,it is usually better to establish rapport before proceeding with difficult or sensitive topics.

Question 69

One of the advantages of field research is that it raises very few ethical concerns.

Question 70

Unstructured interviews are less appropriate for field designs than structured interviews.

Question 71

The questions we want to answer in our research determine the types of methods we need to use.

Question 72

Specific methods do not link to specific paradigms.

Question 73

Field researchers are like journalists; the two share a similar relationship to data.

Question 74

Researchers who assume the role of the complete participant are unlikely to affect what they are studying.

Question 75

The complete participant must be a genuine member of the group that he or she is studying.

Question 76

Qualitative field researchers should wait to record observations until enough time has passed to put the events in a proper perspective.

Question 77

Qualitative field research differs from other forms of observation in that it is both a data-collecting and a theory-generating activity.

Question 78

Your field notes should record what you know happened,NOT what you think happened.

Question 79

The extended case study approach is a valuable technique for deciding whether to reject or approve a theory.

Question 80

The terms "field research" and "participant observation" are synonyms.