Question 1

Respondents are research participants defined as speaking only for themselves.

Accepted Answer

Respondents are individuals who provide information or data in response to questions or surveys for research purposes. They are expected to speak only for themselves and not on behalf of any other person or group.

Question 2

An interviewer's personal characteristics will not affect how an interviewee responds to the interview.

Accepted Answer

An interviewer's personal characteristics, such as their tone of voice, body language, or biases, can have an impact on how an interviewee responds to the interview. The interviewee may feel more comfortable and open with an interviewer who exhibits positive characteristics, while a negative or hostile interviewer may elicit guarded or defensive responses.

Question 3

A researcher's dress, language, body language, vocabulary, status, and gender might all affect the outcome of the interview.

Accepted Answer

The way a researcher presents themselves can influence the interviewee's level of comfort and openness, as well as how they interpret and respond to the questions asked. Factors such as dress, language, body language, vocabulary, and status can all play a role in shaping the dynamic of the interview. Additionally, the researcher's gender can potentially affect how the interviewee responds, as there may be gendered power dynamics at play.

Question 4

Because the participants in an interview or discussion are typically selected judgmentally by the researcher, there can be questions about the validity of sampling.

Accepted Answer

Judgmental sampling is not a random sampling technique, which can affect the representativeness and generalizability of the findings. Thus, there can be questions about the validity of sampling.

Question 5

The variability of human behavior over time puts a question mark over the reliability of findings from qualitative methods research.

Accepted Answer

The variability of human behavior means that qualitative research findings may not be able to be repeated or may not be generalizable to other contexts or time periods. Therefore, there is some level of uncertainty or question about the reliability of qualitative research findings.

Question 6

Informants are research participants defined as being able to talk about others as well as about themselves.

Accepted Answer

Informants are research participants who can share information about others in addition to themselves. They often provide valuable insights and perspectives in research studies.

Question 7

Qualitative data cannot be analyzed using computer software.

Accepted Answer

Qualitative data can be analyzed using computer software, such as NVivo or MAXQDA, which offer features for organizing, coding, and analyzing text, audio, or video data.

Question 8

Preconceived categories are essential for the analysis of qualitative data.

Accepted Answer

Preconceived categories can limit the analysis of qualitative data, which often benefits from an open-ended approach to identify emerging themes and patterns.

Question 9

Focus groups cannot be conducted online.

Accepted Answer

Focus groups can be conducted online through video conferencing platforms and virtual discussion boards.

Question 10

A strength of focus groups is that researchers observe human communication in its natural settings.

Accepted Answer

Focus groups are a form of qualitative research where participants are selected to discuss and provide feedback on a specific topic in a controlled setting, which is not necessarily their natural communication environment.

Question 11

The reliability of focus group results can be answered by running a second focus group and comparing the results with those from the first group.

Accepted Answer

Running a second focus group and comparing the results with those from the first group can help to determine if the findings are consistent and therefore reliable. This is a common practice in market research to ensure the accuracy of results.

Question 12

Respondents are research participants defined as being able to talk about others as well as about themselves.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Respondents are research participants defined as being...

Question 13

Interviews generally consist of a series of questions asked by a researcher in order to elicit information he or she is interested in.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Interviews are a common research method used to gather information from participants by asking a series of questions.

Question 14

The "constant comparative method" basically means testing new statements or ideas against categories and then reworking the categories as data analysis proceeds.

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately describes the constant comparative method.

Question 15

Analytic notes are the notes an ethnographer writes to make sense of or interpret raw data and observations.

Accepted Answer

Analytic notes are a valuable tool for ethnographers to reflect on their observations and make sense of their data. These notes serve as a way for the ethnographer to identify patterns, themes, and meanings within their observations, and ultimately, to develop a comprehensive understanding of the cultural context they are studying.

Question 16

The concept of "theory as grounded in data" means that a theory must be in place as a prerequisite to data analysis.

Accepted Answer

The concept of "theory as grounded in data" means that a theory must emerge from the data analysis, rather than being in place beforehand. The theory is informed and supported by the data, rather than the other way around.

Question 17

Descriptive notes record the specific methods an ethnographer uses to gather data.

Accepted Answer

Descriptive notes record detailed observations of the ethnographer's experiences and the environment, not the specific methods used to gather data.

Question 18

The concept of "theory as grounded in data" means that a theory is expected to emerge as data analysis proceeds.

Accepted Answer

The concept of "theory as grounded in data" is the basis of grounded theory methodology in which the theory is expected to emerge from the data analysis process. The theory is not imposed on the data but is derived from it.

Question 19

The basis of most analyses of qualitative data is categorization.

Accepted Answer

Categorization involves organizing qualitative data into groups or themes based on commonalities, and is a fundamental step in the analysis of qualitative data. From these categories, patterns and themes can be identified and interpreted.

Question 20

"Coding" typically means assigning units of information to a category.

Accepted Answer

Coding involves the process of assigning codes or categories to units of information for the purpose of analysis or organization.

Quiz 13: Qualitative Understanding of Communication Behavior: Interviews, Focus Groups, and Ethnography