36 Questions
What is the primary focus of the course LE 362: Research Methods II?
Data Collection-Qualitative
What is the purpose of obtaining permission in qualitative data collection?
To gain greater access to participants and sites
What is the role of a self-designed protocol in qualitative data collection?
To record data using audio or video recorders
What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative data collection?
Quantitative data collection involves the collection of numerical data
What is the purpose of random sampling in qualitative data collection?
To ensure that the sample is representative of the population
What is the role of audio or video recorders in qualitative data collection?
To record data during self-designed protocol
What is the primary purpose of snowball sampling?
To locate people or sites to study
What type of data is collected through unstructured interviews, focus groups, and open-ended questionnaires?
Text data
What is the goal of observing people's behaviour in a given setting?
To understand the setting within which observation occurs
What is the term for taking advantage of whatever case unfolds?
Opportunistic Sampling
What type of information is gathered through observation?
Qualitative data
What is included in the process of observation?
Systematic viewing, recording, description, analysis, and interpretation
What is an example of private records that can be used in research?
Journals
What is an advantage of using observation in research?
It provides an opportunity to understand the setting within which it occurs
What is the primary intent of maximal variation sampling?
To develop many perspectives
What is the purpose of extreme case sampling?
To study an outlier or exceptional case
Which sampling strategy is used to describe a subgroup with defined characteristics?
Homogeneous sampling
What is the primary intent of critical sampling?
To illustrate a situation or exceptional case dramatically
What is the purpose of theory or concept sampling?
To generate a theory or explore a concept
Which sampling strategy is used to describe what is typical?
Typical sampling
What might lead to challenges in conducting observational research?
Unaccustomed to formal research settings
What is a potential limitation of observational research?
Deception by people being observed
What type of questions are used in semi-structured interviews?
A mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions
What is a characteristic of unstructured or informal interviews?
Respondents freely express their views
What is an advantage of using unstructured or informal interviews?
It is more flexible and yields better understanding
What is a key benefit of using interviews in research?
Ability to probe for better understanding and clarification
What is a characteristic of one-to-one interviews?
Involves a single respondent
What is a key difference between structured and unstructured interviews?
Structured interviews use a standardized process or order
What is a major challenge associated with unstructured interviews?
They tend to confuse participants and are difficult to analyze.
What is a characteristic of structured interviews?
They employ closed questions and are easy to quantify.
What is a limitation of structured interviews?
They are inflexible and do not allow for probing.
What is a benefit of using semi-structured interviews?
They are flexible and can generate in-depth data.
What is a common criticism of unstructured interviews?
They are too flexible and do not allow for quantification.
What is a characteristic of semi-structured interviews?
They combine both open-ended and closed questions.
What is an advantage of using interviews in research?
They provide useful information when direct observation is not possible.
What is a limitation of unstructured interviews?
They are time-consuming and difficult to analyze.
Study Notes
Data Collection in Research
- Data collection is a crucial part of the research process and can be categorized into two types: quantitative and qualitative data collection.
Qualitative Data Collection
- This type of data collection involves collecting non-numerical data, which is often descriptive and in-depth.
- Steps involved in collecting qualitative data include:
- Identifying participants and sites
- Obtaining permission for greater access
- Designing few open-ended questions
- Administering data collection with sensitivity
- Using self-designed protocols, audio or video recorders
Sampling Strategies
- Random sampling: selecting participants randomly
- Purposeful sampling strategies:
- Maximal variation sampling: to develop many perspectives
- Extreme case sampling: studying outlier cases
- Typical sampling: describing typical cases
- Critical sampling: dramatically illustrating a situation
- Homogeneous sampling: describing a subgroup in depth
- Theory or concept sampling: generating a theory or exploring a concept
- Opportunistic sampling: taking advantage of whatever case unfolds
- Snowball sampling: locating people or sites to study
- Confirming/disconfirming sampling: exploring to confirm or disconfirm cases
Qualitative Data Types
- Interviews
- Observations
- Documents
- Audiovisual materials
- Field notes and drawings
Observations
- Systematic viewing, recording, description, analysis, and interpretation of people's behavior in a given setting
- Aim: to understand the setting and individuals being observed
- Requires good listening skills and careful attention to visual details
- Challenges: potential deception, initial awkwardness, and management of these issues
Interviews
- Means of securing oral responses from research participants
- Types of interviews:
- One-to-one interviews
- Semi-structured interviews
- Focus group interviews
- Telephone interviews
- Unstructured interviews
Unstructured or Informal Interviews
- Open-ended questions without an interview guide or predetermined set of questions
- Respondents freely express their views
- Interaction appears like a normal conversation
- Advantages: flexible, yields better understanding, and allows for probing
- Disadvantages: analysis of data is difficult, time-consuming, and may confuse participants
Structured Interviews
- Use of a list of predetermined set of questions in a standardized format
- Advantages: easy to quantify, test for reliability, and conduct interviews swiftly
- Disadvantages: inflexible, cannot generate in-depth data, and may not allow for probing
Semi-structured Interviews
- Combination of closed and open-ended questions
- Questions are well-set out, but not followed in a strict order
- Advantages: allows for probing, flexible, and generates deeper insight
- Disadvantages: may not be as replicable as structured interviews
This quiz is based on the course outline for Research Methods II, covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and interpretation, as well as ethics and dissertation report writing. It is designed for students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.
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