Research Methods Overview
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Questions and Answers

Which of the following types of interviews is characterized by a specific set of instructions guiding the questions?

  • Semi-structured interviews
  • Focus groups
  • Structured interviews (correct)
  • Unstructured interviews

Ethical research requires participants to provide informed consent.

True (A)

What is the primary focus of critical discourse analysis?

The study of how language relates to social practice and power dynamics.

In research, the assumption of a link between power and _____ is fundamental to critical discourse analysis.

<p>language</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the types of interviews with their characteristics:

<p>Structured interviews = Specific set of instructions Semi-structured interviews = Combination of structure and flexibility Unstructured interviews = Little control over informant's responses Focus groups = Discussion among small groups</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary characteristic of secondary research?

<p>Performed by other researchers or sources (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Anonymity ensures that participants are not identifiable during a study.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one potential drawback of unstructured interviews?

<p>Low generalization</p> Signup and view all the answers

The process of conversation analysis originated in _____ and examines social interaction.

<p>ethnomethodology</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following biases is associated with semi-structured interviews?

<p>Social desirability bias (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of variable consists of categories with no inherent order?

<p>Nominal variables (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Independent variables are measured but not manipulated in a study.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the measure of central tendency that represents the most frequently occurring value?

<p>Mode</p> Signup and view all the answers

In statistics, the ______ is the difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set.

<p>Range</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of sampling leads to a distortion in the representativeness of a sample?

<p>Sample bias (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a segment of the population selected for investigation?

<p>Sample</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do we call a variable that varies in relation to an independent variable?

<p>Dependent variable (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms with their descriptions:

<p>Population = Universe of units from which a sample is selected Representative sample = Accurately reflects the population Sample bias = Distortion in representativeness of a sample Sampling frame = List of units from which to draw a sample</p> Signup and view all the answers

Causation implies that two variables are correlated, but correlation does not imply causation.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is measured to understand how spread out values are around the mean?

<p>Standard Deviation</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one advantage of guided conversations?

<p>Non-reactive insights into personal stories (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Ethnography involves being immersed in a group for a short period of time.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of research provides insight into the relationship between different social groups and processes?

<p>Policy and case analysis</p> Signup and view all the answers

The ___________ Act allows Canadian citizens to access personal information held by the government.

<p>Privacy</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the research methods with their primary focus:

<p>Ethnography = Understanding cultural behavior Content analysis = Identifying patterns in communication Ethnomethodology = Studying unconscious belief systems Surveys = Systematic collection of information</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which is NOT a characteristic of guided conversations?

<p>Highly structured format (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Reliability refers to the accuracy with which a study measures what it claims to measure.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What identifies the underlying codes and belief systems in everyday interactions?

<p>Ethnomethodology</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a survey, _____________ refers to the % of sample that agrees to participate.

<p>response rate</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the type of survey with its description:

<p>Cross-sectional = Snapshot of one point in time Longitudinal = Patterns over time Trend study = Changes in the same population Panel study = Changes with the same individuals</p> Signup and view all the answers

The Access to Information Act provides citizens access to any record controlled by the federal government.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are common elements assessed during document validation in social research?

<p>Authenticity, credibility, sincerity, accuracy</p> Signup and view all the answers

Essentials of content analysis include identifying ____________, themes, and meanings in communication.

<p>patterns</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of sampling involves selecting a subject because of a specific characteristic?

<p>Purposive sampling (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Increasing the size of a sample guarantees precision in the results.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a confidence interval?

<p>An estimated range of values likely to include an unknown population parameter.</p> Signup and view all the answers

_______ sampling uses an interval to select the desired sample size to ensure adequate representation.

<p>Systematic</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the sampling type with its description:

<p>Simple Random Sampling = Each subject has an equal chance to be selected Stratified Random Sampling = Subjects selected from various subgroups Cluster Random Sampling = Samples chosen from pre-existing groups Convenience Sampling = Subjects are easily accessible</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about sampling error is true?

<p>It refers to the difference between the sample and the entire population. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Random assignment in experiments ensures unbiased group composition.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of an experiment?

<p>To demonstrate whether something is true and examine the validity of a hypothesis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

In qualitative research, _______ refers to the in-depth understanding of human behavior in natural settings.

<p>ethnography</p> Signup and view all the answers

What sampling method involves an initial contact with a small group followed by referrals to more people?

<p>Snowball sampling (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Scientific Method

A systematic approach to research involving explicit procedures, open to scrutiny, and based on a consensus of agreed-upon assumptions and methodologies.

Primary Research

Research conducted by the researcher directly, involving firsthand observation and study.

Secondary Research

Research using existing data or studies conducted by others to draw conclusions or argue a point.

Conversation Analysis

Focuses on the study of unspoken rules that structure social interaction, rooted in ethnomethodology.

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Discourse Analysis

Examines how language, including verbal and visual elements, constructs social reality and its effects.

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Critical Discourse Analysis

Combines disciplines to explore how language reflects and reinforces power dynamics and social control.

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Voluntary Participation

Ethical principle requiring participants to freely choose to participate without coercion.

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Informed Consent

Participants must be fully informed about the research procedures, risks, and potential benefits before participating.

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Structured Interviews

Interviews using a standardized set of questions and procedures for data collection.

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Semi-Structured Interviews

Interviews with a pre-determined list of questions but allowing flexibility for follow-up and exploration.

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Focus Group

A moderated discussion with a small group of individuals on a specific topic, designed to gather qualitative data and insights.

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Moderator

The facilitator of a focus group who guides the discussion, encourages participation, and ensures that all topics are covered.

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Advantages of Focus Groups

Focus groups offer rich content, insights into personal stories and life structures, are flexible, and provide fast results at low cost.

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Disadvantages of Focus Groups

Focus groups can be unnatural settings, limit behavior to verbal responses, offer less control than interviews, and data analysis can be challenging.

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Historical Research

Research that aims to understand how specific individuals behaved in the past and document how realities or practices developed.

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Ethnography

A research method where the researcher immerses themselves in a group for an extended period, observing behavior, listening to conversations, and asking questions. Often focuses on the culture of a group.

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Ethnomethodology

The study of the codes and unconscious belief systems that underlie everyday actions and utterances.

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Content Analysis

A systematic and detailed examination of a body of material to identify patterns, themes, biases, and meanings.

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Access to Information Act

A Canadian law that grants citizens the right to access records held by federal government institutions.

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Privacy Act

A Canadian law that protects citizens' personal information held by the government from unauthorized use and disclosure.

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Authenticity of Documents

Assessing the genuineness of a document, verifying its authorship, and using internal and external evidence to support its claims.

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Credibility of Documents

Evaluating the distortion present in the document's content.

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Reliability

The consistency of a research study, test, or measuring procedure in yielding the same results on repeated trials.

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Validity

The accuracy of a study in reflecting or assessing the concepts the researcher is trying to measure.

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Survey

A research method using a large sample and closed-ended questions to gather data about a population, focusing on breadth over depth.

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Operationalization

The process of converting abstract concepts into measurable variables. Researchers identify empirical indicators and create research instruments to measure these concepts.

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Independent Variable

A variable that is manipulated or controlled by the researcher. Its variation is relatively understood, and it's often seen as the cause.

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Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured or observed in a study. It's expected to vary in relation to the independent variable, and it represents the effect or outcome of the research.

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Nominal Variable

A variable with categories that are distinct and have no inherent order or ranking between them.

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Ordinal Variable

A variable with categories that can be ranked, but the distance between these categories is not necessarily equal or known.

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Interval/Ratio Variable

A variable with categories that are ranked and have equal intervals between them, allowing for meaningful comparisons.

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Correlation

A statistical relationship between two variables where they vary together, but doesn't necessarily mean one causes the other.

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Causation

A relationship where one variable directly influences another, causing it to vary.

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Spurious Relationship

A relationship between two variables that appears to be caused by one another, but is actually caused by a third, unseen variable.

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Measures of Dispersion

Statistics that describe how spread out or varied the data points are in a distribution. They help understand the variability around the central tendency.

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Sampling Error

The discrepancy between the characteristics of a sample and the population it represents.

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Simple Random Sampling (SRS)

Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.

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Stratified Random Sampling (STRS)

Dividing the population into subgroups based on relevant characteristics and then randomly selecting from each subgroup.

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Cluster Random Sampling (CRS)

Dividing the population into clusters and randomly selecting clusters, then sampling from selected clusters.

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Systematic Sampling (SS)

Selecting every nth member of the population based on a predetermined interval.

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Convenience Sampling

Selecting participants based on their availability and ease of access.

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Purposive Sampling

Selecting participants based on specific characteristics or knowledge relevant to the research topic.

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Snowball Sampling

Starting with a few individuals and then asking them to refer more participants with similar characteristics.

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Margin of Error

The potential difference between the true value of a population characteristic and the value estimated from a sample.

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Confidence Interval

A range of values that likely includes the true value of a population characteristic.

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Study Notes

Research Methods Overview

  • Scholarly Research Process: A cyclical process encompassing epistemology (knowledge), literature review, theorization, hypothesis/questions, research design, ethics, data collection, analysis, and findings/theorization.

Scientific Method

  • Nature: Logically reasoned, following explicit procedures and open to scrutiny, with a consensus on assumptions and methods.
  • Popper's Hypothetico-Deductive Scheme: A framework for hypothesis testing in research.

Types of Research

  • Primary Research: Conducted firsthand by the researcher often through observation or direct study.
  • Secondary Research: Conducted by others to summarize or analyze existing information to support conclusions.
  • Conversation Analysis: A method stemming from ethnomethodology, focusing on understanding taken-for-granted rules of social interaction.
  • Discourse Analysis: Examines language and its social impact, encompassing talk, text & images, focusing on how language shapes social reality.
  • Critical Discourse Analysis: An interdisciplinary approach to discourse, examining how power structures are reproduced through language.

Ethical Considerations

  • Voluntary Participation: Participants must not be coerced into participation.
  • Informed Consent: Participants must understand the research procedures and associated risks.
  • Protection from Harm: Researchers must ensure participant safety and well-being.
  • Confidentiality: Information collected will not be revealed to unauthorized parties.
  • Anonymity: Participants' identities are kept confidential throughout and after the research.
  • Privacy: Participants control access to their information.

Data Collection Methods

  • Interviews:
    • Structured Interviews: Use a standardized questionnaire, ensuring reliability, but potentially limiting flexibility.
    • Semi-Structured Interviews: Combine structured and unstructured approaches, offering flexibility and depth, but potentially losing some control.
    • Unstructured Interviews: Allow for flexibility and in-depth exploration but may compromise reliability and generalizability.
  • Focus Groups: Involve small groups discussing a specific topic, providing rich data, but with limitations in control and analysis.
  • Historical/Policy/Case Study Analysis: Examines past events/present-day cases, situations, and institutions. Includes descriptive, interpretive, explanatory, and reformative claims about past or present cases.
  • Ethnography: Immersive fieldwork method, observing and interviewing individuals within a specific culture/group to understand their behaviors and practices.
  • Content Analysis: Systematic examination of texts, images, or other communication forms to identify patterns, themes, and biases.

Assessment of Documents

  • Authenticity: Verifying the genuineness of a document (originality).
  • Credibility: Assessing the biases or distortions embedded in a document.
  • Sincerity/Accuracy: Judging the honesty and truthfulness of information presented in the document.
  • Meaning: Understanding the significance and interpretation of document contents.

Validity & Reliability

  • Validity: The accuracy of a study's measurement of the intended concepts.
  • Reliability: The consistency of a study's results across repeated trials.

Surveys

  • Types: Cross-sectional (one point in time), longitudinal (over time), trend study (same population over time), panel study (same people over time).
  • Survey Considerations: Response rate, interviewer effects, respondent bias, questionnaire quality.

Operationalization

  • Translating Concepts into Measures: The process of defining and measuring abstract concepts in a research study.

Variables and Data Analysis

  • Variables: Qualities that units of analysis vary on (ex., age, gender, income).
  • Independent/Dependent Variables: Independent variables are manipulated; dependent variables are measured.
  • Types of Variables: Categorical (nominal, ordinal), interval/ratio.
  • Correlation vs. Causation: Correlation describes a relationship; causation implies one variable influences another.
  • Descriptive Statistics: Used to describe data characteristics (measures of central tendency: mean, median, mode), dispersion (range, variance, standard deviation), and diagrams (bar, pie, histograms). Inferential statistics extend beyond immediate data to broader conclusions.
  • Statistical Inference: Reaching conclusions about populations based on sample data.

Sampling

  • Probability Sampling: Each unit in the population has a known probability of selection (simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster).
  • Non-probability Sampling: Units have an unknown or non-equal probability of selection (convenience, purposive, snowball, quota).
  • Sample Size: Influenced by population size and variability, impacting the precision of results.

Experiments

  • Design: Researchers create control and experimental groups, random assignment, pretesting, and post-testing.
  • Goal: To determine causal relationships between variables.

Access to Information and Privacy (Canada)

  • Canada's Access to Information Act: Empowers citizens to request access to government records.
  • Canada's Privacy Act: Recognizes individual rights to access personal information held by the government.

Key Research Terms

  • Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research: Qualitative research focuses on in-depth understanding; quantitative research focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis.
  • Concepts: Abstract ideas being studied in research.
  • Data: Empirical information collected.

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Description

Explore the fundamental concepts of research methods, including the scholarly research process, the scientific method, and various types of research like primary and secondary research. This quiz covers essential frameworks and analytical approaches such as conversation analysis and discourse analysis.

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