Midterm Flashcards
(108 cards)
1
Q
Focus groups
A
Interviewing several people together
2
Q
Content analysis
A
Qualitative analysis of texts and documents
3
Q
Participatory action research
A
Engage participants to create social change
4
Q
Qualitative research
A
Focuses on humans lived reality
Inductive reasoning
Participant meanings as key
Identifying definition of situation
Social settings as highly complex and affecting outcomes
Understanding in agreed upon experiences
5
Q
Quantitative research
A
Focus on their development and testing
Deductive reasoning
Researches meanings as key
Objective definitions
Truth as an objective reality with consistent conclusions
6
Q
Normative
A
Prescriptive
Based on region and logic
Especially in political theory and philosophy
7
Q
Empirical
A
Descriptive
Based primarily on empirical evidence
Generally in IR and comparative politics
8
Q
What is theory?
A
An explanation of observed regularities or patterns
Can be descriptive, explicative, and predicative
Theory can guide research, research can guide theory
9
Q
Common components of theory
A
Definitions: what are key terms
Descriptions: what are the characteristics
Relational statements: how are variables related to
10
Q
Middle range theories
A
Limited in scope
Testable
EX. Anomie by Merton, suicide by Durkheim
11
Q
Ground theories
A
General and abstract
Provide ways to look at the world
EX. Feminism
12
Q
Deductive method
A
Most common approach to social research
Begins with theory
Understanding specific phenomenon through background research
Develop hypotheses
Test with empirical data
13
Q
Inductive method
A
Theories and interpretations as the outcome of observations and findings
Gather and examine data first, then create theory
14
Q
Epistemology
A
How do we know the world?
How is knowledge acquired?
Positivism, interpretivism, critical approach
15
Q
Positivism
A
Follows the natural sciences
Uses the principle of empiricism
Uses deduction to generate hypothesis to test
Can provide foundation for induction
Science as value free
Scientific statements of key importance
16
Q
Interpretivism
A
Critique of positivism
Goal to grasp subjective meaning of people’s lives
People interpret the reality of their own lives
Views social world from view of social order
17
Q
Empathetic understanding
A
Understanding another persons experience by imagining oneself in the other persons position
18
Q
Interpretation of existence
A
Actualization of essence
Carrying something out behind man’s control
19
Q
Symbolic interactionism
A
Humans use of shared language to create universal symbols and meanings
20
Q
Critical approaches
A
Critique of positivism
Rejects value free science
Uses deductive and inductive approach
Anti oppressive
21
Q
Praxis
A
Putting theoretical positions into practice
22
Q
Objectivist perspective
A
Social phenomena have an objective reality independent of perceptions
23
Q
Constructionist perspective
A
Hard
Reality as a set of mental constructions
No facts, only interpretations
Soft
Objective social reality marred by human interaction
24
Q
Ontology
A
Ontological assumptions about reality affect research question formulation and the way that research is carried out
25
Values
Researcher values
Bias can be present in choice of topic, formulation of question, choice of method, data collection and analysis, and conclusions
26
Reflexivity
Researches awareness that their values and decisions have research impact
Biases made explicit
27
Three different positions in value systems
Research should be value free
Research can’t be value free, but researchers must be explicit about values
Values in research as good and integral to guiding research
28
Politics in research
Who gets access to funding?
Who gets access to research subjects and participants?
What research findings are acceptable?
29
Formulating a research question when no research has been done
Qualitative exploratory research preferable
30
Formulating a research question when wanting to study individuals involved in illicit affairs
Need to develop rapport with subjects
Research orientations must match question being asked
31
Research questions should be
Clear
Researchable
Related to an established theory
Not to broad or narrow
32
Norms of qualitative research
Tends to be inductive
Tends to be interpretivism
Often constructivism
Naturalist perspective
33
Steps in qualitative research
1. Establish a general question
2. Select a relevant site and subjects
3. Collect the data
4. Interpret the data
5. Conceptual and theoretical work
6. Write up findings and conclusions
34
Criteria for trustworthy research
Credibility
Transferability
Dependability
Confirmability
35
Research ethics
Needs to be addressed in the initial stages of a tidy
Should be kept in mind throughout study
First priority to ensure that those participating are not harmed by study
Knowledge as a secondary interest
Risk assessment and balance between risk and benefit
36
Tri council policy
SSHCR, CIHR, NSERC branches of the tri council
Policy in place to prevent participant harm
Researcher may not always see all the possible risks
All Canadian research requires thus approval
Also may need to go through institutional REBs
Quantitative work easier to approve
Respect for persons, justice, concern for welfare
37
Respect for persons
Research participants not as objects
Basic human rights must be respected
Most fundamental of the three principles
Informed consent as free and ongoing (agents give consent for those who can’t)
Difficult because you don’t always know what will happen in the study, informed consent impractical in ethnography, and deception needed for some studies
38
Info sheet
Medium of getting consent
Names of researchers
How data will be saved and published
Affiliated groups
Commitments to confidentiality
39
Concern for welfare
Concern for peoples well being
Ensuring right to privacy
Confidentiality maintained through ensuring all information
40
Problems with covert research
Intrusive
No consent
No concern for reactivity
Permission to use data after the fact
41
Duty to report
Must report abuse and crime
Mandatory reporting rules before study
Setting boundaries
42
Justice
Burdens and benefits should be spread equally across society
No person or group should be explained
Inclusivity in sample groups
Principle of no harm should be followed
43
Positionality
Understanding what you bring to research
Understanding how you may have shaped research results
44
Ethnography
Study of people and their culture in naturally occurring settings
Behaviour observed in an unstructured way by carrying out interviews and discussions
Goal to describe life of the community from the participants point of view with little outside influence
Seen as synonymous with participant observation but is a more inclusive term
Origins in anthropology and sociology
45
Access to the field
Key point for ethnography
Open settings may be harder to talk to people
Closed settings harder to access
46
Overt ethnography
People being studied know they are being observed by researcher
47
Covert ethnography
People being observed don’t know they are being studied
Comes with ethical concerns
48
Access to closed settings
Use friends and colleagues
Have a sponsor vouch for you
Offer something in return
Be willing to negotiate and provide clear goals
49
Gatekeepers
Someone who knows participants and introduces researcher
50
Ongoing access
People may get suspicious and sabotage results
To maintain access play up credentials, be likeable, and prepare to be adaptable
51
Key participants
Participants who are especially knowledgeable and cooperative
Drawback includes preferential treatment and information bias may affect results
52
Complete participant
Role for ethnographers where secret role taken to observe without participant knowledge
53
Complete observer
Researcher does not engage at all
No reactivity but limited contact with participants
54
Participant as observer
Researcher adopts role in the group
Risk of reactivity
55
Observer as participant
Researcher observed from the edge of the group
Risk of reactivity and incorrect interpretations
56
Field notes
Key source of data in ethnography
Detailed notes and reflections
Have to document as soon as possible
Mental, jotted, and full field notes
57
Visual ethnography
Uses visual marterials as sources of data and documents
Visual materials produced as memory aids
Difficulty stems from interpretation
58
Photo voice
Participants take photos of what they see
Transfers power
Participatory action research
59
Visual ethnography: realist approach
Material presented taken as fact
60
Reflexive approach
Awareness of how researcher influenced material
61
Institutional ethnography
Study of daily practice in institutions and how those reveal power inequalities
Looking at institutional discourse in daily activities
Identifies larger power structures
62
Purposive sampling: ethnography
Looking for people likely to be rich sources of information on a topic
63
Snowball sampling: ethnography
Viable contact used to identify those who may be willing to provide information
64
Probability sampling: ethnography
Almost never used
65
Theoretical sampling: ethnography
Type of purposive sampling
Used to discover categories and properties to theorize
Data collected and analyzes simultaneously to create theory
Collection continues until theirs is created
66
Berdahl and Roy reading
Social science research as involved in many areas in society
Can influence society, politics, attitudes, and values
Aim to contextualize and describe the political world
67
Berdahl and Roy: argument
Positions supported by reason
68
Berdahl and Roy: evidence
Information observed and measured in the world
69
Berdahl and Roy: scientific approach to politics
Using critical thinking as a guide to our perceptions of the political world
70
Berdahl and Roy: normative analysis
Realm of political theory and philosophy that is prescriptive in nature and puts forward his political and social life should be
71
Berdahl and Roy: Empirical analysis
Base arguments on evidence obtained from observation and measurement of physical and social world
72
Berdahl and Roy: intersubjectivity
Demonstrates that findings are not isolated to particular research, should be applicable in many scenarios to be valid
73
Berdahl and Roy: science
Agreed upon principles and rules
74
Berdahl and Roy: epistemology
Approach to knowledge
75
Berdahl and Roy: methodology
Way of obtaining knowledge
76
Berdahl and Roy: empiricism
Knowledge derived from real world observation rather than an institution
77
Berdahl and Roy: determinism
Idea that everything has a cause
78
Berdahl and Roy: objectivity
Belief that science should create an accurate representation of reality
79
Berdahl and Roy: replication
Belief knowledge is acquired through continuous application of scientific method
80
Berdahl and Roy: interpretivism
Not possible or desirable to separate observers from their observations
81
Berdahl and Roy: multi method
Research teams use a variety of different data methods
82
Berdahl and Roy: mixed method
Integrate qualitative and quantitative methods
83
Berdahl and Roy: peer review process
Peer evaluation to make more credible research
84
Bryman et al: deductive
Theory guides research
85
Bryman et al: inductive
Theory as an outcome of research
86
Bryman et al: epistemological issues
Ones to do with what is regarded as appropriate knowledge about the social world
87
Bryman et al: ontological issues
Ones to do with whether the social world is regarded as something external to social actors
88
Bryman et al: symbolic survey research
Using a structured survey research
89
Bryman et al: symbolic interactionism
Focuses on people fostering mutual languages and symbols
90
Bryman et al: hermeneutics
Term that is drawn from theology, concerned with interpretation of human action
91
Bryman et al: phenomenology
How individuals make sense of the world around them
92
Bryman et al: ontology
Concerned with the nature of social entities
93
Bryman et al: objectivism
Social factors as external
94
Bryman et al: constructionism
Organization and culture confront social actors as external realities
95
Birkenstein et al
Linguistic templates useful in academic writing
Critical thinking in writing to develop claims and work based on evidence
They say I say important formula
Arguments made to respond
Have to respond to something or your argument won’t have merit
Challenging standard ways of thinking
Avoiding plagerism by giving credit
Fostering intelligent writers and thinkers
96
Berg et al
Looking at social patterns and conditions
Theory as a general set of statements that describe phenomenon
Theory having general applicability
Concerts allowing information to be shared
Symbolic and definition elements of concepts
Theory and research strategies as compatible
Research bias
97
Hesse and bieber: Nuremberg code
Code of ethics stipulating participation as voluntary
98
Hesse and bieber: common rule
Those receiving deferral funding needing institutional review biards
99
Hesse and bieber: IRBs
Watching over research proposals with humans and animals
100
Stoker et al
Political science research as a dying art
Suggestions to revive political science
Make science research more relevant
Should be better at communicating results
Apply more to policy makers and problem solvers
Develop a capacity to create solutions
More co engaged work with actors outside academia
Wider role in creating civic democracy
101
Hoonaard et al
Field research to understand everyday lives of participants
Ethnography and ethnocentrism
Paradigm if savage ethnography
Chicago school of sociology conforming to primary goals
Access
Visual ethnography
102
Rich et al: direct observation
Collecting data by personal contact as it happens
Not common because political science is large scale, hard to get access to events, time consuming, and may be invalid
Can be helpful in the exploratory stage, qualitative studies, and when testing theories
103
Rich et al: structured observation
Use observation to construct an observation protocol
104
Rich et al: observation protocol
Tells the observer what to look for and how to record
105
Rich et al: unstructured observation
Observing without an observation protocol
106
Rich et al: observation schedule
Specific things to observe and system to stire
107
Rich et al: inter observer reliability
Degree to which different observers classify similar events
Reactivity more common
Importance of avoiding personal bias
108
Rich et al: inter observer reliability
Degree to which different observers classify similar events
Reactivity more common
Importance of avoiding personal bias
