Research Methods

Question 1

What is science? /5

Answer 1

a way to produce knowledge based on a specific method

begins with a theory

involves the using empirical observation to collect data

uses logic to compare the evidence yo the theory

social institution

Question 2

What is a theory? /2

Answer 2

an idea about how the world works

may come from agreement reality

Question 3

What is empirical observation?

Answer 3

personal experience

Question 4

What is Natural Sciences?

Answer 4

study naturally occurring objects or phenomena

ex. light, objects, matter, earth, celestial bodies, human body

Question 5

What are the natural sciences classified as disciplines? /6

Answer 5

physics - science of physical objects

chemistry - science of matter

geology - science of the earth

astronomy - science of celestial objects

biology - science of the human body

botany - science of plants

Question 6

What is Social Science?

Answer 6

science of people or collections of people

ex. groups, individual or collective behaviour

Question 7

What are the social sciences classified as disciplines? /5

Answer 7

psychology - science of human behaviour

sociology - science of culture

political science - science of politics and power

geography - science of humans in the natural world

economics - science of firms, markets, and economies

Question 8

What is the Scientific Method? /5

Answer 8

a way of developing and testing theories by empirical observation

logical

confirmable

repeatable

scrutinizable

Question 9

What does it mean when a theory is logical?

Answer 9

based on principles of reasoning

Question 10

What does it mean when an theory is confirmable?

Answer 10

must match the observed evidence

Question 11

What does it mean when an theory is repeatable? /2

Answer 11

other scientists should be able to independently replicate or repeat a scientific study

obtain similar or identical results

Question 12

What does it mean when an theory is scrutinizable?

Answer 12

procedures used and the inferences derived must withstand critical scrutiny (peer review) by other scientists

Question 13

What is a hypothesis? /2

Answer 13

a statement about something that is believed will happen or to be true

important step in the scientific method

Question 14

What is the research process? /7

Answer 14

identify the research problems
|
review the literature
|
select a research method
|
collect data
|
analyze data
|
report findings
|
restart/is a loop

Question 15

What types of study are there? /3

Answer 15

cross-sectional

longitudinal

comparative

Question 16

What is a cross-sectional study?

Answer 16

information gathered at a single point in time

Question 17

What is a longitudinal study?

Answer 17

information gathered at different points in time

Question 18

What is a comparative study?

Answer 18

use data from different sources and compare them

Question 19

What types of data are there? /2

Answer 19

quantitative data - based on numbers
ex. grades on a test

qualitative data - information that is not numerical
ex. how students feel before a test

Question 20

What are the different techniques for collecting data? /6

Answer 20

experiments

surveys

interviews

secondary analysis

content analysis

field research

Question 21

What are experiments? /4

Answer 21

carefully designed situations to test causes and effects

researcher can control other factors (pro)

not a realistic situation (con)

quasi-experiment

Question 22

What is a quasi-experiment?

Answer 22

researcher creates a situation which could yield different results

Question 23

What are surveys? /3

Answer 23

set of questions used to measure opinions or behaviours of a group of people

collect a lot of information from a large number of people quickly and easily (pro)

people say what they do, not what they ACTUALLY do (con)

Question 24

What are interviews? /3

Answer 24

researcher asks orally and records the answers

gets more information and ask follow-up questions (pro)

take a lot of time (con)

Question 25

What is a secondary analysis? /3

Answer 25

using and analyzing data collected by someone else easy to get (pro) not always what you need (con)

Question 26

What is a content analysis? /3

Answer 26

studying cultural artifacts (i.e., texts or images) free with no ethical issues (pro) may take a long time to code (con)

Question 27

What is a field research? /3

Answer 27

observing people where they live, work, and interact realistic (pro) takes a lot of time (con)

Question 28

What is a variable?

Answer 28

anything that can be measured ex. age, gender, marital status

Question 29

What is an attribute?

Answer 29

a characteristic of a variable ex. divorced, single, married are all attributes of the variable 'marital status'

Question 30

What is conceptualization? /2

Answer 30

clearly and specifically define what variables mean can be easy or difficult depending on the subject

Question 31

What is operationalization?

Answer 31

how to measure the concept being studied allows us to measure a concept in an objective, empirical way ex. how would you measure your income?

Question 32

What is an independent variable?

Answer 32

hypothetically causes or affects the other variable ex. studying

Question 33

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 33

the effect or outcome ex. improvement of grades

Question 34

What is a population?

Answer 34

all members of a group ex. all Canadians aged 18 and over

Question 35

What is a sample?

Answer 35

smaller part of a population of interest ex. 1000 Canadians aged 18 and over

Question 36

How do you tell whether a group is a sample or a population? /2

Answer 36

identify the population based on what it is that you wish to study. Remember that a sample is then selected from the population.

Question 37

What are the different types of samples? /8

Answer 37

systematic cluster stratified convenience voluntary representative biased random

Question 38

What is a systematic sample?

Answer 38

Go through your entire population choose every second, fifth, tenth, or nth member to be in your sample

Question 39

What is a cluster sample? /2

Answer 39

subgroup of the whole population you choose every member of one or more of these subgroups to be your sample

Question 40

What is a stratified sample? /2

Answer 40

specific type of group within the population proportional stratified sample- knowing the proportion of each type of stratum within the population

Question 41

What is a convenience sample?

Answer 41

choosing the members of the population who are the easiest to reach

Question 42

What is a voluntary sample?

Answer 42

when people volunteer to be in the sample

Question 43

What is a representative sample?

Answer 43

relevant characteristics of the sample members are generally the same as the characteristics of the population

Question 44

What is a biased sample? /2

Answer 44

certain characteristics are over-represented or under-represented not accurate

Question 45

What is a simple random sample? /2

Answer 45

best way to get a representative sample each member of the population has the same chance of being selected

Question 46

What are the ethics in research? /4

Answer 46

we cannot treat them the same way we would inanimate objects established certain principles guiding research with people must be given consent respect of privacy (confidentiality and anonymity

Question 47

What are the three principles guiding research with people? /3

Answer 47

Respect for the person Concern for welfare Justice

Question 48

What is confidentiality?

Answer 48

researcher will know the person but will not publish any identifying information about them

Question 49

What is anonymity?

Answer 49

even the researcher does not know the person