Summary
Summary SPS5034 mutipul choices
- Module
- SPS5034 Research Design
- Institution
- University Of Glasgow
SPS5034 mutipul choices
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
CHAPTER 1When planning to do social research, it is better to:
Correct answer:
c) Be familiar with the literature on the topic
Feedback:
The importance of theory in social research is to help us to understand more clearly
how we see the world. The more we think about this the more we realize how
impractical it is to ignore 'theory'. Having an open mind is essential when it comes to
analysing our data, but which data? Familiarity with the literature on the topic is
important because it helps us to figure out our research questions and consequently,
the kind of data we need. Doing a pilot study is highly recommended once we have
established a research plan, not before.
Page reference: 4
Question 2
Which comes first, theory or research?
Correct answer:
c) It depends on your point of view
Feedback:
It depends on your point of view. Focusing on theory or research represent the two
main points of view in social research. Both viewpoints are felt deeply, even
passionately, by their holders and it is virtually impossible to declare a winner, as it
were. For some researchers, formulating and testing hypotheses is at the heart of
science, whereas for others, what may be true for the physical sciences is almost
certainly not appropriate to the social sciences. The question is meaningful, since the
strategies and methods followed in research stem directly from it. Even the research
results can be regarded as more, or less, reliable depending on the point of view. As
with many other aspects of human endeavour, outside the world of research the
question can be seen as yet another "chicken and egg" situation.
Page reference: 6,7
Question 3
We review the relevant literature to know:
Correct answer:
d) All of the above
Feedback:
We will probably not be able to do a complete review of all possible contributions to
our field of research because of time constraints. It is crucial, therefore, to identify the
key books and articles on the topic, in part by finding out who the most influential
contributors are. This is an area where supervisors should be able to help because they
1
, are possibly working in that area themselves. It is a waste of time to 'go over old
ground' and, in any event, we want to show we are up-to-date with the research area.
Naturally, we are not interested in just doing a 'copy and paste' job on what we read
but, rather, reading critically to find out the various points of view on offer and any
possible disagreements or controversies that may exist.
Page reference: 6
Question 4
A deductive theory is one that:
Correct answer:
b) Involves testing an explicitly defined hypothesis
Feedback:
A deduction is a conclusion drawn logically from an argument or a discussion of
things previously established or known. Deductions can be expressed as hypotheses
which can then be tested, so answer (b) must be correct. However, when we have
gathered and analysed the research data, the research findings can be fed back into our
existing knowledge, which is a form of induction, meaning answer (c) cannot be
correct. The usual application of inductive theory, however, is to allow theory to
emerge from our findings, so answer (a) cannot be correct, either. Finally, although it
is more likely for deductive theory to use quantitative methods and for inductive
approaches to use qualitative methods, we will see later in the book that the methods
can be mixed to good effect.
Page reference: 6
Question 5
Which of the following is not a type of research question?
Correct answer:
d) A hypothesis
Feedback:
Bryman (page 7) says that "a hypothesis is in a sense a form of research question" but
which is not formulated as a question. In a way, it provides the basis for research
questions, of which seven types are suggested in Key concept 1.1. These include
Denscombe's (2010) list, including answers (a), (b) and (c). The research question
forces us to think about what we want to find out precisely, as well as attempting to
prove or disprove the hypothesis. A hypothesis that something can be changed leads
naturally to research questions like 'how can it be changed', 'to what extent can it be
changed' and perhaps 'under which circumstances might it be changed'.
Page reference: 7, 8
Question 6
What does 'sampling cases' mean?
Correct answer:
d) Sampling people, newspapers, television programmes etc.
2
, Feedback:
Social research is mostly conducted on people but not exclusively. Newspaper articles
and television programmes can also supply useful research data, as can commercial
firms and public institutions, for example. A 'case' is the general, collective word used
for the unit of analysis. Sampling frames are essential if we want to make claims for
the general population from our sample, by making sure that each member of the
population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample. That means answer
(b) is not just incorrect for this question but for almost every other, unless we mean
people who have the appropriate criteria for our research. And as for the brief-
case...what, no laptop?
Page reference: 9
Question 7
Which of the following is not a data-collection method?
Correct answer:
a) Research questions
Feedback:
Later chapters go into the precise details of many data-collection methods, including
those shown in answers (b), (c) and (d). Interviewing implies asking questions to get
answers - data - , whether structured or unstructured. Clearly, questionnaires are
designed with the same intention in mind. Participant observation means, usually, that
a group of people is studied by a 'member' of that group, again with the intention of
gathering data. The problem with answer (a), although correct, is, as Bryman says "…
that we use the same word - question - for both research questions and the kind of
questions that are posed in questionnaires and interviews".
Page reference: 10
Question 8
Why is data analysis concerned with data reduction?
Correct answer:
b) Because we need to make sense of the data
Feedback:
When we look at all the data gathered, we then need to group similar bits of
qualitative data into categories and themes, and quantitative data into tables and
averages, so that we can see it more clearly. Literally, we make sense of the data in a
process called 'data reduction'. Answer (c) is incorrect, because the repetition of
responses across the sample might prove to be, itself, very interesting. Most research
suffers from having too little data, rather than too much, at least of the desired kind.
Finally, exceeding the sample size can never be bad if the additional cases satisfy the
selection criteria (see chapter 8).
Page reference: 11
Question 9
3
, The core ingredients of a dissertation are:
Correct answer:
d) Introduction; Literature review; Research methods; Results; Discussion;
Conclusion.
Feedback:
Different types of research may be written up slightly differently, just as different
publishers have different requirements. Your own institution has almost certainly
specified a required (or at least a recommended) layout and you must follow this
absolutely. Bryman's point is that most dissertations, theses and research articles have
an identifiable common core, as outlined in answer (d). The other answers are,
therefore, 'wrong' relatively speaking. All academic reporting must reference sources
fully; such reference lists, transcripts of interviews, full tabulations of quantitative
data, may be seen as appendices.
Page reference: 12, 13
Question 10
Because of the number of things that can go wrong in research there is a need for:
Correct answer:
a) Flexibility and perseverance
Feedback:
Answer (a) is the correct answer, according to Townsend and Burgess (2009b, cited
on page 16) because of the unpredictability of the research process. Key interviewees
become unavailable or play 'hard-to-get', response rates prove too low to be usable, a
new publication reveals significant development in the research topic and so on. We
hope supervisors will always be sympathetic to your problems but it is your research,
your dissertation, not theirs and it is, therefore, your responsibility to discharge it
properly. Extra cash can be a help, from time to time, but is unlikely to resolve the
problems outlined. Knowing when and how to change course is important, as is
knowing when not to quit!
Page reference: 14
CHAPTER 2
What is a 'grand theory'?
Correct answer:
b) One that is highly abstract and makes broad generalizations about the social world
Feedback:
The importance of 'theory', of whatever type in social research, is predominantly for
us to understand more clearly how we look upon the world. Then we can begin to
understand how the world might seem different if we used another theory. A theory
just means an explanation of things, how they come to be the way they are. We
4
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller LizziWang. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
76800 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now