The nature and process of social research
A deductive theory is one that:
Allows theory to emerge out of the data
Involves testing an explicitly defined hypothesis
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Uses qualitative methods whenever possible
Involves testing an explicitly defined hypothesis
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.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 6
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 6
Involves testing an explicitly defined hypothesis 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.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 6
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 6
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The core ingredients of a dissertation are:A. Introduction; Data collection; Data analysis; Conclusions and recommendations.
B. Executive summary; Literature review; Data gathered; Conclusions; Bibliography.
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D. Introduction; Literature review; Research methods; Results; Discussion; Conclusion.
What does ‘sampling cases’ mean?
A. Sampling using a sampling frame
B. Identifying people who are suitable for research
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D. Sampling people, newspapers, television programmes etc.
Because of the number of things that can go wrong in research there is a need for:
A. Flexibility and perseverance
B. Sympathetic supervisors
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D. Wisdom to know the right time to quit
Which of the following is not a type of research question?
A. Predicting an outcome
B. Evaluating a phenomenon
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D. A hypothesis
Which comes first, theory or research?
A. Theory, because otherwise you are working in the dark
B. Research, because that’s the only way you can develop a theory
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D. The question is meaningless, because you can’t have one without the other
When planning to do social research, it is better to:
A. Approach the topic with an open mind
B. Do a pilot study before getting stuck into it
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D. Forget about theory because this is a very practical undertaking
Why is data analysis concerned with data reduction?
A. Because far too much data is collected than is required
B. Because we need to make sense of the data
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D. Because the sample size has been exceeded
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