Social Research Methods MCQs

In mixed-methods research, quantitative and qualitative findings should be:

Integrated

Contained in separate sections

Listed in order of importance

Shown fully in appendices

Mixed-methods research is justified on the basis of the research questions, whereby the integration of the two approaches becomes the key point of interest. It follows from this that integrating the findings is the only appropriate course to follow. Examples can be found for answer (b) but do not impress Bryman very much.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 677, Tips and skills

Author: rikazzz Comment

Quantitative data analysis

What is meant by a “spurious” relationship between two variables?

One that is so ridiculously illogical it cannot possibly be true

An apparent relationship that is so curious it demands further attention

A relationship that appears to be true because each variable is related to a third one

One that produces a perfect negative correlation on a scatter diagram

One of the conditions under which it is appropriate to use multivariate analysis is when the relationship between two variables might be spurious: this means that the relationship, which seemed to exist, doesn’t exist in reality. A third variable turns out, perhaps, to be responsible for the variation in both sets of values, and so they are not really related to each other, so their relationship was “spurious”.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 344

Author: rikazzz Comment

Focus groups

What are “natural groups” in the context of focus group research?

Groups of strangers selected from a particular location

Random samples of participants from the general population

Groups of participants who already know each other

Groups of non-human animals studied in their natural environment

A focus group can be composed of strangers selected from the target population or “natural groups” of people who already know each other from a particular social setting: these might be peer groups in a school, work colleagues, members of a club and so on. “Natural groups” might be selected because of the fact that they have already worked out ways of interaction but, conversely, that might be the very reason they could prove unsuitable for a particular research enquiry.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 510

Author: rikazzz Comment

Getting started: reviewing the literature

When accessing the internet, which of these steps is the most essential?

Recording the full URL

Noting the access dates

Downloading material to be referenced

They are all equally important

The internet is a powerful aid to research but its ease of use sometimes causes problems. Complex sites may be difficult to navigate through a second time and the URL may well have shown up via a search. Some people advise the saving (or book-marking) of searches, a simple procedure. In any event, the full URL and access dates are required for proper referencing. Because of the dynamic nature of the internet, your sources should be downloaded and saved for presentation (if required).
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 112-115

Author: rikazzz Comment

Using IBM SPSS statistics

What is the advantage of using SPSS over calculating statistics by hand?

This is how most quantitative data analysis is done in “real research” nowadays

It reduces the chance of making errors in your calculations

It equips you with a useful transferable skill

All of the above

Nowadays, most quantitative data analysts use SPSS or an equivalent statistical software package. Such tools are widely regarded as being much faster and more efficient than mental arithmetic, as they can generate huge volumes of complex statistical data within seconds. If you prepare a probability sample, SPSS can help you to produce high-quality results. If you have a very small data set, though, using SPSS would be akin to using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 353

Author: rikazzz Comment

Mixed methods research: combining quantitative and qualitative research

Which of the following is not a feature of multi-strategy research?

It is inherently superior to mono-strategy research

It must be competently designed and conducted

It must be appropriate to the research questions

The skills of all researchers must be well integrated

Multi-strategy research is becoming increasingly common in the social sciences, but this does not mean that it is seen as an inherently superior approach. Just like mono-method and mono-strategy research, multi-strategy research can only be successful if it is well designed and conducted by skilled researchers, and if the various research methods chosen are appropriate to the research questions.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 656-658

Author: rikazzz Comment

Content analysis

One of the potential pitfalls in devising a coding scheme is that:

It can be difficult to obtain a random sample of newspapers

You might run out of photocopier paper

The categories may not be mutually exclusive

The unit of analysis is too clearly defined

The dimensions must be entirely separated from each other, which means no overlaps. Equally, the categories for each dimension must be mutually exclusive and there should not be any ‘gray’ areas within dimensions which could leave coders uncertain of how to code accurately. These exhortations are not actually any different to instructions that could be given for other forms of structured research methods, like interviewing and observing.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 294,295

Author: rikazzz Comment

Focus groups

Which of the following is not a limitation of the focus group method?

The researcher has little control over how the discussion proceeds

It reveals the way social meanings are jointly constructed

It produces a large volume of data that can be difficult to analyse

People in groups tend to agree and express socially desirable views

Focus groups have numerous disadvantages, some of which can also be interpreted as strengths. The larger number of interviewees in each session means that the participants, rather than the researcher, have control over the discussion; a vast amount of data is produced; and group interaction can affect the way opinions are expressed. One of the features of this method that is not seen as a limitation, however, is that the group interaction reveals the way individuals construct, account for and modify their viewpoints in the context of social relationships.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 520-522

Author: rikazzz Comment

Writing up social research

Before submitting your dissertation, you should ensure that:

Your writing is free of sexist, racist and disablist language

Other people have read your final draft

You have proofread it thoroughly

All of the above

This last chapter is concerned with writing up research reports, including dissertations. Whilst we are naturally preoccupied with the content of our work, we must also pay close attention to the quality of the presentation. Getting feedback from others on the same degree programme is a form of peer assessment, after all. Feedback from supervisors may be a bit discouraging, at first sight, but remember that your supervisor will almost certainly be one of your assessors, so respond gratefully to the comments made! This feedback may also help you to remove inadvertent comments that might otherwise have caused offence. Finally, using a spell-checker seems almost too obvious to deserve mentioning it….or is it? Marks are lost regularly through careless presentation. Assessors may make an uncritical inference of attributing carelessness to the research methodology as well.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 684-687

Author: rikazzz Comment

Getting started: reviewing the literature

Why do you need to review the existing literature?

To make sure you have a long list of references

Because without it, you could never reach the required word-count

To find out what is already known about your area of interest

To help in your general studying

“The most obvious reason”, “is that you want to know what is already known about your area of interest”, including relevant concepts and theories. The process of writing a literature review should enhance your learning and help you to write a “proper” dissertation, but these are by-products. You could reasonably start reading the existing literature to find out what the current areas of debate are, particularly in the academic journals close to your field of interest. This could help you to develop research questions of your own. Answer (a) may be an outcome, but this is not a numbers game: quality counts a lot more than quantity.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 90

Author: rikazzz Comment