Chapter 6: Research Using Qualitative Data

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. All of the following are ideal categories for qualitative data research with the exception of ______.

a. feelings

b. numbers

c. symbols

d. culture

2. Dodge’s qualitative research focused on which of the following?

a. female police officers used as decoys in prostitution

b. Latino teen dating violence

c. recidivism rates among ex-convicts

d. habitual offenders

3. Dodge’s research utilized which of the following qualitative methods?

a. interviews

b. focus groups

c. document analysis

d. convenient sampling

4. Using both qualitative and quantitative approaches is called ______.

a. deductive reasoning

b. mixed-methods

c. ethnography

d. maximum variation sampling

5. Which list shows the correct order of the stages to follow when conducting research using qualitative data?

a. develop a research topic/question, sampling, gathering data, organizing data, identify the best way to gather the data, consult the literature, analyze and develop conclusions, and report findings

b. develop a research topic/question, gathering data, organize data, identify the best way to gather the data, consult the literature, sampling, analyze and develop conclusions, and report findings

c. develop a research topic/question, identify the best way to gather the data, consult the literature, sampling, gathering data, organize data, analyze and develop conclusions, and report findings

d. develop a research topic/question, consult the literature, identify the best way to gather the data, sampling, gathering data, organizing data, analyze and develop conclusions, and report findings

6. The process of ordering and arranging data into categories based on manageable themes and concepts is called ______.

a. observations

b. coding

c. document analysis

d. field notes

7. An approach in which a researcher gathers a lot of specific data from interviews and, after analysis, develops broad understanding of the topic is referred to as ______.

a. follow-up probes

b. maximum variation sampling

c. inductive reasoning

d. content analysis

8. An approach in which the researcher begins with broad or general statements and moves to the more specific to develop additional research questions is referred to as ______.

a. content analysis

b. deductive reasoning

c. follow-up probes

d. ethnography

9. The process of selecting a subset of elements from a population in which every population element has a known, non-zero chance of being selected is referred to as ______.

a. probability sampling

b. snowball sampling

c. non-probability sampling

d. convenience sampling

10. Gathering a subset of the population without a comprehensive list of the population members is called ______.

a. probability sampling

b. snowball sampling

c. non-probability sampling

d. convenience sampling

11. When a study sample is chosen in a way that creates the most various and diverse sample of relevant characteristics, it is called ______.

a. maximum variation sampling

b. purposive sampling

c. probability sampling

d. convenience sampling

12. ______ is a method of gathering data that contributes to the development of a grounded theory.

a. Convenience sampling

b. Theoretical sampling

c. Snowball sampling

d. Maximum variation sampling

13. Qualitative research that is based on examination of documents uses which of the following as units of analysis?

a. groups or organizations

b. social artifacts

c. interactions

d. individuals

14. Which sampling approach leaves some members of the population with a zero chance of selection?

a. simple random sampling

b. non-probability sampling

c. stratified sampling

d. systematic sampling

15. A major distinction between the majority of qualitative and quantitative inquiry is ______.

a. triangulation

b. inductive reasoning

c. saturation

d. ethnography

16. A useful method for gathering qualitative data from individuals, small groups, or larger groups, like a focus group, can be ______.

a. interviews

b. observations

c. fieldwork

d. document examination

17. Using multiple methods, researchers, theory, or data to conduct a study is called ______.

a. saturation

b. coding

c. ethnography

d. triangulation

18. Collecting detailed information about a topic from a study participant’s own experiences is known as ______.

a. observation

b. interviews

c. fieldwork

d. documents

19. Which type of interview hinders rapport and trust between the respondent and the interviewer?

a. Zoom

b. telephone

c. in-person

d. Skype

20. Systematically gathering qualitative data that offers a holistic and comprehensive understanding of the culture, environment, and social traits of individuals or individuals in a group is called ______.

a. ethnography

b. triangulation

c. purposive sampling

d. Hawthorne effect

21. When the researcher becomes a group member unbeknownst to the group, but known to the researcher’s primary contacts, this role conception is called ______.

a. complete observer

b. observer as participant

c. participant as observer

d. complete participant

22. Natural settings, not labs, offices, or controlled environments, allow for gathering information about behaviors and actions through ______.

a. interviews

b. observation

c. document analysis

d. content analysis

23. Which situation describes a researcher “going native”?

a. maintaining objectivity regarding the topic of study

b. observing without making value judgments

c. becoming invested in, or enamored with, an individual or group

d. reporting on the environment, behaviors, activities, and beliefs of the individual or group

24. Which role conception describes a researcher hiding their identity and observing subjects while participating in the subjects’ setting?

a. observer as participant

b. complete participant

c. participant as observer

d. complete observer

25. Which role conception involves the researcher lying to, misleading, and betraying the trust of those being observed?

a. observer as participant

b. complete participant

c. participant as observer

d. complete observer

26. After gathering research data, the next step is ______.

a. organizing data

b. sampling or gaining access to sources of data

c. analyzing data and developing conclusions

d. consulting the literature

27. Performing multiple readings of the complete raw data set to get an idea of how to organize and summarize it into preliminary groupings of analytic categories is called ______.

a. content analysis

b. open coding

c. axial coding

d. document analysis

28. All of the following are considered parts of Strauss’ coding steps with the exception of ______.

a. open

b. systematic

c. axial

d. selective

29. Identifying relationships between categories by focusing on the preliminary analytic categories or labels is a process of ______.

a. systematic coding

b. open coding

c. axial coding

d. selective coding

30. Reviewing all raw data and previous codes or labels is a process of ______.

a. systematic coding

b. selective coding

c. axial coding

d. open coding

31. Brunson and his colleagues utilized which of the following methods to identify themes in their research?

a. triangulation

b. grounded theory

c. ethnography

d. content analysis

32. All of the following themes were identified in Brunson’s research with the exception of ______.

a. verbal abuse

b. police accountability

c. warranted stops

d. corruption

33. Developing empathy for a participant of a study is a sign of ______.

a. unstructured interviewing

b. going native

c. saturation

d. role conception

34. All of the following are examples of ethical challenges that researchers face EXCEPT ______.

a. receiving informed consent

b. maintaining anonymity

c. maintaining confidentiality

d. choosing a proper methodology

35. Santos’ research on ______ posed safety issues for members of the research team.

a. felons

b. juvenile delinquents

c. police officers

d. prostitutes

36. Gaining meaning and understanding through a systematic collection, review, evaluation, synthesis, and interpretation of documents is called ______.

a. document analysis

b. inductive reasoning

c. content analysis

d. deductive reasoning

37. Which is not an example of a probing question?

a. “Why was that important to you?”

b. Can you tell me more about that?”

c. “Does remembering that incident make you sad?

d. “What was your motivation for doing that?”

38. Conversational ethnographic interviews are also called ______.

a. structured interviewing

b. semi-structured interviewing

c. unstructured interviewing

d. pre-structured interviewing

39. After researchers organize their data, the next stage in the research process is to ______.

a. consult the literature

b. gain access to sources of data

c. analyze data

d. report findings

40. Making comparisons and contrasts among themes or labels developed during research is a process within ______.

a. axial coding

b. selective coding

c. open coding

d. systematic coding

41. Which role conception used to gather data in the field research poses the most ethical quandaries?

a. complete observer

b. observer as participant

c. participant as observer

d. complete participant

42. Which of the following case studies included the need to protect participating researchers from harm?

a. Santos’ interviews of targeted offenders

b. Brunson’s interviews of youth

c. Dodge’s interview of female police officers

d. Cuevas’ interviews of Latino teens

43. Researchers go native when they have lost ______.

a. objectivity

b. subjectivity

c. empathy

d. bias

44. In order to conduct sound qualitative research, researchers must do all of the following with the exception of ______.

a. remain objective

b. observe and analyze

c. present findings

d. use value judgments

45. Which of the following role conceptions can lead to a loss of objectivity?

a. complete participant and participant as observer

b. participant as observer and observer as participant

c. observer as participant and complete participant

d. complete observer and complete participant

1. The goal of axial coding is to focus on the specific data and assign labels, or codes, identifying major themes.

2. Due to its characteristic of not being numeric, qualitative data is often seen as less valuable than quantitative data.

3. Qualitative research uses numeric data to answer exploratory and descriptive research questions.

4. Qualitative data is ideal for researching body language.

5. Organizing field notes means ensuring that they are legible, edited, and corrected.

6. Qualitative data are gathered with an open mind.

7. An open-ended question is one that provides the response categories and asks the respondent to choose the answer from those options.

8. Asking a respondent “why was that important to you?” is an example of probing.

9. Research using qualitative data often uses non-probability sampling approaches.

10. The chances of being selected into a non-probability sample is usually known.

11. Probes come in many forms and are mainly questions that gather deeper information from a subject.

12. Qualitative inquiry is generally characterized by close-ended research questions.

13. Qualitative inquiry more often than not uses deductive reasoning.

14. Having advocates present or available for participants is recommended and helps ensure their protection from harm.

15. During an unstructured interview, all respondents are asked the same set of questions.

16. Whether gathering data by quantitative or qualitative methods, a researcher can lose objectivity.

17. Field notes should always be transcribed, corrected, and edited.

18. Analyzing qualitative data begins when all of the data has been collected and deemed complete.

19. All researchers strive for objectivity; for observing, analyzing, describing, reporting, presenting findings, and arriving at conclusions without imposing value judgments or personal biases.

20. The participant determines whether being in a qualitative study is ethical or not.

21. Qualitative software is a tool that helps organize research findings, not think about them.

22. In order to protect a participant’s privacy, researchers can erase identifying data from recorded interviews.

23. A benefit of conducting qualitative research is that researchers have the option of whether they want to present all of their findings.

24. Deception is an inherent characteristic of the role of complete participant.

25. There is no widely agreed upon definition for content analysis.

1. Identify the three types of coding utilized in grounded theory.

2. Identify and discuss the seven purposes of qualitative data. What are the advantages, disadvantages, and nuances of each purpose, and how are they related?

3. Identify the various ways in which qualitative data can be collected. Describe some of the advantages of collecting data in these ways.

4. Identify and discuss the basic stages of research using qualitative data.

5. Identify and discuss the characteristic that makes objectivity more challenging in qualitative data than in quantitative data.

6. Identify the various challenges that researchers may face when conducting qualitative research.

7. What is grounded theory?

8. Identify the most common pitfall of gathering qualitative data, and discuss why understanding pitfalls is important to the integrity of research as a whole.

9. Identify the benefits of utilizing Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis.

10. What is a focus group?

1. Why do researchers conduct research utilizing qualitative data?

2. Discuss sample size relative to research based on qualitative data. Is there a recommended sample size for qualitative research? Discuss some methods for determining the sample size.

3. Discuss going native. What is it? What research approach does it fall under? Do you think that this phenomenon happens often? Explore the ramifications.

4. Why is the loss of objectivity of great concern when conducting qualitative research? What can be done prevent loss of objectivity?

5. Why is it important that researchers remain objective and avoid making value judgments while interviewing qualitative research participants?