Test Bank

Chapter 10: Qualitative Methods

Multiple Choice

1. With the expanse of technology, researchers are now able to study online communities and phenomena specific to the Internet. What term aptly describes this approach?

A. ethnography

B. case study

C. netnography

D. photo voice

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Brief notes written in the field about highlights of an observation period are called ______.

A. reflexivity

B. ethnographies

C. jottings

D. field notes

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. At what stage in the research process is a field researcher engaged in jottings?

A. entering the field

B. developing relationships

C. sampling people and events

D. taking notes

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. What is the process where a researcher interviews each respondent (R1, R2, etc.) to learn how they “construct” their thoughts and feelings about the topic of concern?

A. hermeneutic circle

B. reflexivity

C. field research

D. constructivism

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Which of the following about case studies is FALSE?

A. Case study is not so much a single method as it is a way of thinking about what a qualitative research project can, or perhaps should, focus on.

B. The case may be an organization, community, social group, family, or even an individual.

C. As far as the qualitative researcher is concerned, it must be understood in its specific social context.

D. Case studies focus on variables and hypotheses to figure out how the social world actually functions.

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Ethnographic research is called ______ because it seeks to describe and understand the natural social world as it is.

A. adaptive

B. naturalistic

C. constructivist

D. reflexive

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Focus groups are based on the elements of ______.

A. participant observation

B. intensive interviewing

C. participant observation and intensive interviewing.

D. ethnography

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Which of the following is not an ethical issues that should be given particular attention in field research concern?

A. voluntary participation

B. anonymity

C. subject well-being

D. researcher safety

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. Which of the following is NOT a feature of qualitative research?

A. the use of exploratory research questions

B. a commitment to deductive reasoning

C. sensitivity to the subjective role of the researcher

D. a focus on previously unstudied processes

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Which of the following is NOT a qualitative method?

A. participant observation

B. complete observation

C. intensive interviewing

D. experiments

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. Which of the following is NOT a feature of qualitative research designs?

A. a focus on human subjectivity

B. use of nomothetic causal explanations

C. reflexive research design

D. sensitivity to the subjective role of the researcher

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. In qualitative research, the interpretation of data and its analysis emerge at what point in the research process?

A. before entering the field

B. while writing accounts of the data

C. during initial stages of fieldwork

D. while writing jottings

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. Which of the following is FALSE about participant observation?

A. Natural processes are studied in the field.

B. Natural processes are manipulated by the researcher.

C. It attempts to see the world as the subjects see it.

D. It observes people in the course of their normal activities.

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. Reactive effects in participant observation can be reduced by ______.

A. maintaining strict objectivity

B. leaving the field site periodically

C. informing participants of the role of researcher

D. building rapport with other participants

Difficulty Level: Hard

15. Which of the following is NOT a limitation associated with covert participation?

A. Covert participants cannot openly take notes or use obvious recording devices.

B. Covert participants cannot ask questions that will arouse suspicion.

C. Covert participants need to keep up the act at all times while in the setting under study.

D. Covert participants are unable to reveal their identities at the end of the research period.

Difficulty Level: Hard

16. A member of a social setting who can provide access to that setting for a researcher is known as a ______.

A. sponsor

B. assistant

C. gatekeeper

D. key holder

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. Which of the following best describes the experience sampling method?

A. Subjects fill out reports when they are beeped at random times throughout the research period.

B. Subjects explain their own perspectives in an intensive interview.

C. Samples are drawn from a number of participants who are members of a group or who have experienced some event.

D. Subjects are gathered into groups of 7–10 people to discuss their experiences on a topic of interest.

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. When an observer immerses himself or herself in a group for a long time, gradually establishing trust and experiencing the social world as do the participants, the observer is engaging in the process of ______.

A. netnography

B. ethnography

C. systematic observation

D. intensive interviewing

Difficulty Level: Hard

19. Intensive interviews are weaker than participation on which of the following?

A. establishing association

B. establishing objectivity

C. establishing social context

D. establishing causality

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. A grand tour question is designed to elicit what type of response?

A. description

B. directions

C. oral history

D. lengthy narrative

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. Which professionals were the first to adopt focus groups as a widespread methodology?

A. literary critics

B. marketing researchers

C. anthropologists

D. economists

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. Julie studies an overeaters anonymous group for several years. In her book on the subject, she mentions the location of the meetings. This violates which one of the main ethical issues in field research?

A. subjects' confidentiality

B. voluntary participation of subjects

C. subjects' well-being

D. disclosure of researcher's identity

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. Focus groups are useful for all of the following EXCEPT ______.

A. developing hypotheses

B. assessing the range of opinions about an issue

C. investigating the meaning of survey results

D. generalizing findings

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. Thick description attempts to convey a sense of what it is like to experience something from the standpoint of the ______.

A. objective observer

B. covert participant

C. natural actors in the setting

D. social scientist

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. Which role makes it difficult for researchers to get information because they cannot ask questions that will arouse suspicion about themselves?

A. complete observer

B. participant observer

C. covert participant

D. intensive interview

Difficulty Level: Medium

26. Which of the following is FALSE regarding the use of tape recorders during focus groups or intensive interviews?

A. Tape recorders are routinely ignored by subjects.

B. An informant who is misleading because of the presence of a tape recorder is likely to give better information when the recorder is off.

C. Tape recorders allow the researcher to remain engaged in the discussion or conversation.

D. Subjects are not usually inhibited by the presence of a recording device.

Difficulty Level: Medium

27. Intensive interviewing and focus groups should be conducted until ______.

A. a saturation point is reached

B. all relevant informants have consented to participate

C. field observation has been completed

D. the researcher obtains relevant tacit knowledge from respondents

Difficulty Level: Medium

28. A researcher who goes to a coffee shop and clandestinely observes behavior, while taking jottings, is doing what kind of qualitative fieldwork?

A. overt observation

B. covert observation

C. overt participation

D. participant observation

Difficulty Level: Hard

29. Writing field notes ______.

A. occurs while actively observing in the field

B. usually takes at least 3 times as long as observation

C. involves separating the researchers' impressions and feelings from what was actually observed

D. can occur anytime within a month of the observation period

Difficulty Level: Medium

30. Intensive interviews are generally based on ______.

A. closed-ended questions

B. self-administered questionnaires

C. open-ended questions

D. random selection

Difficulty Level: Medium

31. A researcher who “goes native” does which of the following.

A. abandons research goals

B. adopts perspectives of regular participants

C. ceases to evaluate observations critically

D. all of these

Difficulty Level: Medium

32. The setting under investigation in a qualitative study is known as the ______.

A. context

B. field

C. locale

D. situation

Difficulty Level: Medium

33. In order to develop and maintain relationships in the field, Schutt suggests all of the following EXCEPT?

A. be especially mindful of interaction early in research

B. don't be too aggressive when questioning others

C. be prepared to fake a social similarity with subjects

D. don't fully immerse yourself in the field

Difficulty Level: Medium

34. In qualitative research, the sample is usually ______.

A. random

B. systematic

C. unrepresentative

D. thematic

Difficulty Level: Medium

35. Ralph arranges with the manager of a fantasy baseball league to observe and interview members as part of his research. At the baseball “draft,” Ralph introduces himself to other members of the fantasy league and they agree to let him observe the draft and allow themselves to be interviewed, although they do not allow him to join the league (as his knowledge of other members' strategies may affect how he manages his fantasy team). His role as a field researcher is that of a ______.

A. note-taker

B. overt observer

C. participant observer

D. complete participant

Difficulty Level: Medium

36. Field notes generally use what as a means of jogging the researcher's memory?

A. mnemonic devices

B. jottings

C. transcripts

D. photographs

Difficulty Level: Medium

37. According to Schutt, the primary weakness of qualitative research is ______.

A. lack of consistency in data collected

B. sample bias

C. deception on the part of informants

D. risk of going native

Difficulty Level: Medium

38. A researcher should avoid using focus groups when ______.

A. the issue is emotionally charged

B. sensitive information is needed and confidentiality cannot be ensured

C. the goal of the project is to reach consensus

D. all of these

Difficulty Level: Medium

39. Talking to Second Life members through their avatars actually involves?

A. participant observation

B. participatory action research

C. interviewing online

D. ethnography

Difficulty Level: Medium

40. Cynthia wants to do research on an online gaming site. In order to interact with its members, she joins the group and posts the outline of her project on the site's board. She was quite excited to find 10 new e-mails in her inbox pertaining to her research that day. Cynthia began the interviewing process but became aware of the lack of response from the interviewees as the days went on. This is a disadvantage to what type of interviewing?

A. intensive

B. synchronous

C. asynchronous

D. question and answer

Difficulty Level: Medium

41. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of online interviewing?

A. There is relatively no anonymity online.

B. Online interviewing does not allow a researcher to analyze facial expression.

C. Intimate rapport through face-to-face communication is lost.

D. Participants have a greater ability to present a false identity.

Difficulty Level: Medium

42. A description that provides a sense of what it is like to experience that setting from the standpoint of the natural actors in that setting is called a(n) ______.

A. thick description

B. ethnography

C. hermeneutic circle

D. grand tour

Difficulty Level: Easy

43. The use of ethnographic methods to study online communities is called ______.

A. cyberethnography

B. netnography

C. digital ethnography

D. all of these

Difficulty Level: Easy

44. What is NOT a consideration a participant observer has when deciding what role to take in the field?

A. the researcher’s own background and personality

B. the larger sociopolitical context

C. ethical concerns

D. All of these are consideration

Difficulty Level: Medium

45. It is not “natural” in most social situations for someone to be present who will record his or her observations for research and publication purposes, and so individuals may alter their behavior. This phenomenon is referred to as ______.

A. reactive effects

B. hermeneutic circle

C. saturation point

D. constructivism

Difficulty Level: Easy

46. What does the saturation point refer to?

A. when the focus group reaches optimum size.

B. when an overt participant observer is no longer allowed to participate in the field.

C. the point at which subject selection is ended in intensive interviewing.

D. when a covert participant observer believes their identity is about to be exposed.

Difficulty Level: Medium

47. Intensive interviewing is designed to find out about people’s ______.

A. experiences

B. thoughts

C. feelings

D. all of these

Difficulty Level: Medium

48. When should focus groups be avoided?

A. when only six people can participate

B. when you want to use open-ended questions

C. when dealing with emotionally charged issues

D. when a population is homogeneous

Difficulty Level: Hard

49. Adaptation by the researcher to his or her influence in the research setting is referred to ______.

A. awareness

B. reflexivity

C. constructivism

D. saturation point

Difficulty Level: Medium

50. In participant observation, a researcher can serve as which type of participant?

A. covert observer

B. covert participant

C. overt observer

D. all of these

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. Qualitative research has strength in its ability to consider context.

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Intensive interviewing tends to contain highly structured questioning.

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Qualitative research usually uses deductive reasoning.

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Qualitative research emphasizes variables over cases in causal explanations.

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Qualitative researchers use extraordinary efforts to make sure objectivity is achieved in research.

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. Qualitative research has its origins in fieldwork conducted by anthropologists and sociologists in the early 20th century.

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Reactive effects tend to be greatest when a researcher takes the role of a complete observer.

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. During data collection in qualitative research, corroboration with new observations strengthens emerging analytic connections.

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. Covert observers and participants cannot take notes openly.

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. Covert participants need to keep up “the act” at all times while in the setting under study.

Difficulty Level: Easy

11. Covert participation can damage other social science by increasing distrust of social scientists.

Difficulty Level: Easy

12. A gatekeeper grants a researcher access to a social setting.

Difficulty Level: Easy

13. A key informant grants a researcher access to a social setting.

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. Participant observers can increase rapport by faking social similarity with their subjects.

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. Field notes refer to those notes taken while a researcher is in the field.

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. What is focus group? What type of information is generated?

Difficulty Level: Hard

2. Identify and explain the three main reasons listed by Krueger and Casey (2009) on when researchers should avoid using focus groups in their projects.

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. How should a qualitative researcher select key informants for intensive interviews? What ethical considerations should be taken into account when conducting intensive interviews?

Difficulty Level: Hard

4. How ethical is covert participation? Explain when, if ever, you think covert participation might be ethical.

Difficulty Level: Hard

5. How is field research different from laboratory research? What are the strengths of field research compared to laboratory research, and what are its relative weaknesses?

Difficulty Level: Hard

6. Explain how a researcher determines the composition of a focus group.

Difficulty Level: Hard

7. Outline how a researcher might conduct complete observation, covert participation, and participant observation in studying how unions recruit in new settings. What are the advantages and disadvantages to each approach? What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed for each?

Difficulty Level: Hard

8. How does one prepare to enter “the field?” What things must be considered before entering the field? How does the process of entering the field affect later research?

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. Discuss the role of a key informant in field research and compare it to the role of an interviewee in intensive interviewing. Are there any differences? If so, what? What ethical concerns must a researcher consider with key informants and interviewees?

Difficulty Level: Hard

10. To what extent do the personal dimensions of participant observation undermine or enhance its validity? Illustrate your answer with examples from the text.

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. Should a recording device (such as a tape recorder) be used in an intensive interview? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

Difficulty Level: Hard

12. Describe how qualitative analysis can proceed both inductively and deductively. Use examples from the text to describe each.

Difficulty Level: Hard

13. Write a brief plan for conducting a series of focus groups designed to find out what kind of work students do while they're completing their college degree. What are the primary validity problems associated with this method of gathering data? How would you increase the validity of focus group research?

Difficulty Level: Hard

14. Overall, what are the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative research when compared to experimental or survey research?

Difficulty Level: Hard