Secondary Data Analysis and | Test Questions & Answers Ch.12

Chapter 12

1. Secondary data analysis is:

a. Collecting your own data and doing several different analyses.

b. The analysis of only quantitative data collected by someone else.

c. The analysis of prexisting qualitative and quantitative data.

d. Getting a second opintion about the analysis of data.

2. One challenge in using secondary data for analysis is:

a. It allows the researcher to avoid data collection problem.

b. The variables may not be measured in a way that allows for the testing of the secondary data researcher’s hypothesis.

c. There is competition for use of the data.

d. It is hard to find data sets to analyze.

3. Which one of the following is not an advantage of secondary data analysis?

a. It saves time and money.

b. It facilitates comparison with other samples.

c. It often includes many more variables and a more diverse sample.

d. Data analysis is more straight forward than when collecting your own data.

4. If you wanted to find monthly unemployment data, what source might you use?

a. The Census

b. Inter-University Consortium for Politicaland Social Research

c. Current Population Survey

d. Survey of Income and Program Participation

5. The Current Population Survey:

a. Provides monthly employment information about the United States.

b. Is the Census conducted every ten years.

c. Is a convenience sample of American households.

d. Is a cohort study providing information about program particiaption.

6. It is important to know how missing information was treated because:

a. You want to be able to link information.

b. You want to know if an operation was designed to insert responses for missing data.

c. You want to best understand how the goals of the study were related to missing data.

d. It has no impact on your analysis.

7. Census data are reported for what units?

a. Individuals, families, and businesses

b. Primary schools, high schools, and universities

c. States, counties, and census tracts

d. Regulatory commissions, government agencies, and government departments

8. Which is an advantage of secondary data analysis?

a. It saves time and money.

b. It avoids data colelction problems.

c. It often includes many more variables and a more diverse sample.

d. All of the above.

9. Massive data sets produced by people that are accessible in computer readable form refers to:

a. Big data.

b. Secondary data.

c. Confirmatory data.

d. Multiphase data.

10. An example for a source of big data is:

a. ICPSR

b. Current Population Survey

c. Facebook

d. U.S. Census

11. An ethical issue common to secondary data analysis and big data is:

a. Units of analysis.

b. Measurement.

c. Sources of data.

d. Subject confidentiality.

12. Which one of the following is not a reason for mixing methods?

a. It takes advantage of the strengths of quantitative and qualitatie methods.

b. It offers additional methods for statistical analysis.

c. It provides additional insights not available in only one method.

d. Researcher can examine new phenomena and then test findings.

13. In this type of design, the quantitative and qualitative methods are implemented at the same time and given equal importance.

a. Embedded design

b. Exploratory staged design

c. Explanatory staged design

d. Integrated design

14. In this type of design, the quantitative method is implemented first, followed by the qualitative method.

a. Embedded design

b. Exploratory sequential design

c. Integrated design

d. Staged design

15. In this type of design, the qualitative method is implemented first, followed by the quantitative method.

a. Embedded design

b. Exploratory staged design

c. Integrated design

d. Explanatory staged design

16. Two key decisions about mixed-methods designs are:

a. Sample and sequence.

b. Ample and priority.

c. Sequence and priority.

d. Explanation and priority.

17. This design involves a series of quantitative and qualitative designs; each design and the findings inform the next phase.

a. Complex design

b. Embedded design

c. Stage design

d. Explanatory sequential design

18. Methodological ________ believe that only qualitative or quantitative methods provide adequate tools for investigating the educational world.

a. Purists

b. Pragmatists

c. Pluralists

d. Professors

19. Methodological _________ believe that different methods should be used to answer the questions to which they are most suited.

a. Purists

b. Pragmatists

c. Pluralists

d. Professors

20. The primary method used in a mixed-methods project is written as:

a. QUAN or QUAL

b. Quan or qual

c. Quan + Qual

d. Quan(qual)

21. QUAN + QUAL means that:

a. The two designs are done sequentially and have equal priority.

b. The two designs are done at the same time and have equal priority.

c. The two designs are done at the same time but the quantitative design is given priority.

d. The QUAL design is done at the ame time but has more priority.

22. QUAL 🡪 quan means that:

a. The qualitative design comes first sequentually but the quantitative is the more important design.

b. The qualitative design and quantitative design are implemented at the same time but the qualitative design is more important.

c. The qualitative design and quantitatve design are implemented at the same time but the quantitative design is more important design.

d. The qualitative design comes first and is more important than the quantitative design.

23. Secondary data analysis involves using huge data sets.

a. True

b. False

24. Secondary data analysis can only be done with quantitative data. time.

a. True

b. False

25. Secondary data analysis involves using prexisting data to answer a different research question that intended by the people who collected the data.

a. True

b. False

26. Imputed data are often used for missing responses.

a. True

b. False

27. Imputing responses is when an operation is devised to insert a response for one left blank.

a. True

b. False

28. Big data and secondary data are one in the same thing.

a. True

b. False

29. Big data is emerging as a way of understanding huge quantities of data.

a. True

b. False

30. It is impossible to link an individual’s responses to the individual when using big data.

a. True

b. False

31. Participant confidentiality is not a problem in secondary data analysis.

a. True

b. False

32. Because secondary data analysis does not involve contact with human beings, an IRB review is never necessary.

a. True

b. False

33. Researchers may choose to use mixed methods when they want to explore new or understudied phenomena and then test findings from the qualitative research.

a. True

b. False

34. An increasing number of social work researchers are turning to mixed methods to answer more sophisticated research questions.

a. True

b. False

35. QUAN means that the design is given priority in importance.

a. True

b. False

36. QUAL + QUAN means that the qualitative design comes first followed by the quantitative design.

a. True

b. False

37. Qualitative and quantitative methods used in sequence and given equal priority constitute a mixed-methods research project.

a. True

b. False

38. With a stage mixed-methods design, qualitative and quantitative methods are used concurrently but one method is always given priority.

a. True

b. False

39. Discuss the views of methodological purists, methodological pluralists, and methodological pragmatists in regards to mixed methods.

Methodological purists believe that only qualitative or quantitative methods provide adequate tools for investigating the educational world. Methodological pragmatists believe that different methods should be used to answer the questions to which they are most suited (Onwuegbuzie & Combs, 2010). Methodological pluralists believe the social world is composed of multiple realities that cannot be understood without multiple methods: a subjective reality reflected in individual experiences; an intersubjective reality reflected in social structures, languages, and social institutions; and an objective reality comprising material things and physical processes.

40. Discuss why researchers use mixed methods.

Researchers may choose to use mixed methods when they want to explore new or understudied phenomenon and then test findings from the qualitative research.

41. Creswell (2010) has helped popularize a simple notational system for distinguishing different ways of mixing quantitative and qualitative methods. This system distinguishes the priority given to one method over the other and the sequence in which they are used in a research project. Give two examples of this system.

QUAL + QUAN: equal importance of the two approaches and their concurrent use. QUAL à quan: sequenced use, with qualitative methods given priority. QUAN(qual): qualitative methods embedded within a primarily quantitative project.

42. Compare and contrast the different mixed-methods designs.

Will vary but should focus on sequence and priority.

43. What ethical issues do researchers face when conducting mixed methods?

Researchers will address different research roles related to quantitative data collection and qualitative data collection.