Chapter 1: Why Study Research Methods?

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Information believed to be true and reliable is referred to as ______.

a. knowledge

b. science

c. data

d. research

2. Research that focuses on society and human relationships within societies is known as ______.

a. biological research

b. social science research

c. natural science research

d. medical research

3. The following disciplines fall within the category of social science EXCEPT ______.

a. criminal justice

b. sociology

c. criminology

d. natural science

4. Systematic processes, frameworks, and steps or procedures that are used to conduct social science research are referred to as ______.

a. data

b. research methods

c. knowledge

d. definitions

5. Research methods include all of the following with the exception of ______.

a. asking a research question

b. establishing steps used to gather data

c. analyzing data that is gathered

d. using findings to reach a conclusion

6. The evidence or information collected and analyzed in order to answer a research question is referred to as ______.

a. definition

b. measurement

c. data

d. sample

7. The branch of knowledge derived from observable and falsifiable information, data, or evidence gathered in a systematic fashion is known as ______.

a. data

b. science

c. knowledge

d. research methods

8. You can be confident that knowledge gathered is based on well-executed processes if it is derived from which of the following sources?

a. information that you have been told by someone you trust

b. legitimate peer reviewed journals

c. personal observations

d. information from social media

9. Conducting a non-critical assessment means that knowledge was accepted without considering ______ knowledge was created.

a. why

b. where

c. how

d. when

10. A subset of a population of interest, such as the 18- to 25-year-olds studied in the Campus Sexual Assault survey, is considered a ______.

a. definition

b. measurement

c. method

d. sample

11. A ______ is the clarification of the precise meaning of a particular concept as used in a research study.

a. measurement

b. definition

c. sample

d. research method

12. In order to assess a study’s findings, researchers must examine which of the following?

a. measurements, sample size, and definitions used

b. systematic process, framework, and procedures used

c. measurements, framework, and procedures used

d. systematic process, sample size, and definitions used

13. Passing on knowledge or beliefs from person to person over time is an example of which of the following common sources of nonscientific knowledge?

a. traditions, customs, and norms

b. personal experience

c. authoritative sources

d. intuition

14. A subset of men ranging from ages 25–35 who work in the private sector is an example of a ______.

a. method

b. sample

c. definition

d. measurement

15. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report utilized data from which of the following sources?

a. authoritative sources

b. legitimate peer reviewed journals

c. victims

d. administrative sources

16. Utilizing information obtained from a professor is an example of which of the following nonscientific sources?

a. personal experience

b. traditions and customs

c. authoritative sources

d. intuition

17. Which of the following is a limitation of using traditions, customs and norms as sources of knowledge?

a. This knowledge is thought to be true.

b. This knowledge is subjective and non-research based.

c. This knowledge is often based on initial perceptions of situations.

d. This knowledge is often reproducible.

18. Which of the following sources of knowledge was identified as being a powerful source of non-scientific and non-research based knowledge?

a. traditions, customs, norms

b. authoritative sources

c. intuition

d. personal experience

19. An individual’s personal experience ______.

a. is objective

b. accurately reflects the larger truth

c. is falsifiable

d. is not reproducible

20. All of the following are examples of authoritative sources EXCEPT ______.

a. self

b. clergy

c. professors

d. parents

21. Which of the following nonscientific sources of knowledge includes feelings, senses, and gut instincts?

a. social media

b. intuition

c. personal experiences

d. traditions, customs, and norms

22. A ______ guides research designed to increase understanding and generate knowledge about a topic.

a. research question

b. research method

c. definition

d. measurement

23. All of the following statements regarding a literature reviews purpose are true EXCEPT ______.

a. A literature review summarizes and synthesizes existing understanding on the topic of interest.

b. A literature review offers justification for the proposed study.

c. A literature review guides research designed to generate knowledge and also guides the research endeavor.

d. A literature review identifies limitations and gaps in existing research.

24. Identifying the precise steps that will be used to answer the research question is a part of which of the following?

a. asking the research question

b. designing the research

c. collecting the data

d. conducting the literature review

25. Conducting in-person interviews and holding focus groups is a component of ______.

a. developing a research question

b. collecting data

c. designing the research

d. conducting a literature review

26. All of the following are examples of research questions with the exception of ______.

a. Is violence against women more likely to occur in dark and secluded areas?

b. What are the rates of dating violence by Latino victim gender?

c. Do you believe that minorities are disproportionately represented in jails and prisons?

d. What impact do radar guns have on traffic violation rates?

27. Norms for behavior distinguishing what is and is not acceptable moral behavior in society are known as ______.

a. methods

b. data

c. ethics

d. measurements

28. Which of the following is an ethical principle outlined in the Nuremberg Code?

a. Participation is voluntary, and participants understand there can be instances in which they are not well informed.

b. The experiment should aim to achieve positive results for society that cannot be procured in another way.

c. The staff conducting, or taking part in the experiment requires some training, although being scientifically qualified is not mandatory.

d. Previous knowledge of potential benefits of the experiment is not required for the justification of an experiment.

29. The cohort of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment was ______ men.

a. Caucasian

b. African American

c. Asian

d. Hispanic/Latino

30. The following experiments included human subjects with the expectation of the ______.

a. Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

b. Stanley Milgram’s Experiment

c. Sheridan and King’s Experiment

d. Stanford Prison Experiment

31. The following principles are identified as elements of the Belmont Report with the exception of ______.

a. beneficence

b. informed consent

c. justice

d. respect for persons

32. The following guidelines are requirements of the Belmont Report with the exception of ______.

a. informed consent

b. assessment of risk and benefits

c. respect for persons

d. selection of subjects

33. The Belmont Report’s ______ principle states that researchers are obligated to do no harm, to maximize possible benefits and to minimize possible harms to all participants in a study.

a. beneficence

b. justice

c. respect for persons

d. informed consent

34. ______ is a requirement for subjects who voluntarily participate in a study after receiving sufficient information about the experiment, and expectations.

a. Assessment of risks and benefits

b. Justice

c. Selection of subjects

d. Informed consent

35. Institutional Review Boards are tasked with all of the following with the exception of ______ involving humans in the United States.

a. reviewing health and social science research.

b. monitoring health and social science research

c. approving health and social science research

d. creating health and social science research

36. Which of the following lists the correct order of the stages of research?

a. Research question, literature review, research design, collect data, choose best data analysis methodology and analyze data, generate findings, conclusions, and policy implications.

b. Research question, research design, literature review, collect data, generate findings, choose best data analysis methodology and analyze data, conclusions, and policy implications.

c. Literature review, research question, collect data, research design, generate findings, choose best data analysis methodology and analyze data, conclusions, and policy implications.

d. Research design, literature review, collect data, choose best data analysis methodology and analyze data, research question, generate findings, conclusions, and policy implications.

37. After identifying a research question, researchers should proceed to which of the following stages?

a. collect data

b. generate findings, conclusions, and policy implications

c. literature review

d. research design

38. If you discover that existing studies have been done pertaining to your research questions, what is your next step?

a. Choose a new research question.

b. Craft your research in such a way that it adds to what has already been published.

c. Be sure to use the same research methods mentioned in published studies.

d. Obtain approval by authors of published studies before proceeding.

39. According to Rennison, documenting methodology is important for which of the following reasons?

a. Consumers are able to critically assess your work, and replicate your study.

b. The methodology can be utilized to further research in your field.

c. Proper documentation prevents others from receiving credit for your findings.

d. Other researchers will be able to improve your research design.

40. Which of the following should be a top consideration when choosing an appropriate analytics technique?

a. What is the easiest and most affordable way to collect data on this topic?

b. What is the best way to answer the research question?

c. How has this topic been studied in the past?

d. With which type of analysis am I most comfortable?

41. What has history revealed for consideration in regards to ethics and research studies?

a. Humans need guidelines and oversight in order to ensure that research is done ethically.

b. Common sense and a researcher’s basic sense of what is right and wrong are reliable guides to ethical research.

c. Unethical research has been common in totalitarian societies, but unreported in the United States.

d. Those studies now identified as unethical have been quickly stopped by supervisors and government bodies.

42. The men of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment were informed of all of the following with the exception of being told that ______.

a. they were infected with syphilis

b. they would receive various medical incentives

c. they would be treated for bad blood

d. their families would receive burial stipends

43. What was Peter Buxtun’s role in the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment?

a. Buxtun was a member of the U.S. Public Health Service, a sponsor of the experiment.

b. Buxtun was on the team that identified the cure for syphilis.

c. Buxtun was a whistleblower that leaked information regarding the experiment to journalists.

d. Buxtun was one of the remaining survivors of the experiment.

44. Which of the following historical events prompted the creation of the Nuremberg Code?

a. World War I

b. the Holocaust

c. the Armenian Genocide

d. the Congo Free State

45. Why did Dr. Philip Zimbardo, the principal investigator of the Stanford Prison Experiment, stop the experiment before its conclusion?

a. His colleagues asked him to stop the experiment.

b. The participants refused to continue.

c. A student recognized that the study was unethical.

d. He realized that he was treating subjects inhumanely.

1. There are three standard definitions of knowledge.

2. Criminal justice does not fall within the social sciences.

3. Research in criminal justice and criminology is guided by the goal of answering a specific research question.

4. Research methods can be viewed as a how-to guide, or a basic recipe for conducting research.

5. Knowledge generated in scientific ways includes information you have been told by people you trust, things you have personally observed, intuition, and/or information gleaned from social and mass media.

6. A strong understanding of research methods is an academic skill, with few practical applications.

7. Accessing the original research, and learning about the research methodology used to conduct that research is the appropriate method of assessing the validity of a study’s finding.

8. Survey research is one example of how data can be collected for a study.

9. The purpose of answering a research question is to increase our knowledge and understanding of a topic.

10. The purpose of collecting data is to identify the limitations and gaps in existing research.

11. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report includes crimes that are not reported to the police.

12. Treatment of the American flag is an example of a tradition, custom, or norm.

13. An individual’s personal experience is objective and accurately reflects the larger truth.

14. Research always begins with the collection of data.

15. A component of designing research is making the concepts measurable, or operationalization.

16. Document analysis and quasi-experiments can be utilized to collect data.

17. Ethics are not necessarily what feelings or laws direct us to do, but rather what the common norms of moral behavior in society dictate.

18. Documenting the methodology used in a study occurs during the literature review stage of research.

19. The Nuremberg Code allowed researchers to govern themselves, a method that has proven to be effective under most experiments’ conditions.

20. The Belmont Report’s ethical principles and guidelines apply to both human and animal subjects.

21. With few exceptions, all research that is supported by the U.S. federal government requires Institutional Review Board oversight.

22. The Institutional Review Board has been compared to the Internal Revenue Service in regard to its necessity.

23. Conducting research on normal educational practices in established or traditional educational settings is an example of an exception to the Institutional Review Board requirement for oversight.

24. The justice principle of the Belmont Report stipulates that research subjects must be treated reasonably and fairly.

25. According to the Belmont Report’s principles, persons with diminished autonomy are not entitled to protection.

1. Identify and explain the typical stages of research mentioned in the text.

2. Discuss the importance of defining (operationalizing) terms within a study. Are definitions uniform across studies? Why or why not? What is the impact of not having pre-defined, and uniform terms? Use an example.

3. Identify and describe the various sources of knowledge mentioned throughout Chapter 1, “Why Study Research Methods?”, and their advantages and disadvantages as applied to research.

4. What is a research question and why are they important to social science research and other areas of research in academia? Provide an example of a research question.

5. Identify the various ways in which data can be collected. How do resources affect the type of data collection method used?

6. Identify the Nuremberg Code’s foundational ethical research principles and guidelines.

7. Identify and describe the three principles associated with the Belmont Report’s Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects and Research.

8. Identify and describe the three requirements associated with the Belmont Report’s Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects and Research.

9. What is an Institutional Review Board and what is its purpose?

10. Identify a limitation of the Nuremberg Code. Have there been any improvements in ethical guidelines and practices that have improved on this limitation?

1. Why are research methods important in social science research and other fields of research? You may use examples of studies to illustrate the importance of research methods.

2. Describe a sample population. You make use one of the studies in the text or another study that you are familiar with. Why does the sample size significantly alter the validity of a study?

3. According to the text, ethics are what the common norms of moral behavior in society dictate. How can oversight prevent unethical research? You may use a study from the text or one that you are familiar with.

4. Identify various ethical guidelines and principles that are in place to protect individuals from unethical practices. Why are they so important to social science research and other disciplines today?

5. Using the information that you learned in the text regarding the typical stages of research, create your own research question and proceed with outlining the stages of your research. What types of literature and journals will you include in your review? What size sample would you use to accurately create a representation of those being studied posed by your research question? Who would you sample? How will you collect your data? How would you analyze your data? How would you interpret the results? You may use one of the studies in the text as a guide.