Deck 10: Field Research: a Qualitative Technique

Question 1

Field research yields very vague data.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Field researchers generally sacrifice depth in exchange for breadth.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Complete participants who do not reveal themselves as researchers must face the ethical quandary of possibly deceiving their "subjects."

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Having a research question or topic in mind helps a researcher focus her or his observations.

Question 5

Field researchers rely on the notes they take in the field to develop more complete notes later and,eventually,to develop analysis.

Question 6

Field researchers often aim to answer "why" questions.

Question 7

The ascribed aspects of our locations,on the other hand,are those that we have some choice about.

Question 8

Field research can also be emotionally taxing.

Question 9

The goal when employing a grounded theory approach is,perhaps not surprisingly,to generate theory.

Question 10

Every field researcher's approach to writing up field notes will be identical.

Question 11

Field research is extremely time-saving.

Question 12

Overt researchers enter the field as though they are full participants,opting not to reveal that they are also researchers or that the group they've joined is being studied.

Question 13

Social facts that may not even be immediately revealed to a researcher but that become discovered over time can be uncovered during the course of a field research project.

Question 14

In field research,observation is haphazard.

Question 15

The achieved aspects of our locations are those that are involuntary.

Question 16

Time is a limitation that can shape where a field researcher can conduct his participant observation.

Question 17

Details that may seem unimportant in the moment need to be discarded as they don't have any relevance during later analysis.

Question 18

Descriptive field notes are notes that include the researcher's impressions about his observations.

Question 19

The one aspect that field researchers differ on is their participation in "the field."

Question 20

Most field research projects lie somewhere near the middle of the observer-participant continuum.

Question 21

Which of the following statements is proof of field research being emotionally taxing with respect to the relationships between the researcher and the participants?

A)The relationships developed last for shorter intervals of time.
B)The relationships are casual in nature.
C)These relationships are not very rewarding.
D)Like any relationship,field researchers experience not just the highs but also the lows of daily life and interactions.
E)The researcher uses the research participants to answer "why" types of questions which in turn strains the relationship between the researcher and the participants.

Question 22

Which of the following is a characteristic of a convert?

A)The field researcher maintains distance with the participants.
B)The researcher does not totally immerse in the lives of his subjects so that he can better categorize,what's being observed.
C)The field researcher intentionally dives right into life as a participant.
D)The field researcher stands back and tries seeing and observing with the eyes of a newcomer.
E)The researcher remains disentangled from too much engagement with the participants.

Question 23

Which of the following is true of field research?

A)Most field research projects lie at the ends of the observer-participant continuum.
B)Field research is seldom used in qualitative analysis.
C)Field research is well equipped to answer "why" kinds of questions.
D)Field research is restricted to data analysis.
E)Field research is also known as ethnography.

Question 24

Simeon-a field surveyor-while selecting a convenience sample for his study,opts not to reveal to his subjects that they are being studied.In this scenario,Simeon is playing the role of a(n)_____.

A)covert researcher
B)key informant
C)martians
D)interviewee
E)overt researcher

Question 25

Which of the following is a part of field research that involves spending time with and watching one's research respondents?

A)Sampling
B)Participant observation
C)Data analysis
D)Literature Review
E)Data collection

Question 26

Insiders,with whom a researcher may have some prior connection or a closer relationship than with other site participants are called _____.

A)covert researchers
B)converts
C)key informants
D)martians
E)overt researchers

Question 27

Which of the following is an advantage of being a participant observer?

A)Complete observation lies between the "field research-complete participation" continuum.
B)Complete observers will have the opportunity to fully grasp what life is like for the people they observe.
C)Complete participation has the benefit of allowing researchers a real taste of life in the group that they study.
D)Complete participants can excuse themselves from situations that they'd rather not face.
E)Complete participants who do not reveal themselves as researchers will not have to face the ethical quandary of possibly deceiving their "subjects."

Question 28

Which of the following is a weakness of field research?

A)Field research can be emotionally taxing.
B)It yields very vague data.
C)It ignores the role and relevance of social context.
D)It suppresses the social facts that may not be immediately obvious.
E)It suppresses the social facts that research participants may be unaware of.

Question 29

Sophie Williams is a marketing professional in her forties,who has been asked to study the significance of brands in the purchase of cosmetics for middle-aged women.She approaches a group of middle-aged women and requests them to take part in her research.What role has Sophie assumed in this situation?

A)An interviewee
B)An overt
C)A covert
D)A martian
E)A key informant

Question 30

Mark Stevens is a college student who has chosen the topic "significance of campus recruitment among college students" for his final year project.He plans to conceal his identity and purpose,by being a part of the group of college students who have applied for campus recruitment.Identify the role Mark assumes in this situation.

A)A null hypothesis
B)A key informant
C)An overt researcher
D)A convert
E)An interviewee

Question 31

Field research is an excellent method for:

A)ignoring the observations in the social situation or setting.
B)interpreting and analyzing vague and irrelevant data.
C)understanding the role of social context in shaping people's lives and experiences.
D)answering "why" kinds of questions.
E)rejecting and accepting hypotheses.

Question 32

Which of the following is an example of a researcher's achieved aspects?

A)Recognition
B)Age
C)Race
D)Mobility
E)Ethnic background

Question 33

Which of the following is a strength of field research?

A)It is extremely time-saving.
B)It yields very detailed data.
C)Documentation is simple for field researchers.
D)Field researches cover the most breadth,than surveys.
E)It enables researchers to gather data from a very large number of people or groups.

Question 34

Covert researchers differ from overt researchers in that covert researchers:

A)enter the field by revealing status as a researcher
B)reveal to the participants that they are being studied.
C)stand back a bit,and do not immerse into the lives of their subjects.
D)enter the field as though they are full participants and hide their true identity of being a researcher.
E)do not participate with the research subjects rather they stand back and observe as a field research.

Question 35

A researcher's achieved aspects differ from his ascribed in that achieved aspects:

A)are those that are involuntary.
B)include the researcher's age,race,or mobility.
C)are those that the researcher has no option to choose.
D)are those that the researcher is associated with,irrespective of his own choice.
E)are those that the researcher has some choice about.

Question 36

Kelly Clark is an intern who wants to study the employee satisfaction with respect to the growth opportunities in Techno Inc.a reputed Arizona based software company.Her strategy for field research requires her to get in touch with John Carter,her friend from college.John helps her through her observations,and gives her a lot of information regarding the employees and their promotions.In this scenario,John assumes the role of a(n)_____.

A)covert researcher
B)overt researcher
C)convert
D)martian
E)key informant

Question 37

Which of the following is true of covert researchers?

A)They reveal their true identities to the participants.
B)They inform participants that they are being studied.
C)They stand back a bit,and do not immerse into the lives of their subjects.
D)Participants can become uncomfortable during the initial phases,when they know that they are being watched by covert researchers.
E)They enter the field by pretending to be a participant.

Question 38

Simeon-a field surveyor-while selecting a convenience sample for his study,lets all his subjects know that they are being interviewed for some study.In this scenario,Simeon is playing the role of a(n)_____.

A)key informant
B)overt researcher
C)covert researcher
D)confederate
E)convert

Question 39

Which of the following typically involves a combination of participant observation,interviewing,and document or artifact analysis?

A)Hypothesis testing
B)Pearson's r analysis
C)Field research
D)Library research
E)Literature review

Question 40

Which of the following is common to all field researchers?

A)Participation in "the field"
B)Opportunities in "the field"
C)Scope in "the field"
D)Limitations in "the field"
E)Imagination in "the field"

Question 41

Explain field research.

Question 42

Explain how one's social location is relevant for choosing a field research site.

Question 43

Identify and explain the weaknesses of field research.

Question 44

Identify and explain the strengths of field research.

Question 45

Define descriptive field notes.

Question 46

Describe the continuum of participant observation.

Question 47

Descriptive field notes:

A)consist of the final,detailed research report.
B)contain the observations presented with the detailed explanations and comments.
C)consist of the literature review,data analysis,interpretations and research findings.
D)describe a field researcher's observations as straightforwardly as possible.
E)describe a field researcher's observations using complex equations and analyses.

Question 48

_____ include the researcher's impressions about her or his observations.

A)Analytic field notes
B)Literature reviews
C)Data interpretations
D)Pearson's r analysis
E)Hypotheses

Question 49

What is a systematic process in which a researcher generates new theory by inductively analyzing her or his qualitative empirical observations known as?

A)Cohen's d
B)Pearson's r
C)Cohen's к
D)Conflict theory
E)Grounded theory

Question 50

Analyzing _____ data is a process that occurs over time,beginning at the moment an ethnographer enters the field and continuing as interactions are happening in the field,as the ethnographer writes up descriptive notes,and as the ethnographer considers what those interactions and descriptive notes mean.

A)field note
B)survey
C)interview
D)case study
E)deductive reasoning

Question 51

The goal when employing a grounded theory approach is:

A)to contemplate an existing theory.
B)to generate a new theory.
C)to modify an existing theory.
D)to reject a theory.
E)to approve an existing theory.

Question 52

Field researchers begin to look for patterns across the field notes by coding the data.This involves:

A)the iterative process of open and focused coding.
B)the repetitive process of participant observations.
C)the modification of existing theories.
D)the discarding process of vague and irrelevant data.
E)the iterative process of generating data from theories.

Question 53

Grounded theory:

A)requires that one begin with an open-ended and open-minded desire to understand a social situation or setting.
B)involves a systematic process whereby the researcher guides the data by preset hypothesis.
C)involves the generation of data from theory.
D)requires that the researcher have a closed-mind perspective towards the situations.
E)is based on the concept that discoveries are made from the theory.

Question 54

Which of the following is the reason why field researchers make note of mundane details?

A)To increase the quantity of data
B)To code the mundane details into a vague pattern and then discard them
C)To use the mundane details at a later stage when they turn out to have relevance
D)To use the mundane details as a backup,incase they fall short on the data needed to come up with a theory
E)To find some irrelevant patterns with the mundane details

Question 55

The field researcher can begin to look for patterns across the notes by coding the data:

A)during the observation period.
B)during the participation process.
C)after the theory has been generated.
D)after the analytic field notes have been written.
E)before the researcher gets involved as a participant.

Question 56

Which of the following is the next step in analyzing the field researcher's data that has been written or typed up?

A)The field researcher will discard all the data.
B)The field researcher will begin to look for patterns across the notes by coding the data.
C)The field researcher will directly present the results.
D)The field researcher will repeat the field observations with the participants.
E)The field researcher will classify all the data as trivial.

Question 57

_____ are the first and a necessary step toward developing quality analysis.

A)Field notes
B)Data interpretations
C)Coding of data
D)Conclusions
E)Generating theories

Question 58

Cite the variety of ways that field researchers might take notes while in the field.

Question 59

Explain the difference between overt and covert roles in field research.

Question 60

Which of the following is a feature of grounded theory?

A)It involves the generation of data from the theories.
B)It requires that one begin with a closed mind perspective towards the social situation.
C)It involves a systematic process whereby the researcher is guided by the data.
D)It is based on the concept that discoveries are made from the theories.
E)It involves a systematic process whereby the researcher is guided by the preset hypothesis.

Question 61

In field research,observation is ______,not haphazard.

Question 62

_____ involves generating theory from the ground up.

Question 63

_____ is a qualitative method of data collection that is aimed at understanding,observing,and interacting with people in their natural settings.

Question 64

Field research emphasizes the role and relevance of _____context.

Question 65

Define analytic field notes and explain how they differ from descriptive field notes.

Question 66

_____ researchers enter the field as though they are full participants,opting not to reveal that they are also researchers or that the group they've joined is being studied.

Question 67

Explain grounded theory.