Question 1

The notion of a "hierarchy of credibility" refers to ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   a tendency to consider sources closest to the research topic as least trustworthy
B)   a method whereby a researcher sifts through potential sources and ranks them according to their perceived usefulness
C)   a tendency for those with the most social status to be treated as most knowledgeable, accurate, or unbiased
D)   a "top down" method whereby researchers first interview experts and eventually make their way down to "lay persons" C

Question 2

Explain Geraldine Dickson's project involving Indigenous "grandmothers" and what main strategy for designing research her study demonstrates.

Accepted Answer

The main concept demonstrated is how participatory action research (PAR) works. It shows how research questions affect ordinary people in their daily lives by helping them recognize their own resources, produce knowledge, and take action to overcome inequalities. The grandmothers who were involved did not want the research to focus on their problems; the interviews were crafted to highlight their strengths. The women engaged in a number of new activities as a result of their participation

Question 3

To cushion the potential fall-out of not being able to tackle a particular subject, Joseph Alex Maxwell suggests that researchers compose a "research identity memo" that includes their ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   professional obligations and job contract information
B)   expectations, prejudices, and potential biases
C)   goals, experiences, assumptions, feelings, and values
D)   views on the ethical parameters of the research C

Question 4

One of the main goals of participatory action research is to ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   challenge critically the usefulness of research and the hierarchy of credibility that is embedded within it
B)   influence social policy to develop interventions that improve the circumstances of the group
C)   allow the researcher an opportunity to see at ground level how participants think and operate
D)   facilitate research that includes payments from researchers to respondents

Question 5

Aside from making sure that the study is conducted ethically, researchers should take all of the following into consideration except ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   potential popularity of the findings
B)   time constraints
C)   money limitations
D)   gaining access to participants

Question 6

Briefly sketch the hierarchy of credibility that Deborah van den Hoonaard outlines in her work on older women.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly sketch the hierarchy of credibility that...

Question 7

Deborah van den Hoonaard chose to write extensively on widowhood after she borrowed a book from one of her students.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

To avoid being accused of bias, sociologists who studied the Occupy Wall Street movement purposefully did not interview any activists and instead focused on politicians and corporate leaders.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Define focus group. Outline the circumstances under which it would be appropriate to use a focus group as a research method.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define focus group. Outline the circumstances under...

Question 10

A research topic should be chosen based on something that "grabs you" and you should have a powerful compelling curiosity about it.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Using the generic social processes outlined in Chapter 2, explain how one might "brainstorm" a research question.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Using the generic social processes outlined in...

Question 12

Lofland and Lofland suggest that research topic selection should be predicated on something with which the researcher is familiar, or in which she or he is already interested. They call this process ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   facilitating familiarity
B)   convenient conception
C)   scientific opportunism
D)   starting where you are

Question 13

Hans wants to study a local environmental activist group that holds e-waste recycling events at city hall every month. Hans believes that the participants have a unique perspective to contribute and designs a project that takes a collaborative approach. The activists explain to Hans the complexity of scheduling the e-waste clinics and the political relationships involved. They suggest that Hans not just observe the interactions at the clinics but also participate in the planning process to observe these dynamics. He takes account of these suggestions and adjusts his research design to include observation of the additional planning activities. By designing his project in this manner, Hans is sharing control of the study with the environmental activists he is studying. The term used to describe Hans' approach is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   community-based research
B)   ethnography
C)   hierarchy of credibility
D)   interviewer bias

Question 14

"Hanging around" or "mucking around" is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   a way of identifying a topic whereby a researcher spends time in a setting that looks like it might be a fruitful site of research
B)   what happens when you fail to develop a concrete plan prior to engaging in ethnographic work
C)   a method of discovering a topic whereby a researcher "mucks around" with old journal articles looking for weaknesses in the research to improve upon
D)   what happens when a researcher loses focus and gets "writer's block"

Question 15

According to the textbook, ________ would be most appropriate for a researcher wanting to study a specific geographic location.

Accepted Answer

A)   content analysis
B)   qualitative interviews
C)   observational techniques
D)   secondary data analysis

Question 16

There is overwhelming evidence to suggest it is a very bad idea to pick a research topic that one has a personal connection to.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

When determining a theoretical stance for your research study, it is a bad idea to combine two theoretical perspectives like feminism and Marxism.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Clinton Sanders' research on body modification is an example of serendipity because he discovered the topic ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   after spending a night in the "drunk tank" where he befriended a heavily tattooed man
B)   while dating a woman who got a tattoo as a memorial after her father's unexpected death
C)   after a happenstance trip to a tattooing museum, which led him to get a tattoo later at a nearby shop
D)   after receiving a complimentary copy of Michael Atkinson's book on tattooing in the mail

Question 19

The author suggests that ideas for research topics can come from personal experience. Provide some examples from the chapter that best support this argument.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The author suggests that ideas for research...

Question 20

Describe which situations would be best-suited for using qualitative interviews, and what considerations need to be taken when using this approach.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe which situations would be best-suited for...

Exam 3: Strategies for Designing Research

The notion of a "hierarchy of credibility" refers to ________.

Explain Geraldine Dickson's project involving Indigenous "grandmothers" and what main strategy for designing research her study demonstrates.

To cushion the potential fall-out of not being able to tackle a particular subject, Joseph Alex Maxwell suggests that researchers compose a "research identity memo" that includes their ________.

One of the main goals of participatory action research is to ________.

Aside from making sure that the study is conducted ethically, researchers should take all of the following into consideration except ________.

Briefly sketch the hierarchy of credibility that Deborah van den Hoonaard outlines in her work on older women.

Deborah van den Hoonaard chose to write extensively on widowhood after she borrowed a book from one of her students.

To avoid being accused of bias, sociologists who studied the Occupy Wall Street movement purposefully did not interview any activists and instead focused on politicians and corporate leaders.

Define focus group. Outline the circumstances under which it would be appropriate to use a focus group as a research method.

A research topic should be chosen based on something that "grabs you" and you should have a powerful compelling curiosity about it.

Using the generic social processes outlined in Chapter 2, explain how one might "brainstorm" a research question.

Lofland and Lofland suggest that research topic selection should be predicated on something with which the researcher is familiar, or in which she or he is already interested. They call this process ________.

"Hanging around" or "mucking around" is ________.

According to the textbook, ________ would be most appropriate for a researcher wanting to study a specific geographic location.

There is overwhelming evidence to suggest it is a very bad idea to pick a research topic that one has a personal connection to.

When determining a theoretical stance for your research study, it is a bad idea to combine two theoretical perspectives like feminism and Marxism.

Clinton Sanders' research on body modification is an example of serendipity because he discovered the topic ________.

The author suggests that ideas for research topics can come from personal experience. Provide some examples from the chapter that best support this argument.

Describe which situations would be best-suited for using qualitative interviews, and what considerations need to be taken when using this approach.