Question 1

What was the main argument in the work of well-known social scientist Eszter
Hargittai (2020) regarding research based on social media and similar "Big Data:?

Accepted Answer

A)   Strict IRB control is needed to assure data protection and privacy.
B)   Government regulation is needed to require transparency in Big Data projects.
C)   Bivariate reportingdominates in Big Data research but multivariate social science analysis is needed.
D)   Higher SES groups are overrepresented and the less privileged are underrepresented D

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT effected by computer algorithms?

Accepted Answer

A)   Determine if a person is likely to be a terrorist.
B)   Diagnose a medical condition.
C)   Conduct a symphony
D)   All of the above have been done by way of computer algorithms. D

Question 3

What is the "Menlo Report"?

Accepted Answer

A)   A report on the Menlo Project, under which John van Neumann and others created computing machines for crytpography in WWII.
B)   A report from Menlo College (Atherton, C
A)   by its program on business ethics regarding ethics guidelines for information technology.
C)   Ethics guidelines for information technology issued by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security
D)   A report associated with M.E.N.L.O., an acronym for "massive electronic neural learning online", an architecture for machine learning. C

Question 4

Bias in what field was the main focues of the dispute between ProPublica and the firm "equivant" over the COMPAS system?

Accepted Answer

A)   Corrections
B)   Transportation
C)   Health
D)   Education

Question 5

"Big Data" and data analytics assure decisions are objectively-based since so much data are used.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Which of the following is UNTRUE? Or is "D" correct?

Accepted Answer

A)   Many instance have been found of algorithm-based discriminatory effect by race and gender.
B)   Many instances have been found of undermining U. S. democracy by bots and automated messaging.
C)   Many instance have been found of injustice due to algorithm-driven profiling and facial recognition software.
D)   All of the above are true.

Question 7

What was seen as the "key to success" for artificial intelligence and related data analytic efforts by Sipior (2020)

Accepted Answer

A)   Diversity in the development team
B)   Transparency
C)   Protection of privacy
D)   Support of top management

Question 8

Name three of the ten ways La Fors et al. (2010) have identified as threats to ethics arising from "Big Data" and data analytic algorithms.
a. ____________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________

Accepted Answer

The answer of Name three of the ten ways La...

Question 9

What is NOT a significant obstacle to social science research on "Big Data"?

Accepted Answer

A)   Social media companies restrict the access to their data, creating a "digital divide" separating social scientists with wide access from those who lack such access.
B)   Software for analyzing "Big Data" is proprietary and prohibitive in cost.
C)   Many sources of "Big Data" lack demographic data on age, gender, income, and other essential control variables ordinarily important in social science research.
D)   Sound research design commonly requires random sampling or enumeration (data on all the cases) , neither of which characterize most "Big Data".

Question 10

What is NOT true of "hyperactive" social media users, according to Papakyriakopoulos et al. (2020) and other researchers?

Accepted Answer

A)   Algorithms used by Twitter, Facebook, and other social media counterbalance the effects of hyperactive users.
B)   They become opinion leaders with an agenda-setting effect.
C)   They like different content than average users.
D)   They might be paid spammers or even bots.

Exam 1: Using and Abusing Data Analytics in Social Science

What was the main argument in the work of well-known social scientist Eszter Hargittai (2020) regarding research based on social media and similar "Big Data:?