Social Research Methods (Oxford)

Zilly Mazari
zulfimazari@gmail.com
Social Research Methods ( Bryman: Question 7

Social Research Methods: 5e) Which of the following is not a data-collection
method?
Chapter 1: The nature and process of a) Research questions
social research b) Unstructured interviewing
Question 1 c) Postal survey questionnaires
When planning to do social research, it is better d) Participant observation
to: Question 8
a) Approach the topic with an open mind Why is data analysis concerned with data
b) Do a pilot study before getting stuck into it reduction?
c) Be familiar with the literature on the topic a) Because far too much data is collected than
d) Forget about theory because this is a very is required
practical undertaking b) Because we need to make sense of the data
Question 2 c) Because of the repetitions in answers to
Which comes first, theory or research? questionnaires
a) Theory, because otherwise you are working d) Because the sample size has been exceeded
in the dark Question 9
b) Research, because that's the only way you The core ingredients of a dissertation are:
can develop a theory a) Introduction; Data collection; Data analysis;
c) It depends on your point of view Conclusions and recommendations.
d) The question is meaningless, because you b) Executive summary; Literature review;
can't have one without the other Data gathered; Conclusions; Bibliography.
Question 3 c) Research plan; Research data; Analysis;
We review the relevant literature to know: References.
a) What is already known about the topic d) Introduction; Literature review; Research
b) What concepts and theories have been methods; Results; Discussion; Conclusion.
applied to the topic Question 10
c) Who are the key contributors to the topic Because of the number of things that can go
d) All of the above wrong in research there is a need for:
Question 4 a) Flexibility and perseverance
A deductive theory is one that: b) Sympathetic supervisors
a) Allows theory to emerge out of the data c) An emergency source of finance
b) Involves testing an explicitly defined d) Wisdom to know the right time to quit
hypothesis
c) Allows for findings to feed back into the Chapter 2: Social research strategies:
stock of knowledge quantitative research and qualitative
d) Uses qualitative methods whenever possible research
Question 5 Question 1
Which of the following is not a type of research What is a 'grand theory'?
question? a) One that was proposed by one of the major
a) Predicting an outcome theorists in the sociological tradition
b) Evaluating a phenomenon b) One that is highly abstract and makes broad
c) Developing good practice generalizations about the social world
d) A hypothesis c) An intermediate level explanation of
Question 6 observed regularities
What does 'sampling cases' mean?
d) A particularly satisfactory theory that
a) Sampling using a sampling frame makes the researcher feel happy
Question 2
b) Identifying people who are suitable for
research What does an empiricist believe?
c) Literally, the researcher's brief-case a) We should not apply natural science
d) Sampling people, newspapers, television methods to social science research
programmes etc. b) It is the sociologist's aim to understand the
meaning of social action
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c) Knowledge, in the form of 'facts', should be c) Building and construction work presents an
gained through sensory experience ideal opportunity to exercise the sociological
d) Research conducted within the British imagination
empire was biased and unreliable d) Social facts and objects have an external
Question 3 reality, independently of the people who
An inductive theory is one that: perceive them
a) Involves testing an explicitly defined Question 8
hypothesis The qualitative research strategy places a value
b) Does not allow for findings to feed back on:
into the stock of knowledge a) Using numbers, measurements and
c) Uses quantitative methods whenever statistical techniques
possible b) Generating theories through inductive
d) Allows theory to emerge out of the data research about social meanings
Question 4 c) Conducting research that is of a very high
What is the epistemological position held by a quality
positivist? d) All of the above
a) There is no substitute for an in-depth, Question 9
hermeneutic understanding of society Which of the following is an example of value-
b) Scientific research should be based on free research?
value-free, empirical observations a) Conscious partiality
c) Events and discourses in the social world b) Sympathy for the underdog
prevent us from having direct knowledge of c) Unstructured interviewing
the natural order d) None of the above
d) It is important to remain optimistic about Question 10
our research, even when things go wrong An important practical issue to consider when
Question 5 designing a research project is:
The interpretivist view of the social sciences is a) Which theoretical perspective you find most
that: interesting
a) Their subject matter is fundamentally b) Whether or not you have time to retile the
different to that of the natural sciences bathroom first
b) We should aim to achieve the interpretive c) How much time and money you have to
understanding of social action conduct the research
c) It is important to study the way people make d) Which colour of ring binder to present your
sense of their everyday worlds work in
d) All of the above Chapter 3: Research designs
Which of the following is an ontological What is a research design?
question? a) A way of conducting research that is not
a) Should I use questionnaires or interviews in grounded in theory
my project? b) The choice between using qualitative or
b) What can (and should) be considered quantitative methods
acceptable forms of knowledge? c) The style in which you present your
c) How long is it since I last visited the research findings, e.g. a graph
dentist? d) A framework for every stage of the
d) Do social entities have an objective reality, collection and analysis of data
external to social actors? Question 2
Question 7
If a study is "reliable", this means that:
The constructionist ontological position suggests a) It was conducted by a reputable researcher
that: who can be trusted
a) Social phenomena and their meanings are b) The measures devised for concepts are
constantly being accomplished by social actors stable on different occasions
b) Individuals are born into a world of rules c) The findings can be generalized to other
and structures that they cannot change social settings
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d) The methods are stated clearly enough for a) High in replicability but low in internal
the research to be replicated validity
Question 3 b) High in internal validity but low in
"Internal validity" refers to: reliability
a) Whether or not there is really a causal c) High in ecological validity but low in
relationship between two variables external validity
b) Whether or not the findings are relevant to d) None of the above
the participants' everyday lives Question 9
c) The degree to which the researcher feels Panel and cohort designs differ, in that:
that this was a worthwhile project a) Cohort studies involve quantitative
d) How accurately the measurements represent research, whereas panel studies are qualitative
underlying concepts b) A panel study does not need rules to handle
Question 4 new entrants to households
Lincoln & Guba (1985) propose that an c) Only a cohort study will suffer from sample
alternative criterion for evaluating qualitative attrition
research would be: d) A panel study can distinguish between age
a) Impressiveness effects and cohort effects, but a cohort design
b) Trustworthiness can only detect ageing effects
c) Joyfulness Question 10
d) Messiness Cross cultural studies are an example of:
Question 5 a) Case study design
Naturalism has been defined as: b) Comparative design
a) Viewing natural and social objects as c) Experimental design
belonging to the same realm d) Longitudinal design
b) Being true to the nature of the phenomenon
under investigation Chapter 4: Planning a research project
c) Minimising the intrusion of artificial and formulating research questions
methods of data collection into the field Question 1
d) All of the above Which of the following requirements for a
Question 6 dissertation may depend on your institution?
In an experimental design, the dependent a) Whether an abstract should be included
variable is: b) The format for referencing
a) The one that is not manipulated and in c) The word limit
which any changes are observed d) All of the above
b) The one that is manipulated in order to Question 2
observe any effects on the other The role of a project supervisor is to:
c) A measure of the extent to which personal a) Make sure you keep to your schedule and
values affect research deadlines
d) An ambiguous concept whose meaning b) Provide intellectual support, guidance and
depends on how it is defined critical feedback
Question 7 c) Negotiate access to the research setting on
What is a cross-sectional design? the student's behalf
a) A study of one particular section of society, d) Give you a reading list
e.g. the middle classes Question 3
b) One that is devised when the researcher is You can manage your time and resources best,
in a bad mood by:
c) The collection of data from more than one a) Working out a timetable
case at one moment in time b) Finding out what resources are readily
d) A comparison of two or more variables over available to you
a long period of time c) Calculating a budget for likely expenditure
Question 8 d) All of the above
Survey research is cross-sectional and therefore: Question 4
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What did Marx (1997) mean when he suggested a) Be alert to the possibility of exposure to
that "intellectual puzzles and contradictions" can danger
be a possible source of research questions? b) Avoid interviewing alone in the
a) The researcher may feel that there is a respondent's residence
contradiction in the literature, presenting a c) Make sure someone knows where you are
"puzzle" to be solved and how you can contact them in an
b) Students can develop their IQ levels by emergency
attempting to solve intellectual puzzles d) All of the above
c) Unless you can find a logical contradiction, Question 10
you have no basis for conducting research What practical steps can you take before you
d) All of life is a puzzle, so any aspect of life actually start your research?
can be researched a) Find out exactly what your institution's
Question 5 requirements are for a dissertation
How can you tell if your research questions are b) Make sure you are familiar with the
really good? hardware and software you plan to use
a) If they guide your literature search c) Apply for clearance of your project through
b) If they are linked together to help you an ethics committee
construct a coherent argument d) All of the above
c) If they force you to narrow the scope of
your research Chapter 5: Getting started: reviewing
d) All of the above the literature
Which of the following should be included in a Why do you need to review the existing
research proposal? literature?
a) Your academic status and experience a) To make sure you have a long list of
b) The difficulties you encountered with your references
previous reading on the topic b) Because without it, you could never reach
c) Your choice of research methods and the required word-count
reasons for choosing them c) To find out what is already known about
d) All of the above your area of interest
Question 7 d) To help in your general studying
Which of the following should you think about Question 2
when preparing your research? To read critically means:
a) Your sample frame and sampling strategy a) Taking an opposing point of view to the
b) The ethical issues that might arise ideas and opinions expressed
c) Negotiating access to the setting b) Skimming through the material because
d) All of the above most of it is just padding
Question 8 c) Evaluating what you read in terms of your
Why is it helpful to keep a research diary or log own research questions
book while you are conducting your project? d) Being negative about something before you
a) To give you something to do in the early read it
stages of your research when nothing is Question 3
happening Which two of the following are legitimate
b) Because funding councils generally demand frameworks for setting out a literature review:
to see written evidence that you were working 1. Constructing inter-textual coherence
every day during the period of the research 2. Deconstruction of textual coherence
c) To keep a record of what you did and what 3. Problematizing the situation
happened throughout the research process 4. Resolving discovered problems?
d) It can be added to your dissertation to a) 1 and 2
ensure that you reach the required word limit b) 2 and 3
Question 9 c) 1 and 3
What can you do to ensure your physical safety d) 2 and 4
during your research? Question 4
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A systematic literature review is: c) Bryman, Alan, Social Research

a) One which starts in your own library, then Methods (2012: OUP)
goes to on-line databases and, finally, to the d) Bryman, A. Social Research Methods
internet (2012)
b) A replicable, scientific and transparent
process Question 10
c) One which gives equal attention to the
Which of the following statements about
principal contributors to the area
plagiarism is most accurate?
d) A responsible, professional process of time-
a) It is so easy to "copy and paste" from the
management for research
internet that everyone does it nowadays. If a
Question 5
proper reference is given, where is the harm in
What is self-plagiarism? that?
a) When a person lifts material that they have b) How can we say for sure where our own
previously written and pass it off as their own ideas come from exactly? If we tried to give a
work reference for everything we could never hope
b) Taking about yourself too much to succeed.
c) Using somebody else's work and passing it c) Any suggestion that we have written what
off as your own another actually wrote is morally wrong.
d) An epistemological stance Anyway, the whole point of a literature review
Question 6 is to show what we have read and what we
What is the first stage of a systematic review? thought about it.
a) Assess the relevance of each study to the d) Plagiarism is such an awful crime that those
research question(s) found guilty should be obliged to wear a
b) Define the purpose and scope of the review scarlet "P" on their clothing.
c) Appraise the quality of studies from the
previous step Chapter 6: Ethics and politics in social
d) Survey all of the literature contained within research
a single library Question 1
Question 7 There is a tendency for debates about ethics in
What is a narrative literature review? social research to focus on the most extreme
a) An historically-based review, starting with cases of ethical transgression. Why might this
the earliest contributions to the field create a misleading impression?
b) A review based exclusively on stories about a) Because these studies did not actually take
companies, in book and case-study form place
c) A paraphrase style of reviewing which does b) Because it makes social researchers look
not require referencing like nasty, unscrupulous people
d) An initial impression of the topic which you c) Because this implies that ethical concerns
will understand more fully as you conduct do not pervade all social research
your research d) Because most social research is in fact
Question 8 ethically sound and infallible
Question 2
When accessing the internet, which of these
steps is the most essential? Which of the following ideas is not associated
a) Recording the full URL with the stance of situation ethics?
b) Noting the access dates a) Anything goes
c) Downloading material to be referenced b) Principled relativism
d) They are all equally important c) The end justifies the means
Question 9 d) No choice
According to the Harvard referencing Question 3
convention, which is the correct reference? Why is it argued that ethical transgression is
a) Bryman, A. (2012, 4e) Social Research pervasive in social research?
Methods, Oxford; Oxford University Press a) Because most researchers do not bother to
b) Bryman (2012, fourth edition), Oxford follow a professional code of ethics
University Press
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b) Because researchers rarely provide their a) It can damage the professional reputation of
participants with all the information they the researcher and their discipline
might want to know about a project b) It makes it more difficult to gain access to
c) Because it helps us to justify the more deviant or hidden populations
extreme forms of unethical conduct that we c) It means that records of personal data about
prefer to pursue the participants cannot be made anonymous
d) Because sociologists want to present d) None of the above
themselves as inconsiderate and careless Question 9
Question 4 Which of the following factors does not add a
Which of the following is a form of harm that political dimension to the research process?
might be suffered by research participants? a) The researcher's values, beliefs and prior
a) Physical injury assumptions
b) Stress and anxiety b) The response rate of a social survey
c) Impaired development c) The vested interests of the funding body
d) All of the above d) A gatekeeper's concerns about
Question 5 representation
Why is it important that personal data about Question 10
research participants are kept within secure, Whose side did Becker suggest the social
confidential records? researcher should take?
a) So that the participants cannot find out what a) The underdog
has been written about them b) The fat cat
b) So that individuals, places or organizations c) The cash cow
cannot be harmed through identification or d) The sitting duck
disclosure of personal information
c) So that government officials, teachers and Chapter 7: The nature of quantitative
other people in authority can have easy access research
to the data Question 1
d) To enable the researcher to track down
An operational definition is:
individuals and find out more about their lives
a) One that bears no relation to the underlying
Question 6
concept
Which method is most commonly associated b) An abstract, theoretical definition of a
with a lack of informed consent? concept
a) In-depth interviewing c) A definition of a concept in terms of
b) Qualitative content analysis specific, empirical measures
c) Covert observation d) One that refers to opera singers and their
d) Structured interviewing work
Why is it "easier said than done" to ensure that The importance of measurement in quantitative
the principle of informed consent is adhered to? research is that:
a) It is not practicable to present every a) It allows us to delineate fine differences
participant with all the information about the between people or cases
study b) It provides a consistent device or yardstick
b) Sometimes it is desirable to withhold c) It allows for precise estimates of the degree
certain pieces of information, such as the of relationship between concepts
length of time an interview will take d) All of the above
c) If the participants knew exactly what the Question 3
researcher was intending to study, they might
The difference between measures and indicators
change their behaviour
is that:
d) All of the above
a) Measures are unambiguous quantities,
Question 8
whereas indicators are devised from common
Apart from the fact that it is "not a nice thing to sense understandings
do" (p133), what is an important ethical b) Indicators have a more direct relationship to
disadvantage of deceiving participants? the underlying concept than measures
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c) Measures are intuitively devised and then b) The measurements we devise can
applied as if they were direct indicators of a sometimes help to develop a theory
concept c) Techniques such as factor analysis have no
d) Indicators are unambiguous quantities, place in social research
whereas measures are subjective and value- d) Driving instructors always make you
laden practice the most difficult manoeuvre
The split-half method is used as a test of: Written accounts of quantitative research rarely
a) Stability include the results of reliability and validity tests
b) Internal reliability because:
c) Inter-observer consistency a) Researchers are more interested in reporting
d) External validity their operational definitions
Question 5 b) Researchers don't really think that these
Which of the following is not a form of
tests are important
measurement validity? c) Journal editors have banned these kinds of
a) Concurrent validity articles
b) Face validity d) Researchers are more interested in reporting
c) Conductive validity their substantive findings
d) Convergent validity
Question 6 Chapter 8: Sampling in quantitative
research
Quantitative social researchers rarely claim to
Question 1
have established causality because:
a) They are more concerned with publishing A sampling frame is:
the results of their reliability tests a) A summary of the various stages involved
b) They do not believe that this is an in designing a survey
appropriate goal to be striving for b) An outline view of all the main clusters of
c) They keep forgetting which of the variables units in a sample
they have manipulated c) A list of all the units in the population from
d) They tend to use cross-sectional designs, which a sample will be selected
which produce only correlations d) A wooden frame used to display tables of
Question 7 random numbers
Question 2
One of the preoccupations of quantitative
researchers is with generalization, which is a A simple random sample is one in which:
sign of: a) From a random starting point, every nth
a) External validity unit from the sampling frame is selected
b) Internal reliability b) A non-probability strategy is used, making
c) External reliability the results difficult to generalize
d) Internal validity c) The researcher has a certain quota of
Question 8 respondents to fill for various social groups
Quantitative research has been criticised d) Every unit of the population has an equal
because: chance of being selected
a) The measurement process suggests a Question 3
spurious and artificial sense of accuracy It is helpful to use a multi-stage cluster sample
b) The reliance on instruments and procedures when:
makes it high in ecological validity a) The population is widely dispersed
c) It underestimates the similarities between geographically
objects in the natural and social worlds b) You have limited time and money available
d) All of the above for travelling
Question 9 c) You want to use a probability sample in
The term 'reverse operationism' means that: order to generalise the results
a) The theories we devise will often hinder our d) All of the above
Question 4
attempts to measure concepts
The standard error is a statistical measure of:
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a) The normal distribution of scores around b) Faulty techniques of coding and managing
the sample mean data
b) The extent to which a sample mean is likely c) Problems with the implementation of the
to differ from the population mean research process
c) The clustering of scores at each end of a d) The unavoidable discrepancy between the
survey scale sample and the population
d) The degree to which a sample has been
accurately stratified Chapter 9: Structured interviewing
What effect does increasing the sample size have Why is it important for structured interviews to
upon the sampling error? follow a standardized procedure?
a) It reduces the sampling error a) To increase validity, as the interview can be
b) It increases the sampling error adapted for each respondent
c) It has no effect on the sampling error b) To increase reliability, because all
d) None of the above respondents receive the same interview
Question 6 stimulus
Which of the following is not a type of non- c) To allow for an in-depth exploration of the
probability sampling? topic
a) Snowball sampling d) To make it easier for untrained interviewers
b) Stratified random sampling to carry out complex surveys
c) Quota sampling Question 2
d) Convenience sampling Standardizing the interview schedule can reduce
Question 7 interviewer variation in terms of:
Snowball sampling can help the researcher to: a) The way in which questions are phrased by
a) Access deviant or hidden populations the interviewer
b) Theorise inductively in a qualitative study b) The order in which questions are asked
c) Overcome the problem of not having an c) The procedures used to code and analyse
accessible sampling frame survey data
d) All of the above d) All of the above
Which of the following is not a characteristic of Closed ended questions are those that:
quota sampling? a) Have a fixed range of possible answers
a) The researcher chooses who to approach b) Prevent respondents from allocating
and so might bias the sample themselves to a category
b) Those who are available to be surveyed in c) Encourage detailed, elaborate responses
public places are unlikely to constitute a d) Relate to the basic demographic
representative sample characteristics of respondents
c) The random selection of units makes it Question 4
possible to calculate the standard error Which of the following is not a disadvantage of
d) It is a relatively fast and cheap way of telephone interviewing?
finding out about public opinions a) Researchers do not have to spend so much
Question 9 time and money on travelling
The findings from a study of young single b) Some people in the target population may
mothers at a university can be generalised to the not own a telephone
population of: c) It can be difficult to build rapport over the
a) All young single mothers at that university telephone
b) All young single mothers in that society d) Interviewers cannot use visual cues such as
c) All single mothers in all universities show cards
d) All young women in that university Question 5
Question 10 The acronym "CATI" stands for:
The term 'data processing error' refers to: a) Camera-activated telescopic interviewing
a) Activities or events related to the sampling b) Computer-assisted telephone interviewing
process, e.g. non-response c) Corrective anti-terrorist interviewing
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d) Critical analysis of telepathic interviewing c) The structured interview is so conducive to

Question 6 reciprocity that male respondents find it hard
Which of the following might you include in an to stop talking
introductory letter to respondents? d) Researchers who wear very strong perfume
a) An explanation of who you are and who is will distract their respondents
funding your research
b) An overview of what the research is about Chapter 10: Self-administered
and how the data will be collected questionnaires
c) A statement of their ethical rights to Question 1
anonymity, confidentiality, etc. Which of the following statements is correct?
d) All of the above a) Self-completion questionnaires are a type of
Question 7 postal survey
A filter question is one that: b) Postal surveys can include self-completion
a) Ensures that all respondents are asked every or email surveys
question on the schedule and in the same order c) Self-completion questionnaires can include
b) Leaves a space for respondents to write postal or email surveys
long and detailed answers d) Email surveys are a type of postal
c) Helps the interviewer to avoid asking questionnaire
irrelevant questions by directing them Question 2
elsewhere on the schedule One of the advantages of self-completion
d) Allows supervisors to distinguish between questionnaires over structured interviews is that:
good and bad interviewers a) They are quicker and cheaper to administer
Question 8 b) They create interviewer effects
Which of the following is not advised when c) They have greater measurement validity
planning the question order of a structured d) They are less prone to inter-coder variation
interview? Question 3
a) Be wary of asking an earlier question that Which of the following is not a disadvantage of
alters the salience of later questions self-completion questionnaires compared to
b) Expect some variation in the order in which structured interviews?
questions are asked a) The respondent can read the whole
c) Leave questions about sensitive or questionnaire before answering the first
embarrassing issues until later in the interview question
d) Group the questions into logically b) The researcher cannot ask many closed-
organized sections ended questions
Question 9 c) The researcher cannot probe or prompt
A show card is: respondents for more detail
a) One that prevents respondents from d) The respondent may not answer all
expressing their opinions about a statement questions, resulting in missing data
b) One that encourages explicit discussion of Question 4
sensitive or personal information Which of the following steps can be taken to
c) One that prompts respondents to choose improve response rates to postal questionnaires?
from a range of possible answers a) Write a personalized covering letter to
d) One that researchers must present when introduce the research
they compete at pony club events b) Enclose a stamped addressed envelope with
Question 10 a postal questionnaire
The response set of "acquiescence" can be a c) Send out polite reminder letters
problem in that: d) All of the above
a) Some people consistently agree or disagree Question 5
with a set of questions or items Why is it generally better to present fixed choice
b) Respondents tend to give answers that they answers in vertical rather than horizontal form?
think are socially desirable a) It takes up less space on the page
b) It encourages respondents to choose more
than one answer
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c) It allows questions to be spread over more Chapter 11: Asking questions
than one page Question 1
d) It makes the layout of the questionnaire An open question is one that:
more clear and unambiguous a) Allows respondents to answer in their own
Question 6
terms
When using a Likert scale with a long list of b) Does not suggest or provide a limited range
items, it is usually better to: of responses
a) Arrange the answers horizontally, in c) Can help to generate answers for closed
abbreviated form questions
b) List the answers vertically, for each d) All of the above
consecutive item Question 2
c) Omit any instructions about how to select an In order to post-code answers to open questions,
answer it is necessary to:
d) List all questions on one page and all a) Count the frequency with which each
answers on another answer has been given
Question 7 b) Categorize unstructured material and assign
In order to identify response sets in a Likert a code number to each category
scale, you could: c) Identify the three most commonly cited
a) Pre-code all items consistently from 1-5 responses and give them a code
b) Reverse the scoring of pre-coded answers d) Find out where each respondent lives and
c) Only include items about socially desirable make a note of their postcode
behaviours Question 3
d) Include explicit instructions to respondents
Which of the following is not an advantage of
not to deceive you using closed questions in a survey?
Question 8
a) It reduces the risk of variability in the way
Corti (1993) makes a distinction between two answers are recorded
types of researcher-driven diary: b) It makes answers easier to process and
a) Valid and reliable diaries analyse
b) Quantitative and qualitative diaries c) They prevent respondents from giving
c) Structured and free-text diaries spontaneous, unexpected answers
d) Open or closed answer diaries d) Closed questions are quicker and easier for
Question 9 respondents to complete
The 'time-use' diary can provide quantitative data Question 4
about: Informant factual questions are those that:
a) The amount of time respondents spend on a) Enquire about personal details such as age,
certain activities every day income and occupation
b) The subjective meanings that concepts of b) Ask people about the characteristics of a
'time' have for different people social setting or entity that they know well
c) The way respondents make sense of their c) Seek to find out about people's attitudes and
life stories in narrative form opinions on a range of topics
d) The historical significance of clocks, d) Try to identify the normative standards and
watches and other devices for measuring time values held by a social group
One advantage of using diaries in quantitative Which of the following is a general rule of
research is that: thumb for designing questions?
a) There is a reduced risk of attrition, as a) Always bear in mind your research
respondents tend to be highly motivated questions
b) They are likely to elicit data about sensitive b) Never ask a closed question
issues or deviant activities c) Always use vignettes rather than open
c) They highlight the thoughts, feelings and questions
experiences that are unique to each respondent d) Use ambiguous terms to put respondents at
d) None of the above ease
Question 6
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You should avoid using double-barrelled Which of the following is a problem associated
questions in a survey because: with survey research?
a) They rely too much on a respondent's a) The problem of objectivity
memory b) The problem of "going native"
b) They make the questions too long, so c) The problem of omission
respondents lose interest d) The problem of robustness
c) They are too abstract and general in scope Question 2
d) They confuse respondents by asking about The key advantage of structured observation
two different things over survey research is that:
Question 7 a) It does not rely on the researcher's ability to
Leading questions should also be avoided take notes
because: b) The researcher is immersed as a participant
a) They suggest ways of answering and so in the field they are studying
may bias the results c) It does not impose any expectations of
b) They create a mismatch between the behaviour on the respondents
question and its possible answers d) It allows you to observe people's behaviour
c) They involve negative terms and directly
unnecessary jargon Question 3
d) They ask about several different things at What is an observation schedule?
the same time a) A set of explicit rules for assigning
Question 8 behaviour to categories
A vignette question is one that asks respondents b) A timetable of days on which you plan to
to think about: carry out your observation
a) Family obligations to care for sick relatives c) A list of questions to ask your interviewees
b) An intensely painful and sensitive issue in d) A way of testing for measurement validity
their personal life Question 4
c) A scenario involving imaginary characters LaPiere conducted a study of the way restaurant
in a realistic situation owners granted or refused access to a Chinese
d) Their favourite kind of salad dressing couple. This is an example of observing
Question 9 behaviour in terms of:
The value of piloting a questionnaire is that it a) Individuals
helps you to: b) Incidents
a) Test out your questions on some of the c) Short time periods
people who will be in the final sample d) Long time periods
b) Identify and amend any problems in the Question 5
question wording, order and format It may not be possible to use a probability
c) Find out what a trained pilot would think of sample to observe behaviour in public places
the subject matter because:
d) All of the above a) The findings of such studies are not
Question 10 intended to have external validity
The UK Data Archive is a useful resource for: b) It is not feasible to construct a sampling
a) Studying the way questions have been frame of interactions
successfully used in previous surveys c) It is difficult to gain access to such social
b) Stealing other people's questions without settings
their permission d) Researchers prefer not to use random
c) Learning more about your topic so that you samples whenever possible
can devise leading questions Question 6
d) Keeping your research questions in a safe Which of the following is not a type of sampling
place used in structured observation?
a) Focal sampling
Chapter 12: Structured observation b) Scan sampling
Question 1 c) Emotional sampling
d) Behaviour sampling
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Question 7 b) Newspaper articles

Cohen's kappa is a measure of: c) Song lyrics
a) Inter-surveyor consistency d) All of the above
b) Intra-observer validity Question 3
c) Intra-coder validity Why did Warde sample food magazines from
d) Inter-observer consistency four different months in the year?
Question 8 a) Because there weren't enough food adverts
What is meant by the term "reactive effect"? in the first two magazines
a) If people know they are being observed, b) To take into account any seasonal variation
they may change their behaviour in the recipes included in the magazines
b) Research subjects may have a bad reaction c) To find information from more than one
to the drugs they are given form of mass media communication
c) Researchers sometimes react to their d) Because he couldn't decide which of the
informants' behaviour with horror recipes were the most appetizing
d) The categories on an observation schedule Question 4
may not be mutually exclusive Which of the following is not an example of a
Question 9 'unit of analysis'?
What did Salancik mean by "field stimulations"? a) Validity
a) Being immersed in the field can help to b) significant actors
simulate the experience of your informants c) Words
b) Researchers can intervene in and d) subjects and themes
manipulate a setting to observe the effects Question 5
c) Surveys conducted in the field are more Why might a researcher want to count the
effective than structured observation frequency of certain words in a text?
d) Some researchers find their projects so a) It increases the reliability of the coding
stimulating that they have to lie down measures
Question 10 b) It is a good way of finding out about the
One of the criticisms often levelled at structured journalist's favourite words
observation is that: c) Emotive words can be used excessively to
a) It does not allow us to impose any provoke a moral panic
framework on the social setting d) It shows which words are most common in
b) It only generates a small amount of data the English language
c) It is unethical to observe people without an Question 6
observation schedule The purpose of a coding manual is to:
d) It does not allow us to understand the a) Provide a form onto which the data can be
intentions behind behaviour entered
b) Provide researchers with instructions about
Chapter 13: Content analysis how to code the data
Question 1 c) List all the categories that have been
Quantitative content analysis is an approach that omitted from the schedule
aims to: d) Test researchers' knowledge of statistics
a) Objectively and systematically measure the Question 7
content of a text The data from each row in a coding schedule can
b) Reach an interpretive understanding of be entered into a quantitative analysis computer
social action program called:
c) Engage in a critical dialogue about ethical a) Endnote
issues in research b) N-Vivo
d) Provide a feminist alternative to 'male- c) Outlook
stream' quantitative methods d) SPSS
Which of the following could be subjected to a One of the potential pitfalls in devising a coding
textual content analysis? scheme is that:
a) Interview transcripts
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a) It can be difficult to obtain a random sample d) It allows you to study patterns and social
of newspapers trends over time
b) You might run out of photocopier paper Question 4
c) The categories may not be mutually The large samples used in national social surveys
exclusive enable new researchers to:
d) The unit of analysis is too clearly defined a) Avoid using probability sampling
Question 9 b) Identify any bias in the question wording
Which of the following is not an advantage of c) Evaluate the inter-coder reliability of the
content analysis? data
a) It allows us to observe otherwise d) Conduct subgroup analysis
inaccessible populations at first hand Question 5
b) It is a transparent and easily replicable Which of the following is not a disadvantage of
technique using secondary analysis?
c) It allows us to track changes in media a) The researcher's lack of familiarity with the
representations over time data
d) It is a non-reactive method b) It is a relatively expensive and time
Question 10 consuming process
If coders differed in their interpretations of the c) Hierarchical datasets can be very confusing
categories in the schedule, this could negatively d) The researcher has no control over the
affect the data's: quality of the data
a) Internal generalisability Question 6
b) Intra-interviewer reliability Which of the following provides official
c) Construct validity statistics that could be analysed as secondary
d) Inter-coder reliability data?
a) Local Government Survey (LGS)
Chapter 14: Using existing data b) Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS)
Question 1 c) Dwelling and Furnishings Survey (DFS)
The term "secondary analysis" refers to the d) Rowing and Oars Survey (ROS)
technique of:
a) Conducting a study of seconds, minutes and Question 7
other measures of time What is one of the advantages that official
b) Analysing your own data in two different statistics have over structured interview data?
ways a) The researcher can conduct natural
c) Analysing existing data that has been experiments in the field
collected by another person or organization b) They are completely objective and reliable
d) Working part time on a project alongside c) They have greater measurement validity
other responsibilities d) They allow the researcher to identify social
Question 2 trends over time
Why might secondary analysis be a particularly Question 8
useful method for students? Studying the official crime rate may provide
a) It is relatively easy to do unreliable data because:
b) It saves time and money a) Categories of criminal behaviour change
c) It does not require any knowledge of over time
statistics b) There is a "dark figure" of unreported and
d) It only requires a half-hearted effort unrecorded crime
Question 3 c) Police use their discretion to investigate
Which of the following is not an advantage of some crimes and not others
secondary analysis? d) All of the above
a) It immerses the researcher in the field they Question 9
are studying What is the "ecological fallacy"?
b) It tends to be based on high quality data a) The assumption that secondary data analysis
c) It provides an opportunity for longitudinal can be carried out at home
analysis
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b) The mistake of observing people in their a) It shows the results you would expect to
natural setting find by chance
c) The error of making inferences about b) It summarises the frequencies of two
individual behaviour from aggregate data variables so that they can be compared
d) The myth that it is easy to research c) It lists the different levels of p value for
environmentalist action groups tests of significance
Question 10 d) It compares the results you might get from
Why has the secondary analysis of official various statistical tests
statistics been seen as an "unobtrusive" method? Question 5
a) It increases the risk of "reactive effects" If there were a perfect positive correlation
from participants between two interval/ratio variables, the
b) The researcher is removed from the social Pearson's r test would give a correlation
settings that they are investigating coefficient of:
c) The data were originally collected for the a) - 0.328
same purposes as those of the current b) +1
researcher c) +0.328
d) They do not intrude too much into the d) - 1
researcher's spare time Question 6
What is the name of the test that is used to assess
Chapter 15: Quantitative data analysis the relationship between two ordinal variables?
Question 1 a) Spearman's rho
What is the difference between interval/ratio and b) Phi
ordinal variables? c) Cramer's V
a) The distance between categories is equal d) Chi square
across the range of interval/ratio data Question 7
b) Ordinal data can be rank ordered, but When might it be appropriate to conduct a
interval/ratio data cannot multivariate analysis test?
c) Interval/ratio variables contain only two a) If the relationship between two variables
categories might be spurious
d) Ordinal variables have a fixed zero point, b) If there could be an intervening variable
whereas interval/ratio variables do not c) If a third variable might be moderating the
Question 2 relationship
What is the difference between a bar chart and a d) All of the above
histogram? Question 8
a) A histogram does not show the entire range What is meant by a "spurious" relationship
of scores in a distribution between two variables?
b) Bar charts are circular, whereas histograms a) One that is so ridiculously illogical it cannot
are square possibly be true
c) There are no gaps between the bars on a b) An apparent relationship that is so curious it
histogram demands further attention
d) Bar charts represents numbers, whereas c) A relationship that appears to be true
histograms represent percentages because each variable is related to a third one
Question 3 d) One that produces a perfect negative
What is an outlier? correlation on a scatter diagram
a) A type of variable that cannot be quantified Question 9
b) A score that is left out of the analysis A test of statistical significance indicates how
because of missing data confident the researcher is about:
c) An extreme value at either end of a a) The inter-coder reliability of their structured
distribution interview schedule
Question 4 b) Passing their driving test
What is the function of a contingency table, in c) Understanding the difference between
the context of bivariate analysis? bivariate and multivariate analysis
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d) Generalizing their findings from the sample b) Click on: Analyze; Descriptive Statistics;
to the population Frequencies
Question 10 c) Click on: Graphs; Frequencies; Pearson
Setting the p level at 0.01 increases the chances d) Open the Variable Viewer and recode the
of making a: value labels
a) Type I error Question 6
b) Type II error Why might you tell SPSS to represent the
c) Type III error "slices" of a pie chart in different patterns?
d) All of the above a) Because the program tends to crash if you
ask it to use colour
Chapter 16: Using IBM SPSS statistics b) Because the patterns form symbolic visual
Question 1 images of different social groups
What is the advantage of using SPSS over c) In order to make full use of the facilities that
calculating statistics by hand? SPSS can offer
a) This is how most quantitative data analysis d) If you do not have a colour printer, it makes
is done in "real research" nowadays the differences between the slices clearer
b) It reduces the chance of making errors in Question 7
your calculations When cross-tabulating two variables, it is
c) It equips you with a useful transferable skill conventional to:
d) All of the above a) Represent the independent variable in rows
Question 2 and the dependent variable in columns
In SPSS, what is the "Data Viewer"? b) Assign both the dependent and independent
a) A table summarizing the frequencies of data variables to columns
for one variable c) Represent the dependent variable in rows
b) A spreadsheet into which data can be and the independent variable in columns
entered d) Assign both the dependent and independent
c) A dialog box that allows you to choose a variables to rows
statistical test Question 8
d) A screen in which variables can be defined In which sub-dialog box can the Chi Square test
and labeled be found?
Question 3 a) Frequencies: Percentages
How is a variable name different from a variable
b) Crosstabs: Statistics
label? c) Bivariate: Pearson
a) It is shorter and less detailed d) Gender: Female
b) It is longer and more detailed Question 9
c) It is abstract and unspecific To generate a Spearman's rho test, which set of
d) It refers to codes rather than variables instructions should you give SPSS?
Question 4 a) Analyze; Crosstabs; Descriptive Statistics;
What does the operation "Recode Into Different Spearman; OK
Variables" do to the data? b) Graphs; Frequencies; [select variables];
a) Replaces missing data with some random Spearman; OK
scores c) Analyze; Compare Means; Anova table;
b) Reverses the position of the independent First layer; Spearman; OK
and dependent variable on a graph d) Analyze; Correlate; Bivariate; [select
c) Redistributes a range of values into a new variables]; Spearman; OK
set of categories and creates a new variable Question 10
d) Represents the data in the form of a pie How would you print a bar chart that you have
chart just produced in SPSS?
Question 5 a) In Output Viewer, click File, Print, select
How would you use the drop-down menus in the bar chart and click OK
SPSS to generate a frequency table? b) In Variable Viewer, open bar chart, click
a) Open the Output Viewer and click: Save File, Print, OK
As; Pie Chart
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c) In Chart Editor, click Descriptive Statistics, Why do qualitative researchers like to give
Print, OK detailed descriptions of social settings?
d) In Data Editor, open Graphs dialog box, a) To provide a contextual understanding of
click Save, OK social behaviour
b) Because once they have left the field, it is
Chapter 17: The nature of qualitative difficult to remember what happened
research c) So that they can compare their observations
Question 1 as a test of reliability
d) Because they do not believe in going
Which of the following is a method that is
beyond the level of description
commonly used in qualitative research?
Question 7
a) Self-completion questionnaires
b) Surveys The flexibility and limited structure of
c) Ethnography qualitative research designs is an advantage
d) Structured observation because:
Question 2 a) The researcher does not impose any
predetermined formats on the social world
What is meant by the term "grounded theory"?
b) It allows for unexpected results to emerge
a) Theories should be tested by rigorous
from the data
scientific experiments
c) The researcher can adapt their theories and
b) As a social researcher, it is important to
methods as the project unfolds
keep your feet on the ground
d) All of the above
c) Theories should be grounded in political Question 8
values and biases
d) Theoretical ideas and concepts should Which of the following is not a criticism of
emerge from the data qualitative research?
Question 3 a) The studies are difficult to replicate
b) There is a lack of transparency
A sensitizing concept is one that:
c) The approach is too rigid and inflexible
a) Provides general guidance for more flexible
d) The accounts are too subjective and
research
impressionistic
b) Imposes a predetermined theoretical model Question 9
on the social world
c) Helps the researcher to investigate sensitive Which of the following is not a contrast between
issues quantitative and qualitative research?
d) Allows the researcher to measure very a) Distance vs. proximity of researcher to
small changes in a variable participants
Question 4 b) Generalization vs. contextual understanding
c) Hard, reliable data vs. rich, deep data
Which of the following is not a component of d) Interpretivist vs. feminist
Guba & Lincoln's criterion, "trustworthiness"? Question 10
a) Transferability
b) Measurability Why has qualitative research been seen to have
c) Dependability an affinity with feminism?
d) Credibility a) It allows women's voices to be heard, rather
Question 5 than objectifying and exploiting them
b) It has always been carried out by female
Respondent validation is the process by which: sociologists
a) The validity of an interview schedule can be c) It allows the researcher to control variables
measured and suppress women's voices
b) Researchers ask their participants to d) It claims to be value free and non-political
comment on an account of the findings
c) The problem of low response rates to a Chapter 18: Sampling in qualitative
survey can be overcome
research
d) Participants collaborate with the researcher
Question 1
to design the research
Question 6 Probability sampling is rarely used in qualitative
research because:
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a) Qualitative researchers are not trained in The minimum sample size for qualitative
statistics interviewing is:
b) It is very old-fashioned a) 30
c) It is often not feasible b) 31
d) Research questions are more important than c) 60
sampling d) It's hard to say
The two levels of sampling used by Savage et al. Why is an ethnographic study unlikely to use a
(2005) for the Manchester study were: probability sample?
a) Random and purposive a) Because the aim of understanding is more
b) Convenience and snowball important than that of generalization
c) Statistical and non-statistical b) Because the researcher cannot control who
d) Contexts and participants is willing to talk to them
Question 3 c) Because it is difficult to identify a sampling
Which of the following is not a type of purposive frame
sampling? d) All of the above
a) Probability sampling Question 9
b) Deviant case sampling Apart from people, what else can purposive
c) Theoretical sampling sampling be used for?
d) Snowball sampling a) Documents
Question 4 b) Timing of events
What is involved in "purposive sampling" for c) Context
grounded theory? d) All of the above
a) Using a random numbers table to select a Question 10
representative sample of people What can be generalized from a purposive
b) Strategically selecting respondents who are sample?
likely to provide relevant data a) That the findings are true for broadly
c) Deciding on a sampling strategy early on similar cases
and pursuing it relentlessly b) That the findings are true for the entire
d) Sampling units of time rather than population
individual persons c) That the opposite is true for people who are
Question 5 the opposite of those in the sample
What is meant by the term "theoretical d) That purposive sampling is better than
saturation"? probability sampling
a) Deciding on a theory and then testing it
repeatedly Chapter 19: Ethnography and
b) The point at which a concept is so well participant observation
developed that no further data collection is Question 1
necessary Which of the following is a component of
c) The problem of having used too many ethnographic research?
theories in one's data analysis a) Being immersed in a social group or setting
d) A state of frustration caused by having used b) Participant observation, interviews, and/or
every possible statistical test without finding documentary analysis
any significant results c) A written account of an ethnographic study
Question 6 d) All of the above
Generic purposive sampling can be characterized Question 2
as being: What is one of the main disadvantages of using
a) Fixed and a priori the covert role in ethnography?
b) Fixed and ad-hoc a) It can be hard to gain access to the social
c) Contingent and post-hoc group
d) Contingent and ad infinitum b) It is difficult to take notes without arousing
Question 7 suspicion
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c) The problem of reactivity: people may Question 8

change their behaviour if they know they are What is the difference between "scratch notes"
being observed and "full field notes"?
d) It is usually too time consuming and a) Scratch notes are just key words and
expensive to be a realistic option phrases, rather than lengthy descriptions
Question 3 b) Full field notes are quicker and easier to
Which of the following will not help you to write than scratch notes
negotiate access to a closed/non-public setting? c) Scratch notes are written at the end of the
a) Gaining the support of a "sponsor" within day rather than during key events
the organization d) Full field notes do not involve the
b) Obtaining clearance from a "gatekeeper" or researcher scratching their head while thinking
senior member of the group Question 9
c) Joining in with the group's activities without Why does Stacey argue against the idea of a
introducing yourself feminist ethnography?
d) Offering something in return, e.g. a report a) Because it creates a non-exploitative
of the findings relationship between the researcher and the
Question 4 researched
What is a key informant? b) Because she fundamentally disagrees with
a) A group member who helps the all feminist principles
ethnographer gain access to relevant c) Because she thinks that the fieldwork
people/events relationship is inherently unequal
b) A senior level member of the organisation d) Because she does not think that
who refuses to allow researchers into it ethnography is a useful research method
c) A participant who appears to be helpful but Question 10
then blows the researcher's cover What are the two main types of data that can be
d) Someone who cuts keys to help the used in visual ethnography?
ethnographer gain access to a building a) Positivist and interpretivist
Question 5 b) Qualitative and quantitative
What is the name of the role adopted by an c) Nominal and ordinal
ethnographer who joins in with the group's d) Extant and research-driven
activities but admits to being a researcher?
a) Complete participant Chapter 20: Interviewing in qualitative
b) Participant-as-observer research
c) Observer-as-participant Question 1
d) Complete observer Which of the following makes qualitative
Question 6 interviewing distinct from structured
What is meant by the term "going native"? interviewing?
a) Doing ethnography as a participant observer a) The procedure is less standardized
b) Accepting a job in an organization b) "Rambling" off the topic is not a problem
previously studied by the ethnographer c) The researcher seeks rich, detailed answers
c) Trying to learn to speak a foreign language d) All of the above
as well as a native speaker Question 2
d) Over identifying with the group and losing Which of the following is not a type of
research perspective qualitative interview?
Question 7 a) Unstructured interview
Is it okay to break the law in order to maintain a b) Oral history interview
"cover"? c) Structured interview
a) Yes, provided it is not very serious d) Focus group interview
b) No, never under any circumstances Question 3
c) Yes, because otherwise data on criminal Why is it helpful to prepare an interview guide
activity would never come to light before conducting semi-structured interviews?
d) Yes, provided it doesn't cause physical
harm to someone
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a) So that the data from different interviewees Which of the following is an advantage of
will be comparable and relevant to your qualitative interviewing relative to participant
research questions observation?
b) So that you can calculate the statistical a) It allows you to find out about issues that
significance of the results are resistant to observation
c) In order to allow participants complete b) It is more biased and value-laden
control over the topics they discuss c) It is more likely to create reactive effects
d) To make the sample more representative d) None of the above
Which of the following is not one of Kvale's ten Which of the following is a disadvantage of
criteria of the good interviewer? qualitative interviewing relative to participant
a) Passive observation?
b) Knowledgeable a) It has a more specific focus
c) Sensitive b) It is more ethically dubious, in terms of
d) Interpreting obtaining informed consent
Question 5 c) It may not provide access to deviant or
What is a "probing question"?
hidden activities
a) One that inquires about a sensitive or deeply d) It does not allow participants to reconstruct
personal issue their life events
b) One that encourages the interviewee to say
more about a topic Chapter 21: Focus groups
c) One that asks indirectly about people's Question 1
opinions What is the main difference between a focus
d) One that moves the conversation on to group and a group interview?
another topic a) Group interviews involve fewer participants
Question 6 b) Focus groups are used to study the way
What can you do to reduce the time consuming
people discuss a specific topic
nature of transcribing interviews? c) There is no moderator present in a focus
a) Use a transcribing machine group
b) Employ someone to transcribe for you d) Focus groups save more time and money
Question 2
c) Transcribe only selected parts of the
interviews How have focus groups been used in media and
d) All of the above cultural studies?
Question 7 a) To plan champagne receptions
Which of the following is not a type of life
b) To investigate birth and conception
story? c) To explore audience reception
a) Naturalistic life stories d) To measure TV reception
b) Researched life stories Question 3
c) True life stories Why is it particularly difficult to get an accurate
d) Reflexive and recursive life stories record and transcript of a focus group session?
Question 8 a) Because the researcher often forgets to take
notes
How does Oakley suggest that qualitative
interviewing should be used as an explicitly b) Because focus groups are transcribed
feminist research method? several years after they are conducted
a) By creating a more equal relationship c) Because you cannot use a tape recorder in a
between interviewer and interviewee focus group
b) By invading the privacy of women and d) Because there are so many different voices
treating them as objects to follow
c) By imposing academic interpretations upon Question 4
women's accounts of the world When might it be useful to conduct a relatively
d) None of the above large number of focus groups?
Question 9 a) When participants' views are likely to be
affected by socio-demographic factors
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b) When you want to capture as much Question 10

diversity in perspectives as possible Which of the following is not a limitation of the
c) When there are lots of willing volunteers focus group method?
who meet the relevant criteria a) The researcher has little control over how
d) All of the above the discussion proceeds
Question 5 b) It reveals the way social meanings are
What is the role of the moderator in a focus jointly constructed
group? c) It produces a large volume of data that can
a) To stimulate discussion and keep the be difficult to analyse
conversation on track d) People in groups tend to agree and express
b) To ask leading questions and dominate the socially desirable views
discussion
c) To sit away from the group and observe Chapter 22: Language in qualitative
their behaviour research
d) To evaluate the group's performance on a Question 1
particular task
Conversation Analysis (CA) and Discourse
Question 6
Analysis (DA) differ from other qualitative
What are "natural groups" in the context of focus research methods in that they treat language as:
group research? a) A method rather than a theory
a) Groups of strangers selected from a b) A resource rather than a topic
particular location c) A theory rather than a method
b) Random samples of participants from the d) A topic rather than a resource
general population Question 2
c) Groups of participants who already know In CA, the term "indexicality" means that:
each other a) The meaning of an utterance depends on the
d) Groups of non-human animals studied in context in which it is used
their natural environment b) Speech acts can be listed and indexed after
Question 7
transcription
What should the moderator say in their c) Words are constitutive of the social world in
introductory remarks? which they are located
a) Thank you to the participants for coming d) People tend to wave their index finger in
b) Who they are and what the research is about the air while speaking
c) How the focus group will proceed Question 3
d) All of the above
Which of the following is not one of the basic
Question 8
assumptions of CA?
What are the two main forms of group a) Talk is structured
interaction that Kitzinger identifies in focus b) Talk is forged contextually
group sessions? c) Talk can be measured and predicted
a) Altruistic and aggressive d) Analysis is grounded in data
b) Complementary and argumentative Question 4
c) Conventional and alternative
In a CA transcript, what does the symbol "(.)"
d) Passive and assertive
stand for?
Question 9
a) Intake of breath
Why have feminists argued that focus groups b) Prolonged sound
successfully avoid "decontextualizing" their c) Emphasis on the next word
participants? d) Slight pause
a) Because they study the individual as part of Question 5
a social context
b) Because they tend to be carried out by What is meant by the term "adjacency pair" in
CA?
female researchers
a) An interviewer and interviewee sitting next
c) Because moderating a focus group demands
to each other
great technical knowledge
b) Two linked phases of conversation
d) Because the data tends to be analysed using
post-structuralist theories
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c) Two similar questions asked in rapid d) Quantitative research is inherently superior

succession to qualitative research
d) A mechanism used to repair an
embarrassing mistake Chapter 23: Documents as sources of
Question 6 data
What have conversation analysts found that Question 1
people generally do to "repair" the damage What are Scott's four criteria for assessing the
caused by a "dispreferred response"? quality of documents?
a) Provide justifications for their action a) Credibility, reliability, accuracy, meaning
b) Correct themselves and give the preferred b) Comprehensiveness, accuracy, value, rigour
response c) Authenticity, credibility, representativeness,
c) Brazen it out and pretend they don't care meaning
d) Run away in a panic d) Objectivity, subjectivity, authenticity, value
What do discourse analysts study? Why is it necessary to consider the authenticity
a) Forms of communication other than talk of personal documents? Select all that apply.
b) The way discourses "frame" our a) Because they have been seen by other
understanding of the social world people
c) The rhetorical styles used in written and oral b) Because they might have been "ghost
communication written" or heavily edited by other authors
d) All of the above c) Because they might not reflect the true
Question 8 feelings of the writer
What is meant by the term "ethnographic d) Because documents can never be trusted
particulars"? Question 3
a) Specific people who are involved as key Why might a collection of personal letters from
informants in an ethnography the nineteenth century be low in
b) A participant observation schedule that is representativeness?
used in qualitative research a) Because it would be difficult to read old-
c) Factors outside the immediate context of an fashioned styles of handwriting
interaction b) Because it can be hard for a modern day
d) The "here-and-now" context of situated talk researcher to understand such materials
Question 9 c) Because they might have been forged by an
Potter & Wetherell use the term "interpretative unscrupulous dealer
repertoires" to refer to: d) Because at that time literacy was mainly
a) The process of making non-factual data limited to middle class males
appear to be factual Question 4
b) The general resources people use to Why might social researchers be interested in
perform discursive acts analysing photographs as a form of visual data?
c) The frames of reference audiences use to a) To find out more about fashion, artifacts
hear messages and everyday life in a particular social setting
d) The stock of academic knowledge people b) To study the way photographs present
draw upon in sociology idealized depictions of family life
Question 10 c) To help them to see what has not been
The anti-realist inclination of many DA photographed and why
researchers is controversial because it leads them d) All of the above
to assert that: Question 5
a) There is no pre-existing material reality that Which of the following is not an example of an
constrains individual action official document?
b) Social structures determine the way a) A report of a public inquiry into a disaster
individuals use language b) A PhD student's collection of interview
c) The technique is incompatible with feminist transcripts
principles c) Documentation from a pharmaceutical
company about a new drug
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d) A leaked memo from one member of Chapter 24: Qualitative data analysis
parliament to another Question 1
Question 6
In analytic induction, what happens if the
Which of the following can be studied as a researcher finds a deviant case?
documentary source from the mass media? a) They ignore it and carry on
a) The minutes of a parish council meeting b) They must either redefine or reformulate
b) Personal letters between a mother and her the hypothesis
daughter c) They conduct a parametric statistical test
c) Newspaper articles about a particular issue d) They give up and decide to be quantitative
or event researchers instead
d) The staff newsletter produced by a private Question 2
company Which of the following is not a tool of grounded
Question 7
theory?
Why can it be difficult to establish the a) Theoretical sampling
authenticity of virtual data? b) Coding
a) Because we do not know who wrote the c) External validity
material on a web site d) Constant comparison
b) Because virtual data are not as good as Question 3
actual data What do Strauss & Corbin mean by "open
c) Because it may require specialist "inside coding"?
knowledge" to understand the text a) Breaking data down and examining it to
d) Because it is usually presented in the form identify themes and concepts
of visual images b) Coding without the intention of building a
Question 8 theory
Why is it important to study the way audiences c) Drawing open brackets alongside key words
"read" cultural documents? and phrases
a) To demonstrate how audiences passively d) Telling everybody about the way you have
accept whatever they are told coded the data
b) Because their interpretation of it may differ Question 4
from that intended by the author What is a "substantive theory" in Strauss &
c) Because sociologists are running out of new Corbin's view?
things to research a) One that operates at the highest level of
d) Because there is a lot of funding available abstraction
for focus group studies b) One that is highly controversial and
Question 9
provokes a critical response
How does qualitative content analysis differ c) One that relates to an empirical instance or
from quantitative content analysis? substantive topic area
a) It is always preceded by ethnographic d) One that is amenable to statistical analysis
research Question 5
b) It involves counting the number of times What are memos?
certain words appear in a text a) Notes that researchers write to themselves
c) It is less rigid, as researchers are constantly b) Reminders of what is meant by key terms or
revising their concepts phrases
d) It is less likely to be used by feminist c) Building blocks for theorizing
researchers d) All of the above
Question 10
Question 6
What is semiotics?
Why should you start coding your data as soon
a) The study of semi-detached houses as possible?
b) A half-baked attempt at social research a) To sharpen your focus and help with
c) The method of semi-structured interviewing theoretical sampling
d) The science of signs b) Because researchers always run out of time
at the end of a project
c) Because it is the easiest task to do
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d) To make sure that your initial theoretical c) Constant Aggravation Queried Directly And
ideas are imposed on the data Swiftly
Question 7 d) Content Analysis Quantification: Durkheim
Why are Coffey & Atkinson critical of the way And Statistics
coding fragments qualitative data? Question 2
a) Because this is incompatible with the How is CAQDAS different from quantitative
principles of feminist research data analysis software?
b) Because it results in a loss of context and a) It only works on Apple Mac computers
narrative flow b) It requires detailed knowledge of statistics
c) Because they think it should fragment c) There is no industry leader
quantitative data instead d) The programs do the analysis for you
d) Because they invented the life history Question 3
interview and want to promote it Which of the following is not a criticism of the
Question 8 use of CAQDAS in social research?
What do advocates of narrative analysis prefer to a) It reinforces the idea that code-and-retrieve
study? is the only way to conduct qualitative analysis
a) The extent to which analytic induction can b) It results in the fragmentation of data and a
be value-free loss of narrative flow
b) The iterative process of grounded c) It may not be suitable for focus group data
c) The ethical implications of conducting a d) It is not very fast or efficient at retrieving
secondary analysis of qualitative data sections of data
d) The ways in which people use stories to Question 4
make sense of events in their lives Which of the following is not an advantage of
Question 9 using CAQDAS in social research?
What is narrative analysis? a) It makes the process of qualitative data
a) A literary approach to documents analysis more transparent
b) An approach that is sensitive to questions b) It is faster and efficient than analyzing by
that concern how people choose to sequence hand
and represent people and events c) It involves learning skills that are specific to
c) A form of thematic analysis each program
d) A method of improving the quality of d) It helps you to map out the relations
interview material between ideas and themes in the data
What is one of the main ethical problems Which file format is best for importing your
associated with conducting a secondary analysis project documents into NVivo?
of qualitative data? a) Only .nvi
a) The participants may not have given b) Any format, including .exe
informed consent to the reuse of their data c) Only .html or .htm
b) It involves deceiving respondents about the d) .doc or .docx
nature of the research Question 6
c) The secondary analyst must adopt a covert In which window can you read through, edit and
role and is at risk of "going native" code your documents?
d) Respondents are likely to experience a) Document Viewer
physical harm as a result of the process b) Node Explorer
c) Project Pad
Chapter 25: Computer-assisted d) Welcome Screen
qualitative data analysis: using NVivo Question 7
Question 1
What are the two types of node used in NVivo?
What does the acronym "CAQDAS" stand for? a) Creative and non-creative
a) Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data b) Blocked nodes and running nodes
Analysis Software c) Formatted and unformatted
b) Complicated Analytical Questions d) Hierarchical and non-hierarchical
Deserving Answers Soon Question 8
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You code your data in NVivo by: d) Because they observe human behaviour in a
a) Applying nodes to segments of text laboratory
b) Using a pre-set coding frame Question 4
c) Entering the data case by case as "variables" Why does Bryman argue that research methods
d) Changing the spelling of certain words to can be seen as relatively "free-floating" or
disguise their real meaning autonomous?
Question 9 a) Because researchers often change their
Which of the following is a kind of search that minds about which method to use
can be carried out in NVivo? b) Because most qualitative researchers are
a) Single node search Hippies who believe in free love
b) Intersection search c) Because there is no longer any meaningful
c) Specific text search distinction between quantitative and
d) All of the above qualitative research
Question 10 d) Because there is no inevitable connection
Which is the correct sequence for creating between a researcher's choice of method and
a memo in NVivo? their epistemological/ ontological beliefs
a) Sources, Memos, Create, Memo Question 5
b) Nodes, New type, Memo to self Which of the following is not one of the
c) Sources, Documents, Browse, Import Memo contrasts that has been made to distinguish
d) It is not possible to create memos in NVivo between quantitative and qualitative research?
a) Behaviour versus meaning
Chapter 26: Breaking down the b) Numbers versus words
quantitative/qualitative divide c) Traditional versus modern
Question 1 d) Artificial versus natural
Question 6
The natural sciences have often been
characterized as being positivist in What does the term "quasi-quantification" refer
epistemological orientation. Which of the to?
following has been proposed as an alternative a) The use of words like "many", "some" or
account? "often" in qualitative research
a) Marxism b) A poor attempt at statistical analysis
b) Subjectivism c) The use of a survey instrument that has not
c) Interpretivism been tested for inter-coder reliability
d) Realism d) The way scientists talk about their data in
Question 2 numerical terms to enhance the credibility of
How is it argued that qualitative research can their findings
have "empiricist overtones"? Question 7
a) Semi-structured interview schedules are Why is it argued that qualitative research may
used to quantify behaviour not really be "naturalistic"?
b) There is an emphasis on direct observation a) Because participant observation has to be
of people and social settings overt and so causes reactivity effects
c) Qualitative researchers prefer to conduct b) Because methods such as interviews and
statistical analyses of their data focus groups constitute artificial social settings
d) It typically involves testing a clearly c) Because quantitative methods such as
defined hypothesis structured observation tend to take place in
Question 3 more naturalistic environments
Why might we say that quantitative researchers d) Because it is concerned with the social
also try to study social meanings? world rather than the natural world
a) Because the method they use most is the in- Question 8
depth interview What is "ethnostatistics"?
b) Because their written reports usually refer a) The study of the way statistics are
to an interpretivist epistemology constructed, interpreted and represented
c) Because surveys and questionnaires are b) The study of the way ethnic minorities are
used to examine attitudes and opinions represented in official statistics
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c) A new computer program designed to help c) Allowing theoretical concepts to emerge
lay people understand statistics from the data
d) An interpretivist approach made famous by d) Drawing a triangular diagram to represent
the work of Garfinkel (1967) the relations between three concepts
Question 4
Question 9 How might qualitative research facilitate
In what way does the thematic analysis of quantitative research?
interview data suggest quantification? a) By providing hypotheses that can later be
a) It demands the use of computer programs tested
like SPSS b) By helping with the design of survey
b) It is based on numbers rather than text questions
c) It involves establishing the frequency of c) By informing the schedule of a structured
particular words, phrases or themes interview
d) It is usually followed by a stage of rigorous d) All of the above
statistical testing Question 5
Question 10 How might quantitative research facilitate
How does quantification help the qualitative qualitative research?
researcher avoid being accused of anecdotalism? a) By identifying specific groups of people to
a) By allowing them to focus on extreme be interviewed
examples in the data and ignore the rest b) By showing the frequency of different
b) By providing a structure to an otherwise responses to a survey item
unstructured dataset c) By imposing a rigorous positivist
c) By making it more likely that official framework on it
statistics will be included in their report d) By combining laboratory experiments with
d) By providing some idea of the prevalence structured observation
of an unusual or striking response Question 6
Whereas quantitative research tends to bring out
Chapter 27: Mixed methods research: a static picture of social life, qualitative research
combining quantitative and qualitative depicts it as
research a) Symmetrical
Question 1 b) Statistical
c) Processual
What is the name of one of the arguments that
suggests that research methods are inextricably d) Proverbial
linked to epistemological commitments? Question 7
a) Triangulation argument How might qualitative research help with the
b) Postmodern argument analysis of quantitative data?
c) Embedded methods argument a) By identifying a sample of respondents for a
d) Positivist argument follow-up study
Question 2 b) By providing hard, statistical data about
Which version of the debate about multi-strategy them
research suggests that quantitative and c) By making the research more value-laden
qualitative research is compatible? and subjective
a) Technical version d) By helping to explain the relationship
b) Methodological version between two variables
c) Epistemological version Question 8
d) Feminist version How can multi-strategy research help us to study
Question 3 different aspects of a phenomenon?
What is triangulation? a) By reducing the standard deviation of
a) Using three quantitative or three qualitative scores around the mean
methods in a project b) By allowing the researcher to interview first
b) Cross-checking the results found by women, and then men
different research strategies c) By revealing both the macro and the micro
level
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d) By making it unnecessary to have more d) It summarizes the key findings in relation to
than one stage in the research process the research questions
When might unplanned multi-stage research be Why does Bryman praise the theory section in
described as a "salvage operation"? the Kelley and De Graaf (1997) article?
a) When the researcher abandons their original a) Because he made a personal contribution to
strategy and starts all over again that section
b) When the second research strategy is used b) Because the research questions are spelled
to explain unexpected or puzzling results out very specifically
c) When there is a paradigm shift from c) Because it covers all theories known at that
quantitative to qualitative research time
d) When it is ethically unsound to use only d) Because the language is very poetic
one research strategy Question 5
Question 10 Which qualitative research method was used by
Which of the following is not a feature of multi- Jones et al (2010)?
strategy research? a) Structured interviewing
a) It is inherently superior to mono-strategy b) Focus groups
research c) Semi-structured interviewing
b) It must be competently designed and d) CAQDAS
conducted Question 6
c) It must be appropriate to the research Which of the following is not normally included
questions in a written account of qualitative research?
d) The skills of all researchers must be well a) An introduction, locating the research in its
integrated theoretical context
b) An explanation of the design of the study
Chapter 28: Writing up social research c) A discussion of the main findings in relation
Question 1 to the research questions
What is rhetoric? d) A decision to accept or reject the hypothesis
a) The type of rapport that is usually Question 7
established in in-depth interviews Which sequence do Creswell and Plano Clark
b) An ancient form of poetry (2011) recommend for an article writing up
c) A technique used to assess the external mixed-methods research?
reliability of a data source a) Introduction; Methods; Results; Discussion.
d) The attempt to persuade or convince an b) Introduction; Literature Review; Data;
audience, often through writing Conclusions.
Question 2 c) Introduction; Background; Methods;
The introductory section of a research report Findings; Discussion; Conclusion.
should aim to: d) Introduction; Theory; Data; Measurement;
a) Identify the specific focus of the study Methods and models; Results; Conclusion.
b) Provide a rationale for the dissertation, or Question 8
article The mixed methods used by Poortinga et al
c) Grab the reader's attention (2004) were:
d) All of the above a) Structured and unstructured interviews
Question 3 b) A questionnaire survey and focus groups
What is the purpose of the conclusion in a c) Traditional ethnography and structured
research report? observation
a) It explains how concepts were operationally d) CATI and CAPI
defined and measured Question 9
b) It contains a useful review of the relevant In mixed-methods research, quantitative and
literature qualitative findings should be:
c) It outlines the methodological procedures a) Integrated
that were employed b) Contained in separate sections
c) Listed in order of importance
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d) Shown fully in appendices

Question 10
Before submitting your dissertation, you should
ensure that:
a) Your writing is free of sexist, racist and
disablist language
b) Other people have read your final draft
c) You have proofread it thoroughly
d) All of the above

Social Research Methods (Oxford)

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Zilly Mazari

Social Research Methods ( Bryman: Question 7

A systematic literature review is: c) Bryman, Alan, Social Research

d) Critical analysis of telepathic interviewing c) The structured interview is so conducive to

Question 7 b) Newspaper articles

c) The problem of reactivity: people may Question 8

b) When you want to capture as much Question 10

c) Two similar questions asked in rapid d) Quantitative research is inherently superior

d) Shown fully in appendices

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