research methods final exam

what are some strategies to maintain field relations?

1. adjust + adapt

2. use charm + nurture trust

3. perform small favors

4. avoid conflicts

5. appear interested

6. be the acceptable incompetent

argot

specialized language/terminology used by members of a subculture/group who interact regularly

types of field research

1. ethnography

2. ethnomethodology

3. phenomenological studies

4. grounded theory studies

ethnography

building an understanding of a culture in a setting where ppl share common culture

*utilizes: partici obsv, interviews, examine docs + cultural artifacts

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ethnomethodology

examines way ppl construct a common sense view of the world

*unspoken rules »» cultural knowledge

example: invading personal space

grounded theory studies

uses data to create new theories

phenomenological studies

focuses on lived experiences from perspective of the individual

*describe the nature of particular phenomenon

example: studying the experience of bullying

examples of ethnographic research

• studying community of isolated village/tribe

• observing social dynamics of preschoolers in play school

• studying online interactions on social media platform

• examining cultural practices of motorcycle riders

characteristics of field research interview

• unstructured

• nondirective

• in-depth

• asking ?

• listening

• expressing interest

• recording what was said

survey interviews (SI) vs. field research interviews (FR)

beginning + ending

• SI = clear beginning + ending

• FR = no clear beginning + ending

questions + question sequence

• SI = same questions. same question sequence

• FR = questions + question sequence differ

interviewer emotional expression

• SI = interviewer always neutral

• FR = interviewer shows interest

conversation structure

• SI = interviewer asks questions, respondent answers

• FR = friendly conversational exchange

Setting

• SI = generally w/ respondent alone

• FR = area varies »» can occur w/ group

formal or informal

• SI = professional tone + business-like focus (ignores diversions)

• FR = recorded jokes, stories, anecdotes (encourages explanation)

close or open-ended questions

• SI = close-ended questions common

• FR = open-ended questions common

interview pace + direction

• SI = interviewer controls pace + interview direction

• FR = interviewer + member control pace/direction

importance of social context

• SI = social context ignored/insignificant

• FR = social context important

flexibility w/ participant’s communication pattern

• SI = interviewer molds comm pattern to standard framework

• FR = interviewer adjusts to member’s norms + language usage

breaching experiment

purposefully violating social norms to discover implicit social rules

breaching experiment steps

1. break rules

2. elicit powerful response

3. rule emerged + was demonstrated

types of field notes (JDIA PIMM)

1. jotted notes (jog mem later)

2. direct observation notes (attempt include all details/specifics)

3. inference notes (direct observation notes that separate observations from inferences)

4. analytic memos (develop abstract ideas, themes, hypotheses from examining data details)

5. personal notes (personal diary)

6. interview notes (face sheet at beginning interview w/ info on date, place of observation, context, etc)

7. maps, diagrams, artifacts

8. machine-recorded data

spatial map

locates ppl + equipment in terms of physical space

social map

number/variety of ppl + interpersonal dynamics (power, influence, friendship, etc)

temporal map

ebb + flow of: ppl, goods, services, communications, schedules

key characteristics of field notes

narrative accounts of everyday lives of subjects

• practices (you observe)

• verbal exchanges

• connections you see

important features of historical-comparative research

investigates social processes at other times and places, answers big questions

1. time (one time in past, across time, present)

2. comparison (one country, a few sets of countries, many countries)

example: comparing the development of psychological theories, comparing the psychological impact of the Great Depression in US with similar economic crises in other countries

types of comparative research

1. case-study comparative research (compares 1-2 cultures)

2. cultural-context research (compares small societies to make generalizations abt similar societies)

3. cross-national research (gathers several variables data for multiple nations)

4. transnational research (compares multinational units)

cross-national research

data for several variables across many nations + analyzes data

examples: gender earning gap in 17 nations, study of imprisonment in 14 nations

cultural-context research

compares small # societies/cultures representing theoretical types to create generalizations to other societies of same type

example: race relations in US, South Africa, Brazil; how different cultures demonstrate/view emotional expression

case-study comparative research

compare 1-2 particular cultures (or cultural regions) in depth

examples: how do US + Canada differ?, how are US + Russia education systems alike + diff?, comparative studies of teaching methods

transnational research

examines + compares multinational units

examples: Third World countries, studying disinformation in Asian countries, studying effects COVID-19 Pandemic on European countries

primary sources

data from past events created + used in past time period

examples: newspapers, letters, magazines, journals, meeting minutes, public docs, photos

secondary sources

someone else’s description/interpretation of an event (they didn’t participate in)

examples: books + documentaries abt Civil War, textbooks

combinational explanation

A, B, C appeared together in time + place Z that had conditions G, then D resulted

*several factors w/ specific conditions

primary focus of action research

1. actions (change)

2. research (understanding)

actions phase in action research DA

1. develop an action plan using data

2. assemble + document data during action phase

Data Action

plagarism

theft of another person’s ideas by using his/her exact words + the ideas w/o properly documenting the original source

examples: paraphrasing w/o citation, direct copying, misrepresenting common knowledge

in-text citation format

Direct Quote: (Author, Year, p. #)

Parenthetical: (Author, Year)

qualitative research report

• intro

  • general aspects situation

  • how materials collected

  • setting details

  • report organization

• the situation

  • analytic categories

  • contrast situation w/ other situations

  • development of situation over time

• strategies

• summary + implications

*field research

quantitative research report (structure)

1. abstract/executive summary

2. presentation of problem

3. description of methods

4. results + tables

5. discussion

6. conclusions

*historical-comparative study

guiding theory/framework in literature review

provides a roadmap for your research, ensuring that is focused, rigorous, and contributes meaningfully to existing body of knowledge

• frame (or helps us understand) facts in the literature

• establish expectations (or hypotheses) +/or research

• justify speculation when no evidence to justify an idea exists in the literature

steps in field research

1. prepare to enter the field

2. choose field site + gain access to it

3. enter field + establish social relations w/ members (apply strategies)

4. maintain relations in the field

5. gather + record data

6. exit field site

action research data collecting techniques

1. experiencing

   • by observation

     • active

     • passive

2. enquiring

   • by asking

     • informal interview

     • structured formal interview

     • questionnaires

     • attitude scales

     • standardized tests

3. examining

   • by using records

     • archival docs

     • journals

     • maps

     • audio/video tapes

     • artifacts

     • field notes

what is the key characteristic of field research notes?

descriptive

what is recommended for the action phase in action research?

implement planned changes/interventions based on findings from previous stages

• implement: carefully execute planned strategies/interventions

• monitoring: continuously observe and implement the effects of the interventions

• data collection: collect data to assess the impact of the changes

what are some differences between a quantitative research report and a qualitative research report such as field research or historical-comparative study?

• qualitative = more flexible and narrative-driven, often including thematic analysis

• focus = in-depth exploration of concepts, themes

• data presentation = use direct quotations, field notes, and transcripts to illustrate findings

• language = descriptive and interpretative (personal reflections and insights)

• interpretation = relies on careful analysis of textual data to develop theoretical insights

what is the structure of a quantitative research report?

• quantitative: follows standardized format

• focus: numerical data, statistical analysis, + hypothesis testing

• data presentation: uses tables, charts, + graphs

• language: formal and objective, avoiding personal opinions and biases

• interpretation relies on statistical analysis to draw conclusions and make generalizations

what is a distinct characteristic of historical-comparative research?

sees causality as contingent and uses combinational explanation