Basics of Social Research Canadian 3rd Edition Neuman – Test Bank

Chapter 1       Doing Social Research

1) Describe the following types of errors: premature closure, overgeneralization, and selective observation.

Answer:

• These are all errors of personal experience.
• Premature closure—error that is made when a person feels she or he has the answers and does not need to listen, seek information, or raise questions any longer.
• Overgeneralization—error that is made when some evidence supports a belief, but a person falsely assumes that it applies to many other situations as well.
• Selective observation—error that is made when a person takes notice of certain people or events based on past experience or attitudes.

Diff: 4           Type: ES           Page Ref: 6

Learning Objective: 2. Identify and define the six sources of knowledge.

Skill: 02. Recognizes differences between science and non-scientific approaches to knowledge

2) Briefly describe each of the steps involved in conducting a research project. Discuss how “fixed” the steps are and the implications of this for a person undertaking research.

Answer:

• The steps are: select topic à focus question à design study à collect data à analyze data à interpret data à inform others
• The steps are not “fixed”; in practice, you rarely complete one step totally before moving on to the next one.
• The process is an interactive one in which the steps blend into each other.
• Implications: what you do in a later step may stimulate a reconsideration and slight adjustment about your thinking in a previous step.

Diff: 5           Type: ES           Page Ref: 9–10

Learning Objective: 4. Describe the general steps in the research process.

Skill: 05. Shows an awareness of appropriate research procedures/processes for diverse situations

3) Explain how you would distinguish a qualitative from a quantitative social research study, and give examples of each.

Answer:

• A quantitative study collects information in the form of numbers.
• Techniques for quantitative data collection include experiments, surveys, content analysis, and existing statistics.
• A qualitative study collects information in the form of words, pictures, sounds, visual images, or objects.
• Techniques for qualitative data collection include qualitative interviews, focus groups, field research, and historical–comparative research.

Diff: 3           Type: ES           Page Ref: 18–20

Learning Objective: 8. Identify the main qualitative and quantitative data collection approaches.

Skill: 08. Provides concrete examples of abstract theoretical ideas/principles

4) What is the difference between academic and applied social research?

Answer:

• Academic research is research designed to advance fundamental knowledge about the social world.
• Applied research is research that attempts to solve a concrete problem or address a specific policy question/issue and that has a direct, practical application.

Diff: 3           Type: ES           Page Ref: 10

Learning Objective: 4. Describe the general steps in the research process.

Skill: 04. Expresses familiarity with the range of acceptable techniques/methods in social research