Research Basics
This type of question is narrow, specific, and has more than one possible answer.
What is a good research question?
Doing this early helps in understanding if the question has already been answered and building on existing research.
What is a literature review?
A good hypothesis should be this, have more than one possible outcome, and be testable.
What is clear and specific?
This type of error occurs when data do not accurately portray the concept we attempt to measure.
What is measurement error?
This crude and subjective judgment by the researcher determines if a measure appears to measure what it's supposed to.
What is face validity?
This type of research approach typically uses surveys or questionnaires with standardized questions and emphasizes objectivity and consistency.
What is quantitative research?
This is one reason some researchers might delay doing a literature review.
What is to avoid being influenced by others' work?
In a hypothesis, this type of variable is influenced or affected by the independent variable.
What is the dependent variable?
This type of bias occurs when respondents give socially acceptable answers rather than their true feelings.
What is social desirability bias?
This type of validity assesses whether a measure fits theoretical expectations.
What is construct validity?
This type of researcher might delay doing a literature review to avoid being influenced by others.
Who is a qualitative researcher?
These are two benefits of conducting a literature review early in the research process.
What are understanding if the question has been answered and building on existing research?
This type of variable can take on only two values, such as yes/no or pass/fail.
What is a nominal or dichotomous variable?
This form of reliability assesses whether different observers or raters give consistent estimates.
What is interrater reliability?
This principle states that reliability does not ensure validity, but is necessary for it.
What is the relationship between reliability and validity?
These things should be the impetus for selecting a research topic.
What are decisions that confront social work practice settings and the need for information to guide policy, planning, or practice decisions?
This practice in literature review helps ensure the research question has clear significance for guiding social welfare policy or social work practice.
What is building on existing research?
This scale of measurement has equal intervals between values and a true zero point.
What is a ratio?
This type of validity is based on some external criterion and can be predictive, concurrent, or known-groups.
What is criterion-related validity?
This characteristic of a measure refers to its consistency or stability over time.
What is reliability?
A good research question should address these needs of agencies or practical problems in social welfare.
What are decision-making needs?
These three steps should be taken when discussing each major theme or study in a literature review.
What are summarizing key findings, critically analyzing methodology and results, and discussing how it relates to your research question?
This type of relationship between variables shows that as one variable increases, the other decreases.
What is an inverse or negative relationship?
This principle in questionnaire design suggests avoiding words like "no" or "not" to prevent misinterpretation.
What is avoiding negative wording?
This type of reliability assesses the consistency of a measure over time by administering it twice to the same group.
What is test-retest reliability?