Surveys
Structured interviews tend to use _____ -ended questions. Qualitative interviews tend to use _____ -ended questions.
Structured interviews tend to use closed -ended questions. Qualitative interviews tend to use open-ended questions.
Is the following project basic research or applied research?
You are paid by Partnership 4 Kids to assess their Book Buddies program, which partners with Omaha elementary schools to help pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students read books and get their own copies of books to build an at-home library.
Applied Research
What would be the best research method for this question:
How does discussion of current events differ between news magazines that target conservative/Republican readers (like National Review and The Weekly Standard) and news magazines that target liberal/Democrat readers (like The Nation and Mother Jones)?
content analysis
Identify the research method. AND Identify the biggest disadvantage to using this research method to answer the question: "How does watching Sesame Street influence school readiness skills?"
Random digit dialing with Omaha area code and ask people questions about how much their children watch Sesame Street and how confident they feel that their children are ready for school. Ask all closed-ended questions.
Research Method: Survey.
Disadvantage: Low validity—Parental perceptions of school readiness, not actual school readiness. Also, cross-sectional so hard to determine if causal relationship.
True or false: Structured interview questions tend to be a more valid form of measurement than qualitative interview questions.
False. They're both valid.
You are interested in using Census Bureau data to examine the trend in unemployment rates in the U.S. However, your definition of unemployment does not match the one used by the Census Bureau. Is this a problem with reliability or validity?
Validity
What would be the best research method for this question:
What are the perceptions of parenthood among incarcerated fathers?
Qualitative interviews
Identify the research method. AND Identify the biggest disadvantage to using this research method to answer the question: "How does watching Sesame Street influence school readiness skills?"
Getting a sample of 50 parents of preschoolers about to start kindergarten in Omaha. Ask them open-ended questions about their child’s TV viewing habits and questions related to their child’s school readiness.
Research Method: Qualitative Interview.
Disadvantage: Low validity—Parental perceptions of school readiness, not actual school readiness. Parental reports of child's behavior. Also, cross-sectional study design so hard to determine if causal relationship.
When we collect data about one unit of analysis (e.g., colleges) and then draw conclusions about a different unit of analysis (e.g., college students), we are especially prone to what kind of mistake?
ecological fallacy
What would be the best research method for this question:
What are the general attitudes about environmental issues among college students in the U.S. today?
Survey
Identify the research method. AND Identify the biggest disadvantage to using this research method to answer the question: "How does watching Sesame Street influence school readiness skills?"
Get a sample of 10 families who have children about to start preschool. Watch each of the 10 children for 4 afternoons in the home to understand their TV viewing habits and their language, literacy, math, logic, and social skills?
Research Method: Qualitative Observation.
Disadvantage: Less feasible. [but studying real behaviors so more valid!]
No, only ask things on surveys that people can easily self-report. Repressed traumatic memories are by definition things that people can’t easily self-report.
What's wrong with this survey question: "Do you feel that gender and racial inequality are urgent problems in the U.S. today?"
It's a double-barreled or compound question.
Identify the research method:
There are 20 different international versions of Sesame Street, with different plots and different characters. Get a sample of 6 random Sesame Street episodes in 2017 in 5 different countries (United States, Germany, China, Egypt, and Brazil). Measure the differences in what school readiness skills the different countries tend to emphasize.
Content analysis
Identify the research method:
The Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY), 1987-1994, 2007-2011 is a panel study that examines the development of student attitudes and interests in STEM fields and the relative influence of parents, home, teachers, schools, peers, media, and other learning experiences. Analyze the association between question HL171 (“How often did child watch Sesame Street during pre-school years?”) and college attendance.
Secondary data analysis