West Virginia University The Research Process Final Exam

User Generated

Oevggevccyr

Business Finance

West Virginia University

Description

Final Exam attached - multiple choice questions

100 questions total, with a 80% on the final exam needed to be acceptable - I am happy to extend time where needed.

The class is called "The Research Process", and is part of a masters program. I have uploaded both the final and the study guide for the entire class.

The topic covers an overview of the various research methods, research design, guidance in planning research strategy and documentation of research data. It also explores and analyzes examples of research from many different disciplines, the development and use of computer-aided research, writing skills and logical argumentation techniques required in the research field.

Unformatted Attachment Preview

GRM 697 Text: Exploring Research 8th Edition, 2012 ISBN-13: 9780205093816 Author(s): Neil J. Salkind Publisher: Pearson 925 North Spurgeon Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Phone: 714-547-9625 Fax: 714-547-5777 www.calcoast.edu 12/14 Final Examination The Research Process All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission, except for the inclusion of brief quotation in review. Copyright © 2014 by California Coast University GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination Multiple Choice Questions (Enter your answers on the enclosed answer sheet) 1. Which of the following is true of the scientific method of inquiry? a. complete once the hypothesis has been tested b. will vary depending on the specific research question c. systematic process that is used to answer questions d. different in basic research than in applied research 2. In true experimental designs, what does research attempt to isolate and control? a. factors not tested that could be responsible for any effects except the ones being tested b. statistics that are used to interpret the results c. laboratory conditions to maximize the validity of the experiment d. answers of the people in the study 3. What is the major difference between applied and basic research? a. basic research takes longer to complete b. applied research is less important c. basic research is more traditional d. basic research has no immediate application 4. What is another term for basic research? a. real research b. pure research c. applied research d. baseline research 5. How many steps are included in the research process? a. 4 b. 6 c. 8 d. 9 5 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 6. What is the most important step in the research process? a. testing the hypothesis b. data collection c. formulating the hypothesis d. asking the question 7. Samantha is interested in studying the relationship between gender differences and verbal ability. This is an example of what type of research? a. descriptive b. quasi-experimental c. correlational d. gender research 8. Ann divides her classes into two groups—a treatment group and a non-treatment group—to test whether her new method of teaching subtraction is better than her old method. This is an example of what type of research? a. historical b. quasi-experimental c. correlational d. experimental research 9. The scientific method is described in the textbook as _____________. a. restricted to use in correlational research b. having no immediate application at the time research is completed c. a standard sequence of steps in formulating and answering a question d. the study of phenomena within the social and cultural context in which they occur 10. What does a good research question usually pursue? a. a small part of a broad topic b. a topic unrelated to any other topics c. the same thing as the null hypothesis d. a broad topic 11. Which of the following best describes independent variables? a. not manipulated by the experimenter b. manipulated to assess the effect of the treatment c. unrelated to the treatment d. not necessary 6 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 12. Sampling allows researchers to overcome the problem of which of the following? a. overcrowded laboratories b. biased subject response c. not having access to the whole population d. not having access to the proper statistical methods 13. If you read that a study’s finding was significant at the p < .05 level, you could conclude that there is a less than 5% probability that ______________. a. the results will translate to real world situations b. most researchers in that area would consider the finding to have clinical meaning c. the researchers used unreliable measures d. the results were due to chance 14. There will be no relationship between children’s time in day care and later academic achievement. This is an example of which of the following? a. a research hypothesis b. a factorial design c. a correlational hypothesis d. a null hypothesis 15. A research hypothesis _______________. a. represents an equality b. is represented by Roman symbols c. is tested indirectly d. is implicit 16. In testing whether riding a bicycle at least 30 minutes each day reduces weight, what would be the independent variable? a. the person’s age b. amount of time bicycling each day c. the person’s weight d. the person’s diet 17. Once information is collected, what is the first step in writing a literature review? a. create a unified theme for the review b. build bridges between different areas in the review c. work from an outline d. read other literature reviews 7 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 18. Which is NOT a hint to help you write your literature review? a. create a unified theme b. use a system to organize your materials c. make sure it is testable d. work from an outline 19. A well-written hypothesis _____________. a. creates a unified theme b. reflects a theory or body of literature upon which it is based c. searches through secondary sources d. uses participants in the study who have been used in similar studies 20. What does the ethical principle of “sharing benefits” mean? a. all participants in the same study should receive an equal share of the benefits or subject payments b. all those who belong to the population being studied will share equally from the benefits the study produces c. the results of studies must be shared with the public so society may benefit from the increased knowledge d. all groups involved in a study should eventually be given an opportunity to receive any treatments that were found to be effective in the study 21. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study is often used as an example of a ____________. a. groundbreaking study using Facebook b. study that did not take into account ethical considerations c. study guided by the ethical guidelines of the American Medical Association (AMA) d. study that breached confidentiality of participants 22. Which is NOT a component of informed consent? a. the purpose of the research b. who you are c. how the participant can get a copy of the records d. a computer simulation of the data 8 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 23. Which of the following information should be provided in an informed consent form for any study involving human participants? a. the findings of the study b. the number of participants the study plans to use c. the procedures involved in the study d. the names of other participants 24. Sally selects classrooms of first graders to study the effects of teaching styles on math achievement. This is an example of _______________. a. stratified random sampling b. cluster sampling c. proportional sampling d. sampling error 25. Susan calls every 10th name in the student phone book to ask them to participate in her study. This is an example of _______________ sampling. a. simple random b. systematic c. convenience d. quota 26. Sampling error can be defined by which of the following statements? a. increased by increasing sample size b. larger as the diversity of sample values becomes smaller c. can be minimized by using simple random sampling d. becomes equal to zero over many samples 27. Which of the following statements is true with respect to sample size? a. use small samples when mailing questionnaires b. the greater the number of subgroups of interest to the study, the larger the sample c. more subjects are always better d. large samples increase sampling error 28. Which of these statements is true regarding cluster sampling? a. one example of a nonprobability sampling method b. individuals grouped together based on cluster of profile characteristics c. minimizes the risk of bias due to a heterogeneous population d. a great time-saver compared to simple random sampling 9 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 29. When might you need a larger sample to represent the population? a. the amount of variability within groups is small b. the difference between the two groups is small c. the difference between the two groups is great d. both a and c 30. David asks the first 10 freshmen he sees on campus a series of questions. This is an example of a ____________ sampling technique. a. quota b. simple random c. convenience d. proportional stratified 31. Which of the following statements is false? a. Validity refers to the results of a test not the test itself. b. Validity progresses from low to high degrees rather than all or none. c. A test can lack validity and still be a reliable measure. d. A test can lack reliability and still be a valid measure. 32. What levels of measurement define most variables in behavioral and social science research? a. interval and ratio b. nominal and ordinal c. nominal and ratio d. nominal and interval 33. Which one of the following is NOT an important criterion for increasing reliability? a. eliminate unclear test items b. standardize the environmental conditions in which the test is given c. moderate the ease and difficulty of the test d. use subjective scoring procedures 34. Which of the following is an example of method error? a. subject fatigue b. unclear instructions c. lack of motivation d. bias in grading 10 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 35. Which is the least frequently established form of reliability? a. inter-rater b. internal consistency c. test-retest d. parallel 36. What are the two types of criterion validity? a. content and construct validity b. content and parallel validity c. predictive and parallel validity d. concurrent and predictive validity 37. Dr. Brown finds that results from different methods used to assess the same trait are highly correlated and results from different methods used to assess different traits are not significantly correlated. These results demonstrate which two types of validity respectively? a. predictive and concurrent b. concurrent and predictive c. discriminant and convergent d. convergent and discriminant 38. A test that measures knowledge of a specific topic is considered what type of test? a. achievement test b. attitude test c. personality test d. projective test 39. Which assessment technique is used in field work? a. Likert scaling b. Thurstone scaling c. observation d. item analysis 40. Which of the following is NOT a component of a multiple choice question? a. the stem b. the root c. distracters d. alternatives 11 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 41. Name a multiple choice item which provides a plausible but wrong answer. a. attracter b. alternative c. detractor d. distracter 42. Which of the following is an example of poor characteristics of a questionnaire? a. Questions are objective and forthright. b. They are accompanied by a cover letter. c. They begin with the more difficult, thought-provoking questions while the reader is still attentive. d. There is a clear statement of transition when the topic of the questions changes. 43. Which of the following is a reason you need to be cautious when observing behavior? a. Your very presence may affect the behavior being observed. b. The researcher records everything that happens. c. Your questionnaire should not be too long and tedious. d. You may confuse the difficulty index with the discrimination index. 44. A good cover letter for a survey questionnaire has all but one of the following characteristics listed below. Which is NOT a characteristic of a good cover letter? a. The initial questions are relatively simple, nonthreatening and easy-to-answer. b. It is written on official letterhead. c. It promises confidentiality. d. It clearly states the purpose of the questionnaire and the importance of the study. 45. Which measure would be used to describe how far a test score is from the average test score? a. mean b. mode c. median d. standard deviation 46. In a set of scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 5, what raw score is represented by a z-score of 1.00? a. 30 b. 55 c. 60 d. 20 12 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 47. In a set of scores with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, what raw score is represented by a z-score of 2.00? a. 115 b. 130 c. 100 d. 70 48. In a normal distribution, what percentage of scores fall between the mean and a z-score of +1.00? a. 16% b. 34% c. 50% d. 95% 49. What is another phrase used to describe a bell-shaped curve? a. average curve b. regular-shaped curve c. normal curve d. elliptical curve 50. You are interviewing classmates to find out their political party affiliation. When you pick the measure of central tendency to use in presenting your results, which should you choose? a. range b. mode c. median d. mean 51. When you have ordinal data (such as class rank), which is the best measure of central tendency to use? a. range b. mode c. median d. mean 13 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 52. The minimum or maximum value that one would expect the test statistic to yield if the null hypothesis is true is an example of which of the following? a. critical value b. F value c. t-test score d. sampling mean 53. What can you conclude if the obtained value of a test statistic exceeds the critical value? a. The null hypothesis cannot be rejected. b. You made an error when calculating the test statistic. c. The null hypothesis can be rejected. d. Your obtained value is not statistically significant. 54. In order to determine the critical value, which two pieces of information are needed? a. mean and sample size b. degrees of freedom and level of significance c. mean and standard deviation d. degrees of freedom and variance 55. If Professor Columbo is interested in the general trend of research findings regarding infant visual attention and childhood intelligence, what technique would be most amenable to his inquiry? a. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) b. Meta-analysis c. Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) d. Factor analysis 56. What is the standard metric used in most meta-analytic studies called? a. standard deviation b. effect size c. sampling mean d. standard error 57. Which of the following statements regarding statistical significance is FALSE? a. The level of statistical significance and Type I error are the same thing. b. Statistical significance is the degree of risk you are willing to take that you will reject a null when it is actually true. c. When your results are found to be statistically significant, you can conclude that they will have a meaningful effect in the clinic. d. The researcher can determine the level of statistical significance. 14 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 58. The first step for conducting a meta-analysis is ____________. a. deciding on an appropriate statistical software package b. developing a system to code the various dimensions of the study c. collecting as many studies as possible (or at least a representative group) d. determining the most appropriate type of descriptive or correlational technique to examine the outcomes of the studies as a whole 59. In a study, the correlation coefficient for W and X is -0.25. The correlation coefficient for X and Y is 0.20. The coefficient of determination for X and Z is 0.16. The coefficient of alienation for Y and Z is 0.90. Which pair of variables has the highest amount of variance accounted for? a. X and Y b. X and Z c. Y and Z d. W and X 60. Which of the following statements is false? a. A correlation of .8 may be interpreted as weak. b. The higher the correlation is, the larger the “jump” in explained variance. c. A scattergram is a visual representation of a correlation between two variables. d. The absolute value of the correlation coefficient is more important than the + or – sign. 61. Survey research would be most appropriate for which of the following research questions? a. the relationship between manual dexterity and typing speed b. parents’ attitudes toward sex education in schools c. the effectiveness of a weight management program for adolescents d. the relationship between eye-hand coordination and number of tennis wins 62. If you square a correlation coefficient and subtract this number from 1.00, what is the result? a. the coefficient of alienation b. the coefficient of determination c. the amount of variance NOT explained by the variance in each variable d. both a and c 15 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 63. Which of the following could be a potential problem in conducting survey research? a. information is collected over a short period of time b. producing accurate results c. getting a broad picture of what is being studied d. response rate 64. The coefficient of alienation describes the _____________. a. neutral information (such as age, gender, number of children) about the survey respondent b. amount of variance that is accounted for in one variable by the other variable c. most frequently used measure of relationships between variables d. portion of unexplained variance between the tested variables 65. “At what age did you start smoking?” is an example of _____________. a. a conventional question b. an open-ended question c. a structured question d. interviewer bias subtly changing the response 66. The last step in conducting historical research is _______________. a. interpreting the results b. formulating a hypothesis c. defining a topic or problem d. gathering data 67. In what situation would the researcher be adjacent to the environment, but NOT actively involved in the process being studied? a. a focus group b. participant observation c. direct observation d. an interview 68. Which is NOT a main function of focus groups? a. generating insight into previously misunderstood topics b. in-depth information gathering on one participant c. understanding how group members arrive at their conclusions d. encouraging group interaction 16 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 69. Which of the following is NOT characteristic of ethnographic research? a. Ethnographers tend to examine the group or phenomenon as a whole rather than the sum of its parts. b. Ethnographers often use participant observation. c. Ethnographers develop a research question prior to initiating their research methods just as empirical researchers do. d. Ethnography is typically very time-consuming. 70. Which of the following is an example of a secondary source? a. a photograph b. a newspaper story describing an event c. a contract d. tools 71. External criticism, as applied to historical data, is concerned with the ______________ of the data. a. carbon dating b. accuracy c. authenticity d. ethnography 72. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of the case study method? a. It only reflects one reality and that one may reflect researcher bias. b. Generalizability of the findings is limited. c. It cannot establish cause-and-effect links. d. It provides a rich account of what is occurring. 73. In an experimental research study, which group does NOT receive treatment? a. control group b. experimental group c. research group d. participants groups 17 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 74. What is the proper order of the following designs if they are to be listed from the one with the least amount of control over variables to the most? a. pretest posttest control group, Solomon four-group, quasi-experimental, one-group pretest posttest b. one-group pretest posttest, quasi-experimental, pretest posttest control group, Solomon four-group c. one-group pretest posttest, pretest posttest control group, Solomon four-group, quasi-experimental d. quasi-experimental, one-group pretest posttest, pretest posttest control group, Solomon four-group 75. True experimental designs are NOT characterized by ______________. a. random selection from the population b. random assignment to different groups c. control groups d. descriptive statistics 76. To what does the term internal validity refer? a. the degree to which results of a study can be generalized from one sample to another b. the process of subject selection c. the development of a treatment d. the degree to which the results of a study can be attributed to the manipulation of the independent variable 77. Susan has twelve subjects drop out of her study. Which threat to internal validity must she consider? a. mortality b. history c. selection d. randomization 78. Many researchers devise “sham” treatments for their control groups to undergo, meaning that the control group interacts with researchers in some way that is not thought to impact the dependent variable or the outcome. This is done to weaken the argument that the treatment group improvement may have occurred in part simply due to the attention this group received from the researchers. These researchers are attempting to control for which of the following? a. multiple treatment interference b. the Hawthorne effect c. selection d. experimenter effects 18 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 79. Which experimental design involves one experimental group and three control groups? a. Solomon four-group design b. pretest posttest control group design c. posttest only control group design d. quasi-experimental design 80. Why use nonequivalent control group design? a. less cost b. less time involved c. easier training d. because you cannot assign subjects to groups 81. In what design is the cause-and-effect argument strongest? a. experimental design b. quasi-experimental design c. pre-experimental design d. correlational design 82. In quasi-experimental research, when will the cause of differences between groups occur? a. during the experiment b. after the experiment c. it has already occurred d. it will never occur 83. Compared to longitudinal studies, cross-sectional studies ______________. a. are much less expensive b. have better comparability of groups c. have higher mortality rates d. cost the same 84. If you want to answer a research question regarding whether a particular group of subjects experiences any significant changes in behavior as they age but you do not have the time or money for a traditional longitudinal study, which method would be acceptable? a. cross-sectional b. historical c. follow-up d. None of the above would be acceptable. 19 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 85. Which quasi-experimental design is the one most often used? a. pretest posttest control group design b. multiple baseline design c. nonequivalent control group design d. static group comparison design 86. Single subject designs are useful because they ____________. a. allow for an in-depth examination of specific behaviors b. are used when the behavior on which the researcher is focusing is not very well defined in operational terms c. allow for random assignment of participants into groups d. have no threats to internal validity 87. When reviewing the problem and purpose sections of a research article, which of the following questions would be pertinent? a. Is the review recent? b. Are the hypotheses clearly stated? c. Are the results related to the hypotheses? d. Is the objective of the study clearly stated? 88. Which is NOT a primary area to evaluate when judging a research report? a. the hypothesis b. the answer c. the problem and purpose d. references 89. When selecting a dependent variable, you should consider all of the following EXCEPT: a. the measure has been used before. b. the validity of the measure has been established. c. the measure comes with testing forms. d. norms are available, when applicable. 90. In a research proposal, what should follow the literature review section? a. appendices b. literature review c. implications and limitations d. method 20 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 91. In a research proposal, what should follow the implications and limitations section? a. appendices b. literature review c. implications and limitations d. method 92. Which section of the proposal contains information on the instrumentation used? a. introduction b. method c. implications and limitations d. literature review 93. What is the shortened title which appears at the top of each proposal page called? a. an abstract b. a running head c. an introduction d. a reference 94. Which section of a manuscript discusses the reliability of any tests that were used? a. introduction b. methods c. results d. discussion 95. Which section of a manuscript discusses how the study was conducted? a. introduction b. abstract c. results d. method 96. Which is a subsection found in the method section? a. introduction b. running head c. results d. data analysis 21 GRM697 The Research Process Final Examination 97. What type of information may be contained in the appendices of a manuscript? a. original data b. author’s notes c. references d. both a and c 98. The hypothesis is most likely to appear at the end of which section of a manuscript? a. introduction b. methods c. results d. references 99. What guidelines do most journals in the social and behavioral sciences follow? a. Index Medicus b. American Psychological Association c. Society of Psychiatric Journals d. Modern Language Association 100. What material is included in the abstract? a. a one-sentence statement of the purpose b. tables showing results c. a list of sources that were consulted during the research d. discussion of the important relationships between past research, the purpose of the current study, the hypothesis and the results of the study 22 GRM 697 The Research Process 925 North Spurgeon Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Phone: 714-547-9625 Fax: 714-547-5777 www.calcoast.edu 12/14 Tracking Your Academic Activities Verifying an accurate course completion time is essential for accreditation. To meet both accreditation requirements and award academic credit, educational institutions must document the total number of hours students spend completing designated academic activities related to their coursework. The total hours are then translated into academic credit based on a prescribed method of measuring educational attainment known as the Carnegie Unit. 90 hours of student preparation time and 45 hours of student engagement time are required for a 3 credit hour course. Using the attached form as an example, keep track of the time you spend on each lesson, pre-test, self-test, unit test, writing assignment, reading assignment, outside reading, final examination, etc. You will not be required to turn in the worksheet; however, at the end of the course you will receive a Student Course Survey and the final question will ask how long it took you to complete the course. Your assistance in completing this requirement and providing the university with this valuable data is greatly appreciated. As you fill out the worksheet, please keep in mind that your Academic Engagement Activities should total approximately 45 hours. Some examples of this type of activity may include: Lesson Review Exercises Unit Examinations Key Term Reviews Proctored Final Examination Analysis Course Academic Online Discussions Study Guide Review Student/Instructor Interaction Writing Assignments Documents/Student Resources Review Grading Rubric As you fill out the Academic Preparation Activities, please keep in mind that these should total approximately 90 hours. Some samples of this type of activity may include: Pre-Test Review Grading Rubric Reading Assignments Study Lesson Review Exercises Key Term Reviews Internet/Web Research Studying for Examinations Reading Websites Writing Assignments Suggested Outside Reading Sample Worksheet for Tracking Your Academic Activities Upon completion of this course, you will be asked to complete a survey. The last question on the survey will ask you the number of hours it took to complete the course. The total hours are then translated into academic credit based on a prescribed method of measuring educational attainment known as the Carnegie Unit. 90 hours of student preparation time and 45 hours of student engagement time (135 hours) are required for a 3 credit hour course.   This worksheet was developed as a tool to help track your time.   You are not required to turn it in. Academic Engagement Activities Lesson Review Exercises Key Term Review Exercises Study Guide Review Documents/Student Resources Writing Assignments Review Grading Rubric Unit Examinations Proctored Final Examination Case Studies/Critical Analysis Course Academic Online Discussions Student/Instructor Interactions Total Academic Engagement required for a 3 unit course = 45 hours Academic Preparation Activities Pre-Test Reading Assignments Analyze Case Studies/Critical Analysis Key Term Review Exercises Study for Examinations Suggested Outside Readings Web Research Writing Assignments Review Grading Rubric Reading Websites Study Lesson Review Exercises Total Academic Preparation required for a 3 unit course = 90 hours Grand total of hours of various learning activities in completing this course length of time to complete Unit 1 length of time to complete Unit 2 length of time to complete Unit 3 length of time to complete Unit 4 Totals Pre-test Instructions Thank you for taking the time to complete the required pre-test. The purpose of the pre-test is to measure your knowledge of the subject matter at the beginning of each course. Please be assured, your score on the pre-test will not be part of your course grade. We do not want you to try to study for it or be worried about doing well on the pre-test. It is simply a measure of your “starting place,” that will be used for improving course content and to meet accreditation requirements. If you receive your course materials online: • Please log-in to your Coast Connection student portal to complete your pre-test. If you receive your course materials by mail: • You will receive your answer sheets for the pre-test by mail. • Once you have completed your pre-test, please mail or fax your answer sheet to the University at: California Coast University 925 N. Spurgeon Street Santa Ana, CA 92701 Fax: 714-547-1451 If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Student Services Department. Thank you for your cooperation. GRM 697 The Research Process Pre-test Multiple Choice Questions (Enter your answers on the enclosed answer sheet) 1. What is another term for basic research? a. b. c. d. real research pure research applied research baseline research 2. Ann divides her classes into two groups-a treatment group and a non-treatment group-to test whether her new method of teaching subtraction is better than her old method. This is an example of what type of research? a. b. c. d. historical quasi-experimental correlational experimental research 3. Sampling allows researchers to overcome the problem of which of the following? a. b. c. d. overcrowded laboratories biased subject response not having access to the whole population not having access to the proper statistical methods 4. In testing whether riding a bicycle at least 30 minutes each day reduces weight, what would be the independent variable? a. b. c. d. the person’s age amount of time bicycling each day the person’s weight the person’s diet 5. What does the ethical principle of “sharing benefits” mean? a. all participants in the same study should receive an equal share of the benefits or subject payments b. all those who belong to the population being studied will share equally from the benefits the study produces c. the results of studies must be shared with the public so society may benefit from the increased knowledge d. all groups involved in a study should eventually be given an opportunity to receive any treatments that were found to be effective in the study ix GRM 697 The Research Process Pre-test 6. Sally selects classrooms of first graders to study the effects of teaching styles on math achievement. This is an example of _______________. a. b. c. d. stratified random sampling cluster sampling proportional sampling sampling error 7. Which of these statements is true regarding cluster sampling? a. b. c. d. one example of a nonprobability sampling method individuals grouped together based on cluster of profile characteristics minimizes the risk of bias due to a heterogeneous population a great time-saver compared to simple random sampling 8. What levels of measurement define most variables in behavioral and social science research? a. b. c. d. interval and ratio nominal and ordinal nominal and ratio nominal and interval 9. What are the two types of criterion validity? a. b. c. d. content and construct validity content and parallel validity predictive and parallel validity concurrent and predictive validity 10. Which of the following is NOT a component of a multiple choice question? a. b. c. d. the stem the root distracters alternatives 11. A good cover letter for a survey questionnaire has all but one of the following characteristics listed below. Which is NOT a characteristic of a good cover letter? a. b. c. d. x The initial questions are relatively simple, nonthreatening and easy-to-answer. It is written on official letterhead. It promises confidentiality. It clearly states the purpose of the questionnaire and the importance of the study. GRM 697 The Research Process Pre-test 12. In a normal distribution, what percentage of scores fall between the mean and a z-score of +1.00? a. b. c. d. 16% 34% 50% 95% 13. The minimum or maximum value that one would expect the test statistic to yield if the null hypothesis is true is an example of which of the following? a. b. c. d. critical value F value t-test score sampling mean 14. What is the standard metric used in most meta-analytic studies called? a. b. c. d. standard deviation effect size sampling mean standard error 15. Which of the following statements is false? a. b. c. d. A scattergram is a visual representation of a coefficient between two variables. The higher the correlation is, the larger the “jump” in explained variance. A correlation of .8 may be interpreted as very strong. The absolute value of the correlation coefficient is more important than the + or - sign. 16. The coefficient of alienation describes the _____________. a. b. c. d. neutral information (such as age, gender, number of children) about the survey respondent amount of variance that is accounted for in one variable by the other variable most frequently used measure of relationships between variables portion of unexplained variance between the tested variables 17. Which is NOT a main function of focus groups? a. b. c. d. xi generating insight into previously misunderstood topics in-depth information gathering on one participant understanding how group members arrive at their conclusions encouraging group interaction GRM 697 The Research Process Pre-test 18. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of the case study method? a. b. c. d. It only reflects one reality and that one may reflect researcher bias. Generalizability of the findings is limited. It cannot establish cause-and-effect links. It provides a rich account of what is occurring. 19. To what does the term internal validity refer? a. b. c. d. the degree to which results of a study can be generalized from one sample to another the process of subject selection the development of a treatment the degree to which the results of a study can be attributed to the manipulation of the independent variable 20. Why use nonequivalent control group design? a. b. c. d. less cost less time involved easier training because you cannot assign subjects to groups 21. If you want to answer a research question regarding whether a particular group of subjects experiences any significant changes in behavior as they age but you do not have the time or money for a traditional longitudinal study, which method would be acceptable? a. b. c. d. cross-sectional historical follow-up None of the above would be acceptable. 22. Which is NOT a primary area to evaluate when judging a research report? a. b. c. d. the hypothesis the answer the problem and purpose references 23. Which section of the proposal contains information on the instrumentation used? a. b. c. d. xii introduction method implications and limitations literature review GRM 697 The Research Process Pre-test 24. Which is a subsection found in the method section? a. b. c. d. introduction running head results data analysis 25. What material is included in the abstract? a. b. c. d. xiii a one-sentence statement of the purpose tables showing results a list of sources that were consulted during the research discussion of the important relationships between past research, the purpose of the current study, the hypothesis and the results of the study GRM 697 The Research Process Text: Exploring Research ISBN-13: 9780205093816 Author(s): Neil J. Salkind Publisher: Pearson Prentice Hall 925 North Spurgeon Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Phone: 714-547-9625 Fax: 714-547-5777 www.calcoast.edu 12/14 Study Guide 8th Edition, 2012 GRM 697 The Research Process Message From the President W elcome to California Coast University. I hope you will find this course interesting and useful throughout your career. This course was designed to meet the unique needs of students like you who are both highly motivated and capable of completing a degree program through distance learning. Our faculty and administration have been involved in distance learning for over forty years and understand the characteristics common to successful students in this unique educational environment. This course was prepared by CCU faculty members who are not only outstanding educators but who have real world experience. They have prepared these guidelines to help you successfully complete your educational goals and to get the most from your distance learning experience. Again, we hope that you will find this course both helpful and motivating. We send our best wishes as you work toward the completion of your program. Sincerely, Thomas M. Neal President All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotation in review. Copyright © 2014 by California Coast University GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Course Number GRM 697 Course Title The Research Process Course Description This is a required course for Master’s Degree students to prepare them for the development and writing of a proposal for a thesis. It assists students in utilizing their natural curiosity in selection of a topic for research. The course provides guidance in planning research strategy, documentation of research data and design of a defensible study. It also explores and analyzes examples of research from many different disciplines, development and use of computer-aided research and writing skills and logical argumentation techniques in stating and defending research data. Units of Credit 3 Units of Credit Course Objectives Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Learning Resources • Demonstrate competencies comparable to those achieved within traditional institutions of higher learning that require resident instruction and evaluation. • Exhibit a broad comprehension of research methodologies utilized in the social sciences, health sciences, government, business, and other related fields. • Analyze, synthesize and evaluate the knowledge acquired in this subject area and apply it in practical situations. Textbook: Exploring Research 8th Edition, 2012 Author: Neil J. Salkind Publisher: Pearson ISBN-13: 9780205093816 All course examinations are based on the contents of the textbook required for this course. To successfully complete the examinations, you will need the textbook. You may rent the textbook from the CCU rental library or you may purchase the textbook from another source. Although this study guide is developed by California Coast University, it may contain materials provided by the publisher of the textbook. The Study Guide The study guide was designed to help you further understand the material in the textbook and master the course content. Each study guide chapter corresponds to a chapter in the textbook. xxi GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Additional Readings and Online Resources To help you further understand this subject material, additional readings and/or online resources related to this course are listed in this syllabus. The Library Information and Resources Network, Inc. (LIRN) Students are provided access to the Library and Information Resources Network, Inc. (LIRN). LIRN provides a centralized management of electronic information resources that allow students to access multiple research databases through one portal. Detailed information on the Library and Information Resources Network, Inc. is available on the California Coast University website under the Resources Tab. For additional information on using the network, LIRN provides a User Guide to help students search for the needed information. This helpful resource is available on the LIRN website. For information on accessing LIRN, please contact California Coast University - library@calcoast.edu or (714) 547-9625. Supplementary Materials Unit Examination Answer Sheets* Final Examination Scheduling Form *Master of Education and Doctor of Education students will not receive unit exam answer sheets. These programs require written responses only. Your Course Grade Your grades on course examinations are determined by the percentage of correct answers. The university uses the following grading system: A B C D F = = = = = 90% – 100% correct 80% – 89% correct 70% – 79% correct 60% – 69% correct 59% and below correct Your grade in this course will be based on the number of points you earn. Grades are based on the percentage of points you earned out of a total of 500 points: Four Unit Examinations 100 points each 400 points total 80% of your grade 100 points total 20% of your grade Final Examination 100 points xxii GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Mastering the Course Content In order to successfully complete this course, we recommend that you do the following before beginning: • Be sure that you have the correct edition of the course textbook. Check the ISBN number of your textbook with the ISBN number listed on the cover page of this study guide. • Review the table of contents at the end of this syllabus. You will only be responsible for the chapters in the textbook that are listed in the table of contents. Each study guide contains several components selected and developed by the faculty to help you master the content of the course. Each chapter in the study guide corresponds to a chapter in the textbook. Study guides vary depending on the course, but most will include: Learning Objectives Overviews Self Tests Summaries Key Terms Critical Analysis Questions (graduate and doctoral students only) The most efficient way to complete this course is to read the materials in both the study guide and textbook in the sequence in which it appears, generally from beginning to end. Read the Overviews and Summaries Before reading a chapter of your textbook, review the corresponding learning objectives, overview, key terms and summary sections in the study guide. These were prepared to give you an overview of the content to be learned. Review the Self Test After you have reviewed the study guide summaries, look at the items on the self test. As you identify your areas of relative strength and weakness, you will become more aware of the material you will need to learn in greater depth. Review the Critical Analysis and/or Case Study Questions (Graduate and Doctoral Students Only) The critical analysis questions are designed to help you gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the course subject matter. This section will encourage you to give additional thought to the topics discussed in the chapter by presenting vignettes or cases with real world relevance. xxiii GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Read and Review the Chapter Once you have the scope and organization of the chapter in mind, turn to the corresponding chapter in the textbook and read the material carefully. Keep the learning objectives, self test, critical analysis questions and/or case study questions in mind as you read. Highlight important concepts and information in your study guide and write notes in the study guide as you read the textbook. These notes will help you study for the unit and final examinations. Check Your Mastery of Each Chapter When you feel that you have mastered the concepts presented in the chapter, complete the study guide self test and critical analysis questions and/or case study questions without referring to the textbook or your notes. Correct your responses using the answer key and solutions guide provided in the study guide. Your results will help you identify any areas you need to review. Unit Examinations Each course contains four unit examinations and a final examination. Unit examinations usually consist of 25 objective (multiple choice or true/false) test questions. For Master of Education and Doctor of Education students, unit examinations consist of writing assignments only. Unit examinations may be found approximately every four to six chapters throughout your study guide. Unit examinations are open-book, do not require a proctor and are not timed. This will allow you to proceed at your own pace. It is recommended that you check your answers against the material in your textbook for accuracy. Writing Assignments Each unit examination includes a written component. This assignment may be in the form of written questions or case study problems. The writing assignment affords the student an opportunity to demonstrate a level of subject mastery beyond the objective unit examinations, which reflects his/her ability to analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply his/her knowledge. The writing assignment materials are found immediately following each unit examination. xxiv Writing assignments are judged on the quality of the response in regard to the question. Word count is NOT one of the criteria that is used in assigning points to writing assignments. However, students who are successful in earning the maximum number of points tend to submit writing assignments that fall in the following ranges: GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus • Undergraduate courses: 350 - 500 words or 1 - 2 pages. • Graduate courses: 500 - 750 words or 2 - 3 pages. • Doctoral courses: 750 - 1000 words or 4 - 5 pages. Plagiarism All work must be free of any form of plagiarism. Put written answers into your own words. Do not simply cut and paste your answers from the Internet and do not copy your answers from the textbook. Plagiarism consists of taking and using the ideas, writings or inventions of another, without giving credit to that person and presenting it as one’s own. This is an offense that the university takes very seriously. An example of a correctly prepared written response may be found by visiting the Coast Connection student portal. Citation Styles The majority of your response should be your own original writing based on what you have learned from the textbook. However, students may also use outside materials if applicable. Be sure to provide a reference (or citation) for any materials used, including the required textbook. The following points are designed to help you understand how to provide proper references for your work: • References are listed in two places. • The first reference is briefly listed within your answer. This includes identifying information that directs the reader to your list of references at the end of your writing assignment. • The second reference is at the end of your work in the list of references section. • All references cited should provide enough identifying information so that the reader can access the original material. For more detailed information on the proper use of citations, please refer to the CCU Student Handbook located on the Coast Connection student portal. Submitting Your Unit Examinations and Writing Assignments via the Internet Students may access the online testing features via the Coast Connection student portal. Multiple choice unit examinations may be completed and submitted online. xxv GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Go to the California Coast University homepage at www.calcoast.edu and click on the student login icon at the upper right hand corner. After logging into your account, click on My Academic Plan and select the course you are working on to complete the unit examination. Remember to keep a copy of your answers for your own personal records. Writing assignments may be submitted online as well. After logging into the student portal, click on My Academic Plan and select the course you are working on to complete the writing assignment. Here, you will find further information and instructions on how to submit writing assignments through the student portal. Remember to keep a copy of your writing assignments for your own personal records. Alternatively, if you experience diffulty submitting your writing assignments through the student portal, then you may email your assignments as a Word document attachment to essays@calcoast.edu. When doing so, please adhere to the following guidelines: • Always submit your name, student number, course number, course title and unit number with your writing assignment. • Begin each writing assignment by identifying the question number you are answering followed by the actual question itself (in bold type). • Use a standard essay format for responses to all questions (i.e., an introduction, middle paragraphs and conclusion). • All responses must be typed double-spaced, using a standard font (i.e. Times New Roman) and 12 point type size for ease of reading and grading. Submitting Your Unit Examinations by Mail Send your completed unit examination along with any writing assignments to the following mailing address: California Coast University Testing Department 925 N. Spurgeon Street Santa Ana, CA 92701 Requests to retake a unit examination will only be honored if the final exam has NOT been sent. xxvi GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Students may retake one unit examination per course, free of charge. The cost for each additional, repeated exam will be $90. Payment must be paid in full to the accounting department prior to repeating unit exams. Please contact Student Services for a repeat unit examination form. You may resubmit your unit examination once the original grade has been cleared from your online degree plan. Final Examination Scheduling a Final Examination Final examination requests can be submitted via U.S. mail, online through the Coast Connection student portal, or by calling the Testing Department at (714) 547-9625. A final exam scheduling form is located on the last page of this study guide. Please fill out ALL required fields and mail it to the university. If you would like to request a final exam online, log into the Coast Connection student portal and click on My Academic Plan. Select the course you are working on and submit the Final Exam Request form located at the bottom of the page. ALL INFORMATION MUST BE FILLED IN. Submitting Your Final Examination Final Examinations can be submitted by mail, fax or online through the Coast Connection student portal. After you have completed your exam, you or your proctor can fax it to the Grading Department at (714) 547-1451 or mail it to the university. When faxing exams, please do not resize your fax. For online submissions, once you have logged into the student portal, click on My Academic Plan and select the course you are working on to complete the final examination. You must input the unique password that was sent to your proctor in order to unlock your final examination questions. Remember to keep a copy of your answers for your own personal records. Proctors The university requires that all final examinations be completed under the supervision of a proctor. A proctor can be anyone EXCEPT an immediate family member, someone who resides with you or a current/former CCU student. xxvii GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus The purpose of the proctored final examination is to verify that you are, in fact, the person who is enrolled in the course of study. It is also to verify that you are completing the final examination without the aid of any outside assistance. During the proctored final examination, you may use your textbook and any notes you have taken during the completion of your unit examinations. Your designated proctor will verify your identity and that you have completed the final examination without any outside assistance. Your Overall Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) In addition to receiving a passing grade for each course, all students must maintain a required overall G.P.A. in order to graduate. Undergraduate students need an overall G.P.A. of 2.0 (C) on a 4.0 scale. Graduate and doctoral students need an overall G.P.A. of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale. A = 4 grade points B = 3 grade points C = 2 grade points D = 1 grade point F = 0 grade points Students who do not meet the overall G.P.A. requirement by the end of their program must pay the current cost of tuition to repeat courses until they improve their overall G.P.A. Overall course grades of “F” will be displayed on your degree plan and count as 0 units completed. You must pay to retake these courses. Doctoral students must repeat any courses in which the overall course grade is a “D” or “F”. Be sure to keep a copy of all work you submit to the university. xxviii GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus If you have any questions about how to proceed through the course or regarding any California Coast University policies and procedures, the easiest way to get help is to send us a message through the student portal, via email, or phone the university. University office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time. California Coast University 925 N. Spurgeon Street, Santa Ana, California 92701 Phone: (714) 547-9625 Fax: (714) 547-5777 Test Answer Sheet Fax Line: (714) 547-1451 Email: testing@calcoast.edu 6 Don’t forget: You are not alone! We are here to help you achieve your dream! M GR xxix 97 GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Learning Objectives The learning objectives for this course are listed below: Chapter 1: The Role and Importance of Research 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Illustrate how research is defined and summarize some of its purposes. Analyze what a model of scientific inquiry is and how it guides research activities. Differentiate between high-quality research and things that are not considered research. Evaluate the eight characteristics of good research. Outline how a method of scientific inquiry guides research activity. Briefly differentiate between different types of research methods (descriptive, correlational, qualitative, experimental and quasi-experimental) and give examples of each. Chapter 2: The Research Process—Coming to Terms 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Differentiate between dependent and independent variables. Explain what a hypothesis is and how it works. Illustrate the importance of the null hypothesis. Distinguish between the null hypothesis and the research hypothesis. Break down the characteristics of a good hypothesis. Summarize the importance of samples and populations in the research process. Outline the meaning of statistical significance. Chapter 3A: Selecting a Problem and Reviewing the Research 1. Explain how to find a topic for a research process. 2. Formulate a research hypothesis. 3. Discriminate among the three types of sources typically consulted when conducting a litera ture review (i.e. general, primary, secondary). 4. Explain how to use general, primary and secondary sources. 5. Summarize how scholarly journals work, including the criteria for judging a research study. 6. Illustrate how to use a bibliographic database program. Chapter 3B: The Importance of Practicing Ethics in Research 1. 2. 3. 4. xxx Summarize why it is important to practice ethical behavior when pursuing research. Explain the basic principles of ethical research. Given an example, differentiate between ethical and unethical research practices. Summarize the role of professional organizations in providing ethical guidelines. GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Chapter 4: Sampling and Generalizability 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Explain why good sampling techniques are essential to any research project. Analyze the importance of generalizability. Differentiate between a sample and a population. Consider the difference between simple random sampling and stratified sampling. Explain how probability and nonprobability sampling strategies differ. Outline the meaning of sampling error and its importance to research. Evaluate ways of reducing sampling error. Chapter 5: Measurement, Reliability and Validity 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Explain why measurement is a critical part of the research process. Consider the different levels of measurement and how they are applied. Assess the different types of reliability and how they are used. Explain the meaning of validity. Differentiate various types of validity and how they are used. Propose how to increase the validity of a test. Summarize the relationship between reliability and validity. Chapter 6: Methods of Measuring Behavior 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Outline the use of different methods of measuring behavior and collecting data. Explain how different types of tests are designed to assess different types of behavior. Illustrate the use of achievement tests in the behavioral and social sciences. Evaluate the design of multiple-choice items. Explain how to do an item analysis. Illustrate the application of attitude scales. Differentiate between Thurstone and Likert’s attitude scales. Chapter 7: Data Collection and Descriptive Statistics 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Explain how to properly code data. Explain the use and importance of descriptive statistics. Differentiate between descriptive and inferential statistics. Explain how to use measures of central tendency and variability to describe a set of scores. Diagram how to compute the mean, median and mode and how these numbers are used. Summarize how to compute the range, standard deviation and variance and how these numbers are used. 7. Illustrate the normal curve and its significance to the research process. xxxi GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Chapter 8: Introducing Inferential Statistics 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Illustrate the role that chance plays in any scientific endeavor. Explain statistical significance and its importance. Distinguish between Type I and Type II errors and explain their importance. Summarize multivariate statistics and their application. Evaluate factor analysis and its application. Differentiate between significance and meaningfulness. Illustrate the use of meta-analysis in behavioral and social science research. Chapter 9: Nonexperimental Research—Descriptive and Correlational Methods 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Evaluate survey research and some of its advantages and disadvantages. Explain the value and validity of survey research. Consider the importance and use of follow-up studies. Explain the purpose and use of correlational research. Outline how correlational studies are used. Calculate and interpret a correlation coefficient. Chapter 10: Nonexperimental Research—Qualitative Methods 1. Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative research. 2. Summarize how primary research sources aid in qualitative research. 3. Outline how methodologies such as case studies, ethnographies and historical research provide important qualitative data. 4. Illustrate primary and secondary sources of data and how they are used. 5. Explain what authenticity and accuracy of a historical study are and why they are important. 6. Summarize how internal criticism and external criticism are used in evaluating historical research. Chapter 11: Pre- and True Experimental Research Methods 1. 2. 3. 4. Explain the importance of randomization in the experimental method. Consider the role of chance in the experimental method. Summarize the principles of experimental design. Outline the concepts of internal and external validity and the role they play in the experimental method. 5. Assess threats to internal and external validity and describe how these threats can be controlled. 6. Explain how to control extraneous sources of variability. xxxii GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Chapter 12: Quasi-Experimental Research—A Close Cousin to Experimental Research 1. Differentiate between experimental and causal-comparative designs. 2. Explain how quasi-experimental designs differ from pre-experimental and true experimental designs. 3. Summarize the types of questions answered by developmental research. 4. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of the longitudinal and cross-sectional methods. 5. Outline the importance of age in developmental research. 6. Illustrate the use of single-subject designs in experiments. Chapter 13: Writing a Research Proposal 1. Outline the components/sections of a typical research proposal. 2. Diagram the guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association (APA, 2009) regarding proposal preparation. 3. Break down the ten most pressing criticisms of research articles as discussed in the book. 4. Consider the criteria for judging a research study. 5. Explain how to select a dependent variable. 6. Outline considerations in selecting a sample. Chapter 14: Writing a Research Manuscript 1. Explain the APA Publication Manual and general guidelines for manuscript preparation. 2. Summarize the different part of a manuscript, their importance and how they should be prepared. 3. Outline the basic “rule of thumb” for formatting a manuscript using APA style. xxxiii GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Suggested Readings Browne, M. Neil, & Stuart, M. Keeley (2003). Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2000). Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2000. Fogg, L., & Gross, D. (2000). Focus on Research Methods: Threats to Validity in Randomized Clinical Trials. Research in Nursing and Health, 23(1), 79-87. Jacobson, N. S., & Truax, P. (1991). Clinical Significance: A Statistical Approach to Defining Meaningful Change in Psychotherapy Research.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59(1), 12-19. Kazdin, Alan E. (ed.)(2003). Methodological Issues and Strategies in Clinical Research. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Locke, L. F., Spirduso, W. W., & Silverman, S. J. (2007). Proposals That Work, 5th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Miller, M.D. & Linn, R.L. (2000). “Validation of Performance-Based Assessments.” Applied Psychological Measurement, 24(4), 367-78. Nickerson, R.S. (2000). “Null Hypothesis Significance Testing: A Review of an Old and Continuing Controversy.” Psychological Methods, 5(2), 241-301. Sales, B.D. & Folkman S. (2000). Ethics in Research with Human Participants. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2000. Taylor, H. (1998). “Myth and Reality in Reporting Sampling Error: How the Media Confuse and Mislead Readers and Viewers.” The Polling Report, May 4, 1998. Tourangeau, R., & Smith, T. W. (1998). “Asking Sensitive Questions: The Impact of Data Collection, Mode, Question Format, and Question Context.” Public Opinion Quarterly 60, 275. Westgaard, Odin (1999). Tests That Work: Designing and Delivering Fair and Practical Measurement Tools in the Workplace. New York: Pfeiffer and Company. xxxiv GRM 697 The Research Process Syllabus Suggested Online Readings American Educational Research Association: www.aera.net American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/ The Research Randomizer: http://www.randomizer.org/ The Web Center for Social Research methods: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/ Educational Databases: http://www.loc.gov/rr/main/alcove9/education/database.html Qualitative Research: http://www.qualitativeresearch.uga.edu/QualPage/ xxxv GRM 697 The Research Process Table of Contents Syllabus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII - XXII Unit One Chapter 1: The Role and Importance of Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 2: The Research Process: Coming to Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Chapter 3A: Selecting a Problem and Reviewing the Research . . . . . . . . . 23 Chapter 3B: The Importance of Practicing Ethics in Research . . . . . . . . . 34 Chapter 4: Sampling and Generalizability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Unit 1 Examination Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Unit 1 Examination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Unit 1 Writing Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Unit Two Chapter 5: Measurement, Reliability, and Validity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Chapter 6: Methods of Measuring Behavior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Chapter 7: Data Collection and Descriptive Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Unit 2 Examination Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Unit 2 Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Unit 2 Writing Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Unit Three xxxvi Chapter 8: Introducing Inferential Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Chapter 9: Nonexperimental Research: Descriptive and Correlational Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Chapter 10: Nonexperimental Research : Qualitative Methods . . . . . . . . . 125 Unit 3 Examination Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Unit 3 Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Unit 3 Writing Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 GRM 697 The Research Process Table of Contents Unit Four xxxvii Chapter 11: Pre- and True Experimental Research Methods . . . . . . . . . . 144 Chapter 12: Quasi-Experimental Research: A Close Cousin to Experimental Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Chapter 13: Writing a Research Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Chapter 14: Writing a Research Manuscript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Unit 4 Examination Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Unit 4 Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Unit 4 Writing Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Final Examination Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Final Exam Scheduling Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 GRM 697 The Research Process Objectives Chapter One The Role and Importance of Research Learning Objectives Upon successful completion of this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Illustrate how research is defined and summarize some of its purposes. 2. Analyze what a model of scientific inquiry is and how it guides research activities. 3. Differentiate between high-quality research and things that are not considered research. 4. Evaluate the eight characteristics of good research. 5. Outline how a method of scientific inquiry guides research activity. 6. Briefly differentiate between different types of research methods (descriptive, correlational, qualitative, experimental and quasi-experimental) and give examples of each. Instructions to Students • Read pages 1-20 of your textbook • Reference: Exploring Research, 8th edition by Neil J. Salkind 1 GRM 697 The Research Process Overview The purpose of this chapter is to provide students with a basic introduction to the field of research by describing the scientific method and the types of research designs most often employed in the social and behavioral sciences. The overall goal is to provide an overview to help students identify what research is and is not, its purpose, and some of the different ways in which it can be conducted. 2 GRM 697 The Research Process Key Terms The key terms listed below are terms with which you should be familiar. Write your definition below each item. Check your answers at the end of this chapter. Theory: Scientific method: Hypothesis: Non experimental research: Descriptive research: Experimental research: Basic research: Applied research: 3 GRM 697 The Research Process Summary In this chapter the author describes the basic model of scientific inquiry and explains how the model guides research activities. He discusses the characteristics of good research and presents different types of research methods along with examples of each. 4 GRM 697 The Research Process Self Test Multiple Choice Questions (Circle the correct answer) 1. High quality research has which of the following characteristics? a. difficult to replicate b. typically influenced by special interest groups c. is linear in nature d. based on the work of others 2. Which of the following best describes a hypothesis? a. statement that you set out to prove b. tested by collecting only the data that support it c. proposed before a good research question can be developed d. posits a clear relationship between different factors 3. Correlational research provides information about which of the following? a. the relationship between two or more things b. historical trends c. cause-and-effect relationships d. general human behaviors in the context in which they occur 4. Qualitative research can be defined by which of the following? a. directly tests the quality of a cause and effect relationship b. examines human behavior in the contexts in which they occur c. typically leads to high-quality numeric data d. one of the oldest formalized types of research used in the social and behavioral sciences 5. Which of the following is a characteristic of experimental research? a. survey of the current state of events b. high level of control over variables c. provides a broad picture of a concept d. describes a group’s characteristics 6. Jacob is interested to see if there is a relationship between student absentee rate and national test scores. Which would be the appropriate research method to use? a. historical b. correlational c. descriptive d. longitudinal 5 GRM 697 The Research Process Self Test 7. Joshua wants to compare past and present trends in the education of gifted children. This is an example of what type of research? a. historical b. longitudinal c. experimental d. correlational 8. What is a characteristic of quasi-experimental research? a. does not establish cause and effect relationships b. assignment to groups based on some pre-determined characteristic c. has the highest degree of control over the factors being examined d. assignment to groups is random in nature 9. What is one characteristic of poor research? a. based on the work of other researchers b. incremental c. a political activity d. leads to additional questions 10. Madison is interested in how many of the children in her school come from single-parent, intact and blended families. What method of research would she use? a. correlational b. quasi-experimental c. experimental d. descriptive 6 GRM 697 The Research Process Critical Analysis Critical Analysis / Case Study Problems The critical analysis questions are designed to help you gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter, develop an increased ability to apply what you have learned and integrate this knowledge into a greater understanding and appreciation for your field of study. Completion of the following questions will help you outline your answers and organize your thoughts within an appropriate framework. These practice questions will not be graded but you should apply the same analytical skills and writing proficiencies that you will need for the writing assignments. We suggest writing your answers on another piece of paper and comparing your results to the suggested answers at the end of this chapter to help you identify any areas you need to review. 1. According to the text, scientific inquiry follows a cyclical process that begins with a question and ends with asking a new question(s). Explain the process of scientific inquiry by describing each of the steps involved. 2. While a true experimental design is often thought to be the best when it comes to examining differences between groups, propose when a quasi-experimental design might be more appropriate than a true experimental design. 7 GRM 697 The Research Process Answer Keys Key Term Definitions Theory: A set of related ideas that explain events that have occurred and predict events that may happen. Scientific method: A shared general philosophy regarding how questions about human behavior should be answered, including a standard sequence of steps in formulating and answering a question. Hypothesis: An objective extension of the question that was originally posed. Non experimental research: Describes relationships between variables, but cannot test causal relationships. Descriptive research: Describes the characteristics of an existing phenomenon. Experimental research: Participants are assigned to groups by the researcher based on some criterion; can examine cause and effect relationships. Basic research: Sometimes called pure research, this research has no immediate application at the time the research is conducted. Applied research: Research that has an immediate application at the time it is completed. 8 GRM 697 The Research Process Answer Keys Answers to Self Test 1. d 2. d 3. a 4. b 5. b 6. b 7. a 8. b 9. c 10. d 9 GRM 697 The Research Process Solutions Guide Suggested Solutions - Critical Analysis / Case Study Questions 1. According to the text, scientific inquiry follows a cyclical process that begins with a question and ends with asking a new question(s). Explain the process of scientific inquiry by describing each of the steps involved. This process first begins with asking a question or identifying a need. Then it is necessary to identify the factors that must be examined to answer the question or that might be related to the research question. The question must then be posed as an “if…then” hypothesis statement and tested by collecting information, then analyzing that information. This is followed by working further with the hypothesis to determine what further questions the results of the analysis point to. Lastly, it may be relevant to reconsider the original theory and ask new questions, which leads to the next research project. 2. While a true experimental design is often thought to be the best when it comes to examining differences between groups, propose when a quasi-experimental design might be more appropriate than a true experimental design. Since in quasi-experimental research participants are not randomly assigned to groups, but rather are preassigned to groups based on a predetermined characteristic, it may not be possible to change that characteristic. Some examples might be age, geographic location, or gender. In some cases, it would be possible—but not ethical—to change a characteristic, such as in the case of negative or damaging characteristics. 10 GRM 697 The Research Process Notes 11 GRM 697 The Research Process Objectives Chapter Two The Research Process: Coming to Terms Learning Objectives Upon successful completion of this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Differentiate between dependent and independent variables. 2. Explain what a hypothesis is and how it works. 3. Illustrate the importance of the null hypothesis. 4. Distinguish between the null hypothesis and the research hypothesis. 5. Break down the characteristics of a good hypothesis. 6. Summarize the importance of samples and populations in the research process. 7. Outline the meaning of statistical significance. Instructions to Students • Read pages 21-38 of your textbook • Reference: Exploring Research, 8th edition by Neil J. Salkind 12 GRM 697 The Research Process Overview The purpose of this chapter is to engage students in formulating research questions that seek to find solutions. Students will learn some of the basic terms and concepts associated with the research process such as research methods, types of variables, hypotheses, the sample versus the population and the concept of significance. 13 GRM 697 The Research Process Key Terms The key terms listed below are terms with which you should be familiar. Write your definition below each item. Check your answers at the end of this chapter. Variable: Measurement: Null hypothesis: Research hypothesis: Population: Sample: Generalizability: Statistical significance: Significance level: 14 GRM 697 The Research Process Summary This chapter describes the path from formulating a research question to finding the solution. This includes hypothesis forming and a discussion of the differences between the null hypothesis and the research hypothesis. The characteristics of a good hypothesis and the importance of sample, population and statistical significance are explained. 15 GRM 697 The Research Process Self Test Multiple Choice Questions (Circle the correct answer) 1. Which of the following might be considered a level of an independent variable? a. hair color b. blue eyes c. party affiliation d. favorite type of M&M® 2. Which type of designs include more than one independent variable? a. exploring designs b. factorial designs c. confounding designs d. extraneous designs 3. What type of variable has an unpredictable impact on the dependent variable? a. wild variable b. independent variable c. extraneous variable d. moderator variable 4. Our job as researchers is to eliminate ___________ as a factor contributing to differences between groups. a. chance b. change c. hypothesis d. average 5. Which is the key criterion for selecting a dependent variable? a. sensitivity of the variable to changes in the independent variable b. measurement capabilities in the experiment c. relationship of the dependent variable to the independent variable d. preference of the researcher 6. Why is it important to choose a representative sample of the population? a. increase statistical precision b. determine group differences c. maximize generalizability of results d. find significant results 16 GRM 697 The Research Process Self Test 7. The significance level reported in a research study can be explained by which of the following? a. importance of the results to the benefit of society b. statistical methods to determine the results of the study c. risk associated with not being 100% confident the difference is due to the treatment d. importance of the results to the benefit of an individual 8. What is the term often associated with the random variability introduced into every study as a function of the group of subjects participating, as well as many other unforeseen factors? a. systematic error b. non-normality c. biased sampling d. chance 9. Which of the following is a characteristic of a well-written research hypothesis? a. asks a pertinent question b. based on researcher’s instinct c. should be long and detailed d. is testable 10. The researcher notices that the vocabulary level is also associated with intelligence level, so he determines that the research design must hold the level of intelligence constant to get a good idea of the relationship between pleasure reading and vocabulary level. Intelligence here is an example of what type of variable? a. moderator variable b. dependent variable c. control variable d. extraneous variable 17 GRM 697 The Research Process Critical Analysis Critical Analysis / Case Study Problems The critical analysis questions are designed to help you gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter, develop an increased ability to apply what you have learned and integrate this knowledge into a greater understanding and appreciation for your field of study. Completion of the following questions will help you outline your answers and organize your thoughts within an appropriate framework. These practice questions will not be graded but you should apply the same analytical skills and writing proficiencies that you will need for the writing assignments. We suggest writing your answers on another piece of paper and comparing your results to the suggested answers at the end of this chapter to help you identify any areas you need to review. 1. According to the text, independent variables should be independent of one another. Explain why this is an important part of examining the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Propose an example of how independent variables that are related may confound research findings. 2. Illustrate the difference between a sample and a population. Outline how an appropriate sample provides good generalizability. 18 GRM 697 The Research Process Answer Keys Key Term Definitions Variable: A class of outcomes that can take on more than one value. Measurement: Assignment of values to objects, events or outcomes according to rules. Null hypothesis: A statement of equality about the variables studied, acting as a starting point and benchmark against which the actual outcomes of the study will be measured. Research hypothesis: A definite statement of the relationship between two variables. Population: The entirety of some group. Sample: A representative portion of a population. Generalizability: The ability to draw inferences and conclusions from data. Statistical significance: A measure of how much risk we are willing to take when reaching a conclusion about the relationship between variables. Significance level: The risk associated with not being 100% confident that the difference is caused by what you think and may be due to some unforeseen factor. 19 GRM 697 The Research Process Answer Keys Answers to Self Test 1. c 2. b 3. c 4. a 5. a 6. c 7. c 8. d 9. d 10. c 20 GRM 697 The Research Process Solutions Guide Suggested Solutions - Critical Analysis / Case Study Questions 1. According to the text, independent variables should be independent of one another. Explain why this is an important part of examining the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Propose an example of how independent variables that are related may confound research findings. The reason for manipulating an independent variable is to examine its effect on the outcome (or dependent) variable. If the study includes more than one independent variable, these variables must be independent of each other to examine their individual effects on the dependent variable. For instance, if a study includes educational level and income as independent variables to predict job satisfaction, the two independent variables will experience confounding since they are undoubtedly related. 2. Illustrate the difference between a sample and a population. Outline how an appropriate sample provides good generalizability. A population is a large group about which the researcher wishes to make a statement (e.g., Treatment A is more effective than Treatment B for this group of people). Since it may not be possible to survey or test this entire group (e.g., all U.S. women), researchers take a smaller sample of this population to test. A good or effective sample is one that is enough like the entire population being sampled from such that the results are generalizable. 21 GRM 697 The Research Process Notes 22 GRM 697 The Research Process Objectives Chapter Three A Selecting a Problem and Reviewing the Research Learning Objectives Upon successful completion of this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Explain how to find a topic for a research process. 2. Formulate a research hypothesis. 3. Discriminate among the three types of sources typically consulted when conducting a literature review (i.e. general, primary, secondary). 4. Explain how to use general, primary and secondary sources. 5. Summarize how scholarly journals work, including the criteria for judging a research study. 6. Illustrate how to use a bibliographic database program. Instructions to Students • Read pages 39-82 of your textbook • Reference: Exploring Research, 8th edition by Neil J. Salkind 23 GRM 697 The Research Process Overview The purpose of this chapter is to assist students in clarifying their research problem through careful library and internet research in an effort to focus research interests. The steps in the review process will be discussed and students will learn about the different types of sources available and how to use them. In addition to more traditional forms of library resources, this chapter also devotes time to the use of electronic resources and reference materials as a way to enhance research skills. 24 GRM 697 The Research Process Key Terms The key terms listed below are terms with which you should be familiar. Write your definition below each item. Check your answers at the end of this chapter. ABDs: General sources: Secondary sources: Primary sources: Peer review: Abstracts: Listserv: 25 GRM 697 The Research Process Summary This chapter includes a discussion on selecting research problems and the steps in reviewing the literature related to the research problems. Different sources of information are evaluated including the use of journals, abstracts, various indices and several Internet resources. 26 GRM 697 The Research Process Self Test Multiple Choice Questions (Circle the correct answer) 1. Why is a clear research question useful? a. it creates a good home page b. Lexis/Nexis can easily find it c. it makes more efficient use of your time when searching for references d. it assures that the research you conduct is of interest to you 2. What are the most important primary sources of information about a topic? a. newspapers b. magazines c. journals d. books 3. What is a listserv discussion group? a. same as e-mail b. universal resource locator c. search engine d. automatic depository for information 4. What is the most common use of the Internet? a. direct research b. electronic games c. e-mail d. advertisements through home pages 5. For what purpose would you use a ListServ? a. to automatically receive information on a particular subject b. to send private messages to one of your classmates c. to choose the appropriate statistical test d. to see a one-paragraph summary of a journal article 6. Which is the most comprehensive guide to general literature? a. The New York Times Index b. The Reader’s Guide, Full Text Mega Edition c. Statistical Abstract of the United States d. Review of Educational Research 27 GRM 697 The Research Process Self Test 7. Which source allows the researcher to locate articles which cite a specific article? a. Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) b. Social Sciences Citation Index c. Psychological Abstracts d. Child Development Abstracts and Bibliography 8. Which service allows you to secure a copy of a journal that your library does not carry but another library does carry? a. Interlibrary Loan System b. Library Exchange Program c. National Borrower’s System d. U.S. Library Transfer Program 9. What statement best defines the term meta-search engine? a. a list of search engines b. a tool which uses algorithms to find information c. a search engine that provides results of exploring many search engines all at once d. a collection of research institutes and their studies 10. Which question is NOT used to judge a research study? a. Hypothesis: Can the hypothesis be tested? b. Review of Previous Research: Is the literature review recent? c. Method: Is it clear how the study was conducted? d. Outline: Did the researcher use an outline for the literature review? 28 GRM 697 The Research Process Critical Analysis Critical Analysis / Case Study Problems The critical analysis questions are designed to help you gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter, develop an increased ability to apply what you have learned and integrate this knowledge into a greater understanding and appreciation for your field of study. Completion of the following questions will help you outline your answers and organize your thoughts within an appropriate framework. These practice questions will not be graded but you should apply the same analytical skills and writing proficiencies that you will need for the writing assignments. We suggest writing your answers on another piece of paper and comparing your results to the suggested answers at the end of this chapter to help you identify any areas you need to review. 1. When examining a research article, propose some basic questions a researcher will want to ask in order to determine the quality of the article. 2. Consider how e-mail and social media can be used to enhance research. 29 GRM 697 The Research Process Answer Keys Key Term Definitions ABDs: All but dissertation, which characterizes a surprisingly large number of graduate students who finish everything but the final dissertation paper. General sources: General information which provides an overview of a topic, usually available through newspapers, periodicals or broad indices. Secondary sources: Information sources, once removed, from the actual research, including review papers, anthologies of readings, syntheses of other work, textbooks and encyclopedias. Primary sources: Accounts of the actual research that’s been done, such as journal articles. Peer review: Process of reviewing journal submissions in which the reviewers do not know the identity of the author (or authors) of the paper, where the experts review and comment on a research manuscript before it is published. Abstracts: A one- (or at most two-) paragraph summary of a journal article which contains all the information readers should need to decide whether to read the entire journal article. Listserv: An automatic depository for information, also known as a mailing list. 30 GRM 697 The Research Process Answer Keys Answers to Self Test 1. c 2. c 3. d 4. c 5. a 6. b 7. b 8. a 9. c 10. d 31 GRM 697 The Research Process Solutions Guide Suggested Solutions - Critical Analysis / Case Study Questions 1. When examining a research article, propose some basic questions a researcher will want to ask in order to determine the quality of the article. Several criteria can be used to judge the quality of a research study and resulting article. These include: how well the previous research is reviewed, the clarity of the problem and purpose of the study, the quality of the hypothesis, the method, the characteristics of the sample, how the results and discussion relate to the hypothesis, the quality of the references, and whether the manuscript itself is concise and well-written. 2. Consider how e-mail and social media can be used to enhance research. These services can assist in a number of ways, including facilitating contact with authors of articles or tests you may want to use, contacting a group of researchers to ask a research question or get ideas, obtaining reprints of articles almost instantly, observing on-line discussions regarding research topics as part of an on-line group, and much more. 32 GRM 697 The Research Process Notes 33 GRM 697 The Research Process Objectives Chapter Three B The Importance of Practicing Ethics in Research Learning Objectives Upon successful completion of this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Summarize why it is important to practice ethical behavior when pursuing research. 2. Explain the basic principles of ethical research. 3. Given an example, differentiate between ethical and unethical research practices. 4. Summarize the role of professional organizations in providing ethical guidelines. Instructions to Students • Read pages 83-94 of your textbook • Reference: Exploring Research, 8th edition by Neil J. Salkind 34 GRM 697 The Research Process Overview The purpose of this chapter is to present the basic principles of ethical research and to provide an opportunity for further discussion on this important topic. 35 GRM 697 The Research Process Key Terms The key terms listed below are terms with which you should be familiar. Write your definition below each item. Check your answers at the end of this chapter. Coercion: Informed consent: Debriefing: Sharing benefits: Institutional review board: 36 GRM 697 The Research Process Summary Following ethical research guidelines of your own professional organization is essential to producing sound research. Preventive efforts in planning a research study can address ethical issues before problems arise. 37 GRM 697 The Research Process Self Test Multiple Choice Questions (Circle the correct answer) There are no self-test questions for this chapter. 38 GRM 697 The Research Process Critical Analysis Critical Analysis / Case Study Problems The critical analysis questions are designed to help you gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter, develop an increased ability to apply what you have learned and integrate this knowledge into a greater understanding and appreciation for your field of study. Completion of the following questions will help you outline your answers and organize your thoughts within an appropriate framework. These practice questions will not be graded but you should apply the same analytical skills and writing proficiencies that you will need for the writing assignments. We suggest writing your answers on another piece of paper and comparing your results to the suggested answers at the end of this chapter to help you identify any areas you need to review. 1. Illustrate why it is important that researchers follow the ethics established by their respective professional groups. 2. Propose several ways to ensure high ethical standards. 39 GRM 697 The Research Process Answer Keys Key Term Definitions Coercion: This refers to the idea that individuals should never be forced or pressured into participating in a research study. Informed consent: This refers to the process of obtaining consent from participants to be included in a research study as well as the form or letter that is used to obtain consent. Informed consent must include several elements, including the purpose of the research, the fact that it is voluntary, potential risks and benefits, and a way to ask questions about the study before or after participating. Debriefing: In the case that an experiment was designed to have participants believe that the purpose of the study was something other than the true purpose, it is ethically necessary to inform the participants at the conclusion of the study. This may also involve further discussion if participants are angry or distressed when they learn that they have been deceived. Sharing benefits: When an experiment with more than one group leads to the discovery of a beneficial treatment or intervention, the researchers are ethically obligated to share those benefits with any groups that were not already exposed to that treatment or intervention. Institutional review board: A group of people who review research proposals for the safety and confidentiality of participants. Research studies must first be approved by this board before investigators can begin recruiting participants. 40 GRM 697 The Research Process Solutions Guide Suggested Solutions - Critical Analysis / Case Study Questions 1. Illustrate why it is important that researchers follow the ethics established by their respective professional groups. Although ethics in research always includes these basic components, research in certain academic disciplines or with certain special populations requires more specific guidelines, which are outlined by the particular organizations and should be followed in these circumstances. 2. Propose several ways to ensure high ethical standards. Ethical standards are maintained by knowing the ethical guidelines for various professional organizations, involving institutional review boards in approving a research protocol, and addressing each of the basic principles by employing various strategies for ensuring protection of participants. In some cases, a research protocol must be modified significantly from the original idea in order to make it safe and ethical for all participants. 41 GRM 697 The Research Process Notes 42 GRM 697 The Research Process Objectives Chapter Four Sampling and Generalizability Learning Objectives Upon successful completion of this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Explain why good sampling techniques are essential to any research project. 2. Analyze the importance of generalizability. 3. Differentiate between a sample and a population. 4. Consider the difference between simple random sampling and stratified sampling. 5. Explain how probability and nonprobability sampling strategies differ. 6. Outline the meaning of sampling error and its importance to research. 7. Evaluate ways of reducing sampling error. Instructions to Students • Read pages 95-108 of your textbook • Reference: Exploring Research, 8th edition by Neil J. Salkind 43 GRM 697 The Research Process Overview This chapter is designed to help students understand the differences between probability and nonprobability sampling techniques and how sampling methods impact the generalizability of a study’s results. Students will also be introduced to the concept of sampling error, its implications and how it can be reduced. In addition, discussion regarding estimating sample size is addressed. 44 GRM 697 The Research Process Key Terms The key terms listed below are terms with which you should be familiar. Write your definition below each item. Check your answers at the end of this chapter. Sample: Systematic sampling: Stratified sampling: Cluster sampling: Proportional stratified sampling: Sampling error: 45 GRM 697 The Research Process Summary The basic concepts of sampling and generalizability are explained in this chapter. In addition, the importance of how a sample is selected in order to achieve maximum generalizability is demonstrated by comparing different methods of sampling. Ultimately, the generalizability of a research study is a direct measure of its usefulness to the scientific community. 46 GRM 697 The Resear...
Purchase answer to see full attachment
User generated content is uploaded by users for the purposes of learning and should be used following Studypool's honor code & terms of service.

Explanation & Answer

Attached.

Multiple Choice Questions (Enter your answers on the enclosed answer sheet)
1. Which of the following is true of the scientific method of inquiry?
c. Systematic process that is used to answer questions
2. In true experimental designs, what does research attempt to isolate and control?
a. Factors not tested that could be responsible for any effects except the ones being tested
3. What is the major difference between applied and basic research?
d. Basic research has no immediate application
4. What is another term for basic research?
b. Pure research
5. How many steps are included in the research process?
b.6
6. What is the most important step in the research process?
d. Asking the question
7. Samantha is interested in studying the relationship between gender differences and verbal
ability. This is an example of what type of research?
c. Correlational
8. Ann divides her classes into two groups—a treatment group and a non-treatment group—to
test whether her new method of teaching subtraction is better than her old method. This is an
example of what type of research?

d. Experimental research
9. The scientific method is described in the textbook as _____________.
c. A standard sequence of steps in formulating and answering a question
10. What does a good research question usually pursue?
d. A broad topic
11. Which of the following best describes independent variables?
b. Manipulated to assess the effect of the treatment
12. Sampling allows researchers to overcome the problem of which of the following?
c. Not having access to the whole population
13. If you read that a study’s finding was significant at the p < .05 level, you could conclude that
there is a less than 5% probability that ______________.
c. The researchers used unreliable measures
14. There will be no relationship between children’s time in day care and later academic
achievement. This is an example of which of the following?
d. A null hypothesis
15. A research hypothesis _______________.
d. Is implicit
16. In testing whether riding a bicycle at least 30 minutes each day reduces weight, what would
be the independent variable?

b. Amount of time bicycling each day
17. Once information is collected, what is the first step in writing a literature review?
a. Create a unified theme for the review
18. Which is NOT a hint to help you write your literature review?
c. Make sure it is testable
19. A well-written hypothesis _____________.
b. Reflects a theory or body of literature upon which it is based
20. What does the ethical principle of “sharing benefits” mean?
d. All groups involved in a study should eventually be given an opportunity to receive any
treatments that were found to be effective in the study
21. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study i...


Anonymous
Goes above and beyond expectations!

Studypool
4.7
Trustpilot
4.5
Sitejabber
4.4

Similar Content

Related Tags