Question 1

Which of these statements can be said of all soundly conducted sociological research?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is all quantitative. 
B)  It is all qualitative. 
C)  It always has a plan for the collection of data. 
D)  It always follows the model of hypothesis.

Question 2

Suppose you were interested in studying attitudes of your fellow students toward immigration. What might you do to be sure that you surveyed a random sample of students? What would it mean for your research if you failed to do so?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose you were interested in studying attitudes...

Question 3

What research method would be most appropriate for a study of cultural changes over long periods of time?

Accepted Answer

A)  Participant observation, in which individuals from different age groups are observed 
B)  A survey, in which people are asked about their own behavior and attitudes over a period of time 
C)  Content analysis, in which media from different time periods are sampled 
D)  Experiment, in which people are asked to act like individuals from certain eras would have acted

Question 4

A researcher who uses data collected by someone else is using primary data.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The research method that permits the sociologist to be active in a situation while objectively monitoring it at the same time is called

Accepted Answer

A)  content analysis. 
B)  participant observation. 
C)  research on the web. 
D)  structured interviews.

Question 6

When Dr. Baker, a professor at a university, uses data from the United States Department of Agriculture's  Census of Agriculture on farm size, he is using _____ data.

Accepted Answer

A)  primary 
B)  secondary 
C)  content 
D)  historical

Question 7

Which of the following would be considered a serendipitous research finding?

Accepted Answer

A)  One that contradicted the researcher's original hypothesis 
B)  One that was unanticipated or outside the scope of the original research 
C)  One that was inconsistent with prevailing sociological theories 
D)  One that could not be replicated by other researchers

Question 8

Experiments sometimes include measuring the variable/concept both before and after an intervention of some sort. This technique is known as a

Accepted Answer

A)  cross-sectional testing. 
B)  primary test and secondary test. 
C)  pretest and posttest. 
D)  control and experiment.

Question 9

Define inductive and deductive reasoning and explain how they are used in the research process.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define inductive and deductive reasoning and explain...

Question 10

Which of these is an example of secondary data?

Accepted Answer

A)  The results of a researcher's questionnaire 
B)  Information on the population obtained from the Census Bureau 
C)  The results of one's sociological telephone survey 
D)  Data gathered from doing participant observation

Question 11

All sociological research methods are equally able to establish cause and effect.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a controlled experiment as a sociological research method.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of...

Question 13

When selecting a research method, what is the first question a sociologist should ask?

Accepted Answer

A)  What sociological question is being investigated? 
B)  Which research method is most popular now? 
C)  Is funding available to use the method of interest? 
D)  What sample size will be needed?

Question 14

The initial step in conducting social science research is to develop a research question, which is a testable statement often in if-then form.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Explain the difficulties involved in achieving completely "value-free" sociology. How might a researcher potentially add bias to the outcomes of the research? How do most sociologists resolve the issue of objectivity in research?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the difficulties involved in achieving completely...

Question 16

William Foote Whyte's "Street Corner Society" is an example of which method of research?

Accepted Answer

A)  Survey 
B)  Interview 
C)  Experiment 
D)  Participant observation

Question 17

Define the terms research question, independent variable, and dependent variable; give a brief example of a research question and identify the independent and dependent variables within it.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define the terms research question, independent variable,...

Question 18

Concepts are

Accepted Answer

A)  empirically testable hypotheses. 
B)  abstract ideas that are potentially measurable. 
C)  ideas that can be directly seen. 
D)  characteristics of a person of a group.

Question 19

If Mary wants to take an in-depth, nuanced look at how mothers and daughters interact, what type of research would she most likely be doing?

Accepted Answer

A)  Qualitative 
B)  Quantitative 
C)  Content 
D)  Historical

Question 20

In what way does sociological knowledge differ from philosophy and personal belief?

Accepted Answer

A)  In sociological research, the theory must be testable. 
B)  Sociology focuses only on social problems. 
C)  Sociology is never humanistic. 
D)  Philosophy and personal beliefs are based on empirical evidence.

Exam 3: Doing Sociological Research

Which of these statements can be said of all soundly conducted sociological research?

Suppose you were interested in studying attitudes of your fellow students toward immigration. What might you do to be sure that you surveyed a random sample of students? What would it mean for your research if you failed to do so?

What research method would be most appropriate for a study of cultural changes over long periods of time?

A researcher who uses data collected by someone else is using primary data.

The research method that permits the sociologist to be active in a situation while objectively monitoring it at the same time is called

When Dr. Baker, a professor at a university, uses data from the United States Department of Agriculture's Census of Agriculture on farm size, he is using _____ data.

Which of the following would be considered a serendipitous research finding?

Experiments sometimes include measuring the variable/concept both before and after an intervention of some sort. This technique is known as a

Define inductive and deductive reasoning and explain how they are used in the research process.

Which of these is an example of secondary data?

All sociological research methods are equally able to establish cause and effect.

Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a controlled experiment as a sociological research method.

When selecting a research method, what is the first question a sociologist should ask?

The initial step in conducting social science research is to develop a research question, which is a testable statement often in if-then form.

Explain the difficulties involved in achieving completely "value-free" sociology. How might a researcher potentially add bias to the outcomes of the research? How do most sociologists resolve the issue of objectivity in research?

William Foote Whyte's "Street Corner Society" is an example of which method of research?

Define the terms research question, independent variable, and dependent variable; give a brief example of a research question and identify the independent and dependent variables within it.

Concepts are

If Mary wants to take an in-depth, nuanced look at how mothers and daughters interact, what type of research would she most likely be doing?

In what way does sociological knowledge differ from philosophy and personal belief?