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53 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Why Sample?
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- Need a process to select participants and observations on which to carry out in a study
- Studying a whole population may be impossible - More accurate information |
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What Are Two Major Types of Sampling?
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- Non Probability
- Probability |
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What is Non Probability Sampling?
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- Simple
- Common in qualitative studies - May be unrepresentative - Elements of population don’t stand an equal chance of selection |
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What is Probability Sampling?
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- Most common in social research, quantitative studies
- Representative of the larger population - Elements have equal chance of selection |
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What is Purposive/Judgemental Sampling?
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- Sample selected on the basis of your own knowledge of the population you intend to study and your research questions
- Useful when studying a small subset of a larger population |
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What is Snowball Sampling?
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- When already recruited respondents provide the researcher with assistance in locating other members of the population under study
- Useful when members of a population are particularly difficult to locate - I.e. sex workers, undocumented immigrants - Representative is problematic (because the outcomes become too similar) |
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What is Haphazard Sampling?
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- Reliance of available subjects
- Use of those available subjects at a particular time - Convenient and inexpensive - Not representative of a larger population - Difficult to generalize - I.e. recruiting subjects on the street, or in a classroom. |
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What is Quota Sampling?
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- Helps address the issue of representativeness of a sample
- Begins with a table describing the characteristics of the target population - With this you try to assign equal portions of people who belong to different groups to your sample |
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What is Representativeness?
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- A sample is said to be representative of a population if its aggregate characteristics closely approximate those aggregate characteristics in the population
- Basic Principle: ALL member os a given population should stand an equal chance of being selected for a particular sample |
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What is Population?
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- Theoretically specified aggregation of the elements in a study
- I.e. Canadians, sociology students |
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What is Sample?
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- Portion of the population from which information is collected
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What is a Sampling Unit?
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- Elements considered for selection during some stage of sampling
- The elements of a population that are available and have an equal chance of being selected to form the sample |
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What is the Sampling Frame?
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- List or quasi list of elements from which a probability sample is selected (i.e. a roster, phone books)
- Compiled lit of individual sampling units - A summary description of a given variable ( i.e. proportion of people who smoke) - In a population is called a parameter - In a sample is called a statistic |
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Simple Random Sampling (SRS)
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- Most basic method of random sampling
Research participants selected at random from a sampling frame - Computer assisted |
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Stratified Sampling
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- You begin with a table describing the characteristics of the target population and dividing it into homogeneous subsets (strata)
(i.e. race, gender, nationality) - A proportion of individuals from each strata assigned to the sample matching the proportion of individuals from that group who belong to the population at large |
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Cluster Sampling
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- Used when it is either impossible or impractical to compile an exhaustive list of the elements that compose a large population
- Population elements may already be grouped into subpopulations, of which lists actually exist |
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What is RDD?
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- Random Digit Dialling
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What is a Statistic?
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- The summary description go a variable in a sample
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Why Qualitative Field Research?
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- Social research “right where it happens”
- Deeper understanding of social phenomena - Probing social life in its natural habitat - Good to study social processes over time as they happen - Data collecting and theory generating |
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What is Case Study Design?
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- Common in qualitative fieldwork
- Not a mode of observation, but a type of research design where attention is paid to a single instance of some social phenomenon - Used in both qualitative and quantitative research - Sometimes used as preliminary to a more elaborate study |
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The Extended Case Method
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- Developed by Micheal Burawoy
- Used to discover flaws and modify existing social theories - 1st step: researcher enter the field with a clear expectation of what to find -2nd step: notes how observations conflict with extant theory and whether they support of reject what already exist - Theory ->Observations= largely deductive |
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Grounded Theory Approach
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- When researched don’t begin with a preconceived idea, but instead allows theory to emerge from the data
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Ethnographies
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- Rooted in naturalism, observing events and people in a natural setting, this is important and specific because it considers what people do not do what they say they do
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How to “Get In Field Research"
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- Gather relevant literature
- To gain access into the field - Identify the gatekeeper: formal access and consent by contacting the person in charge. - Seek out the informant: establishing contact with a member who introduces you to the field - Join the group: secures membership status - In some cases deception in used |
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What is a Complete Observer?
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- Observes the field but does not participate in the activities that take place in the field
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What is the Participant Observer?
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- Reveals that she or he is a researcher but still participates in the activities that take place in the field
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What is a Complete Participant?
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- Engages fully in activities with other members
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Strengths of Field Research?
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- In depth understanding of social phenomena and subtle nuances in attitudes and behaviours
- Flexibility - May or May not be expensive - Validity |
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Weaknesses of Field Research?
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- Reliability
- Not representative of larger populations |
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What is PAR?
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- Participatory Action Research
- Critiques the distinction between researcher and subject - The researcher becomes a resource to those being studied |
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Why Experiments?
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- Mode of observation that enables researchers to explore casual relationships
- Involves taking action and noting the consequences that follow from that action |
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What is Stimulus?
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- Independent variable
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What is Effect?
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- Dependent variale on which the stimulus has some impact
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What is Placebo?
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- Inactive treatment (substance) designed to resemble the stimulus being tested
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What are the Stages of Experiementation?
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- Pre-testing
- Subjects are measured in terms of D.V before the stimulus or placebo is applied - Post-testing - Subjects are measured in terms of the D.V. after the stimulus or placebo is applied |
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What is an Experimental group?
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- Groups of subjects which is administered the stimulus
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What is the Control Group?
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- Group of subjects which is administer no stimulus
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What is a Double Blinds Experiment?
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- Neither subjects nor researchers know which group is receiving the stimulus
- Ensures that subjects do no display changes in the D.V. by being aware of the fact they are receiving a stimulus |
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Single Blind?
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- Subjects don't know
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Triple Blind?
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- Subjects, researchers and data analysts don’t know
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What is an Open-Ended Question?
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- Respondent is asked to provide her own answer to a question
(i.e. by filling in the blank) |
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What is a Close-Ended Question?
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- Respondent is asked to select an answer from a list provided by the researcher
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What are some common pitfalls in question writing?
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- Jargan, Slang, Abbreviations
- Vagueness - Emotionally Charger Language - Leading Questions - Double Barrelled questions - when and is in the question - Question beyond respondents capabilities - Question not relevant to respondent - Negative items and double negatives - Threatening questions |
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What are Contingency questions?
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- Yes or No
- If you how many times? |
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What are Matrix Questions?
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- When you want to ask several questions that have the same set of answer categories
- Pros: save questionnaire space - Cons: might stop reading the questions carefully and answer all questions in a general pattern (question: sa a d sd u) |
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Self Administered Survey
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- Most common is mail surveys
- Questionnaire, a set of instructions and envelope for the respondent to send back the completed form - Not too costly - people feel more comfortable giving answers here rather than face to face - Low response rate - Bias, only people who feel strong about the issue will respond |
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Phone Surveys
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- Very common method
- Interviewer calls respondent and ask questions and record answers |
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Web Survey
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- Respondent is directed to a site to answer a questionnaire
- Email Survey |
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Face to Face Interview
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- Researcher sens interviews to ask question orally and record answers
- High response rate |
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Use of Existing Statistics
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- Researcher uses both information and statistical inferences carried out by someone else
- Supplemental source of data in both quantitative/ qualitative research |
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Problems with Existing Statistics
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- Availability of reliable and valid statistical records
- Gap between the intentions of data collectors and the needs of the data analyst |
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Content Analysis
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- Study of recorded human communications
Pros: cheap not time consuming Safe Easy to repeat Cons: Limited to the examination of recorded communications |
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What is Evaluation Research
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What is Evaluation Research
- Form of applied research undertaken for the purpose of determining the value of a social intervention - Appropriate for any study of planned o actual social intervention - Applied as opposed to basic research - Evaluation research always takes place in a political context |