MOOC: February 2017: Qualitative Research Methods: Assignment 1 1. Qualitative research involves: a. A study of the quality of matter found on the earth b. A study of the quality of human beings found in the world c. A study of phenomena in their natural settings 2. A bricolage is: a. Another name for mixed methods research b. Tapestry c. A quilt made of differently patterned pieces of cloth stitched together 3. A bricoleur has the ability to: a. Conduct a variety of research tasks at the same time b. Work together and between a variety of overlapping perspectives & paradigms c. Work with a large number of people who help him/her with data collection and analysis 4. The difference between positivism & postpositivism lies in: a. Their acceptance or non acceptance of the power of research to fully understand the reality being studied b. Their acceptance or non acceptance of the believability of results generated by qualitative research methods c. Their preference of qualitative research over quantitative research or vice versa 5. Qualitative researchers believe that the act of quantifying human behavior a. Takes the researcher out of the context and hampers the interpretation of meaning of the phenomenon being studies b. Is unethical because it treats human beings like objects c. Is more believable than qualitative research 6. A characteristic of the first moment in qualitative research was: a. Situation of the old in the new b. Lionization of the researcher c. Formalization of qualitative methods Page 1 of 17
7. A characteristic of the second moment in qualitative research was: a. Situation of the old in the new b. Lionization of the researcher c. Formalization of qualitative methods 8. A characteristic of the third moment in qualitative research was: a. Situation of the old in the new b. Lionization of the researcher c. Formalization of qualitative methods 9. Representational crisis deals with the crisis surrounding: a. A perceived ability of qualitative researchers to enhance the believability of their findings b. A perceived ability of qualitative researchers to capture everything c. A perceived ability of qualitative researchers to validate and generalize their findings 10. Legitimation crisis deals with the crisis surrounding a. A perceived ability of qualitative researchers to validate and generalize their findings b. A perceived ability of qualitative researchers to capture everything c. A perceived ability of qualitative researchers to enhance the believability of their findings --------------------------------------- Page 2 of 17
MOOC: February 2017: Qualitative Research Methods: Assignment 2 1. A perspective of research that involves studying a phenomenon as outsiders not involved in the particular phenomenon, is termed as: a. An etic perspective b. An emic perspective c. A subjective perspective d. An objective perspective 2. A perspective of research that involves studying a phenomenon as an insider involved in the phenomenon under study, is termed as: a. An etic perspective b. An emic perspective c. A subjective perspective d. An objective perspective 3. Study of the nature of reality is known as: a. Paradigm b. Ontology c. Methodology d. Epistemology 4. Study of the relationship between the inquirer and the known is known as: a. Paradigm b. Ontology c. Methodology d. Epistemology 5. Study of how we gain knowledge about the world is known as: a. Paradigm b. Ontology c. Methodology d. Epistemology 6. The basic set of beliefs that guide how we conduct our research is known as: a. Paradigm b. Ontology c. Methodology d. Epistemology 7. A research design includes: a. A physical drawing of the research b. A list of concepts to be addressed through the research project Page 3 of 17
c. Information that can answer research questions and strategies that are most effective for obtaining it 8. Ethnography is a form of: a. Non-participative method of observation b. Participative method of observation c. Data management and storage d. Data analysis 9. A belief that there are multiple realities is known as: a. Relativist ontology b. Subjectivist epistemology c. Critical realism 10. A belief that the knower and respondent cocreate understandings is known as a. Relativist ontology b. Subjectivist epistemology c. Critical realism --------------------------------------- Page 4 of 17
MOOC: February 2017: Qualitative Research Methods: Assignment 3 1. The purpose of critical theory is: a. To criticize previously held beliefs b. To challenge contextually and reflexively realized meanings of historical facts and truths c. To critique quantitative techniques 2. The following is an example of pluralism: a. The belief that every decision made by everyone is correct at all times b. The belief that all decisions are correct only within the context they are made in, and one needs to understand the perspective of the decision maker to understand why a particular decision was considered right at that time and place. c. The belief that there is only one way of making decisions 3. The following is an example of relativism: a. The belief that every decision made by everyone is correct at all times b. The belief that all decisions are correct only within the context they are made in, and one needs to understand the perspective of the decision maker to understand why a particular decision was considered right at that time and place. c. The belief that there is only one way of making decisions 4. Criticalists assume that: a. Every belief previously held is incorrect and must be challenged b. Language is central to the formation of subjectivity c. All beliefs are socially constructed 5. As compared to traditional researchers, critical researchers a. Prefer to be neutral in their approach b. Prefer to believe in a specific side of an issue and defend it c. Prefer to enter into a constant debate about two sides of an issue 6. A paradigm of research that believes that reality is co-created in and through dialogue, and must be interpreted as such is known as: a. Social constructionism b. Critical theory c. Interpretivism Page 5 of 17
7. A paradigm of research that believes that in order to understand a phenomenon, one must understand how meanings related to that phenomenon are constituted in and through language, is known as: a. Social constructionism b. Critical theory c. Interpretivism 8. Historical situatedness of inquiry refers to a. The historical background of the inquiry b. The place the said inquiry assumes within a historical context by virtue of its connections with the historical milieu at the time of the inquiry c. The geographical location of the inquiry 9. A criticalist s primary goal is to: a. Challenge the current social structures with the sole aim to transform them to something seemingly better b. Challenge the current social structures with the sole aim to create political uproar c. Challenge the current social structures with the sole aim to polarize the local populations 10. Intellectualist bias arises out of: a. The bias of intellectuals towards what they have always believed to be right b. The lack of sufficient probe into why the world is the way it is c. The perceived supremacy of intellect over experience ---------------------------- Page 6 of 17
MOOC: February 2017: Qualitative Research Methods: Assignment 4 1. With reference to ethnography, the word ethnos denotes: a. Culture b. Geographical location c. Political affiliation 2. The detailed account of a subject s experiences through the massive earthquake in Nepal several years ago would qualify as: a. Biography b. Ethnography c. Memoir 3. A genre of qualitative research in which the researcher goes back and forth between one s experiences as an insider in a phenomenon and objective interpretation of those experiences as a researcher, is a. Ethnography b. Life history c. Autoethnography 4. A type of case study, the purpose of which is to provide insight into an issue or redraw a generalization, is a. Extrinsic case study b. Instrumental case study c. Collective case study 5. In order to gain insight into the working of an organization, a researcher studies the annual reports of this organization, analyzes them in light of the publicly released information about this organization, and corroborates the findings through personal interviews with the senior management and surveys with the staff of the organization. This technique for verifying the repeatability of information is called: a. Reliability b. Validity c. Triangulation 6. In which of the following genres of qualitative research, is the possibility of personal bias the highest and the ability to be objective the lowest? a. Autoethnography Page 7 of 17
b. Case study c. Biography 7. Researcher X tends to depend largely on textual analysis for every project she undertakes, even where this method can be substituted with other methods that can yield results that explain the phenomenon being studied more appropriately. Researcher X is said to be a victim of a. Bias b. Plagiarism c. Methodolatory 8. Researcher Y tries to find repetitions of words, phrases, and actions in the phenomenon under study in order to draw patterns that can help understand the cause and effect relationship of various aspects of the particular phenomenon. What is Researcher Y doing? a. Establishing validity b. Bracketing c. Triangulating 9. A process that helps individuals to categorize their experiences or club them and link them to something they already know in order to understand what is going on is known as: a. Bracketing b. Typification c. Ethnomethodological formulation 10. Researcher Z is a social worker. She goes into the field, works with the local people, finds out their problems, comes back to her office, devises solutions with her team, goes back into the field, implements the solutions, evaluates the impact of these solutions, and comes back re-develops, re-implements, and re-evaluates them. What type of research is Researcher Z engaged in? a. Evaluation research b. Social science research c. Participatory action research ----------------- Page 8 of 17
MOOC: February 2017: Qualitative Research Methods: Assignment 5 1. A technique that involves the sifting and organization of data collected through qualitative techniques in order to situate the connections between the data for analysis, is known as: a. Grounded theory b. Bracketing c. Ethnomethodology 2. Which of the following approaches to grounded theory assumes that there are many perspectives that can be used to study a phenomenon and each perspective should be studied from the perspective of the participants in that phenomenon and analyzed collaboratively with the participants in that phenomenon in order to get a rounded view of the specific perspective? a. Glaser s perspective b. Strauss and Corbin s perspective c. Constructivist approach 3. Which of the following approaches to qualitative research involves the results of data analysis to be fed into the field as part of the research process? a. Phenomenology b. Grounded theory c. Participatory action research 4. Which of the following approaches to qualitative research involves the results of data analysis to be fed back into the field as the research progresses? a. Phenomenology b. Grounded theory c. Participatory action research 5. A qualitative researcher ensures that the organization of data collected for a specific study is aimed at enhancing the understanding of the data that is collected. Which of the following criteria for evaluation is this indicative of? a. Modifiability b. Relevance c. Fit d. Durability 6. A qualitative researcher ensures that the data collected and analyzed for a specific study leads to the generation of solutions to problems that formed the basis for that study. Which of the following criteria for evaluation is this indicative of? a. Modifiability b. Relevance c. Fit Page 9 of 17
d. Work 7. A qualitative researcher analyzes the data in such a way that the analyses stand their ground in perspectives different from the ones that the original research was based on. Which of the following criteria for evaluation is this indicative of? a. Modifiability b. Relevance c. Durability d. Work 8. A qualitative researcher attempts to explain all aspects of a phenomenon based on the data that is analyzed and tries to cover as many perspectives and as many interrelationships between those perspectives as possible. The output so produced is called: a. Representation b. Thick description c. Data analysis 9. A technique that involves the author writing notes to oneself regarding data collection while the data is being collected to facilitate situation of data during analysis is called: a. Memo writing b. Axial coding c. Theoretical sampling 10. A technique in which the researcher establishes interrelationships between the different nodes of organization of the data, is known as: a. Memo writing b. Axial coding c. Theoretical sampling ------------------------------------------------ Page 10 of 17
MOOC: February 2017: Qualitative Research Methods: Assignment 6 1. A researcher is studying business negotiations of an organization. Which role would be most appropriate for the researcher? a. Complete participant observer b. Participant as observer c. Observer as participant d. Complete observer 2. A researcher conducts focused group discussions to find out more about a social situation. Which role would be most appropriate for this researcher? a. Complete participant observer b. Participant observer c. Observer participant d. Complete observer 3. A researcher joins a religious cult, does everything the cult members do, but does not have a say in any decisions that are made. Then she analyzes her experiences from the perspective of an insider, and quits the organization after her research is complete. Which role is she playing? a. Complete participant observer b. Participant observer c. Observer participant d. Complete observer 4. An employee of an organization studies the organization as an insider. Which role is she playing? a. Complete participant observer b. Participant observer c. Observer participant d. Complete observer 5. A researcher speaks to the survivors of the 9/11 tragedy to find out more about what they felt, and how they dealt with the situation. Without interrupting them, she lets them speak about their experiences without interrupting them, and encourages them to tell her about their emotional reactions to what they experienced. What type of interview is the researcher conducting? a. Unstructured interview through oral histories b. Unstructured interview through creative interviewing techniques c. Gendered interview d. Structured interview Page 11 of 17
6. A researcher interviews employees in an organization using a set of questions with a predefined set of responses to each question to find out about the brand of fruit juice they prefer. Which type of interview is the researcher conducting? a. Unstructured interview through oral histories b. Unstructured interview through creative interviewing techniques c. Gendered unstructured interview d. Structured interview 7. A researcher contacts female employees in an organization and tries to find out how their organization helps them with their need to look after their infant children, or their health needs and psychological needs during their pregnancy. She takes an initial set of questions to guide her interview but lets her respondents share as much information as they want. Which type of interview is the researcher conducting? a. Unstructured interview through oral histories b. Unstructured interview through creative interviewing c. Gendered unstructured interview d. Structured interview 8. Which of the following data gathering techniques are exploratory in nature: a. Surveys using likert scales b. Structured interviews c. Unstructured interviews 9. Physical objects in the environment that are studied as representations of the environment and are used to contextualize the information gathered are known as: a. Memos b. Artifacts c. Symbols 10. The element of fruitfulness in the context of interpretation of data refers to: a. The utility of the results of the study in opening up frontiers for future research b. The validity of the results of the study c. The number of publications the study results in -------------------------------------- Page 12 of 17
MOOC: February 2017: Qualitative Research Methods: Assignment 7 1. Which of the following approaches to interviews deals with triangulation of data obtained through the responses of interviewees? a. Narrative approach b. Realist approach 2. Which of the following methods of analysis of textual data uses bracketing as a method of organizing data? a. Content analysis b. Membership categorization analysis c. Both a and b 3. Which of the following techniques of the analysis of talk involves analysis of units of talk? a. Conversation analysis b. Discourse analysis 4. Which of the following techniques of the analysis of talk involves analysis of the processes involved in generating and carrying forward the talk? a. Conversation analysis b. Discourse analysis 5. Which of the following techniques of visual research would be most suitable for collecting data regarding the child rearing practices of nomads in the Himalyan region? a. Cellphilm b. Participatory video c. Photovoice 6. Which of the following techniques of visual research would be most suitable for capturing community driven conflict resolution events in a tribal region in the Sundarbans Delta? a. Cellphilm b. Participatory video c. Photovoice 7. Which of the following techniques of data organization demonstrates the frequency with which a concept occurs in a document? a. Key words in context b. Word count c. Mental map Page 13 of 17
8. Which of the following techniques of data organization provides a precursor to building taxonomies? a. Key words in context b. Word count c. Mental map 9. With reference to software used for qualitative data analysis, programs that allow researchers to attach suitable keywords to the information they store that can help them access that information at a later date, are called: a. Text retrievers b. Textbase managers c. Code and retrieve programs 10. With reference to software used for qualitative data analysis, programs that facilitate and highlight the connections between different concepts emerging from the analysis of qualitative data, are called a. Conceptual network builders b. Code-based theory builders c. Textbase managers ----------- Page 14 of 17
MOOC: February 2017: Qualitative Research Methods: Assignment 8 1. The genre of social program evaluation that prefers scientific logic and emphasizes objectivity is: a. Postpositivism b. Utilitarian pragmatism c. Interpretivism d. Critical social sciences 2. The genre of social program evaluation that focuses on the needs of the decision makers and addresses the issues that are not transferred well to real life social contexts is: a. Postpositivism b. Utilitarian pragmatism c. Interpretivism d. Critical social sciences 3. The genre of social program evaluation that seeks to address the interests and honor the experiences of stakeholders closest to the programs evaluated, is: a. Postpositivism b. Utilitarian pragmatism c. Interpretivism d. Critical social sciences 4. The genre of social program evaluation that emphasizes explicitly on the ideological outcome of social programs and advocates ideals and values, is: a. Postpositivism b. Utilitarian pragmatism c. Interpretivism d. Critical social sciences 5. With reference to the study of policy tools, resource intensiveness refers to: a. A constellation of concerns involving the complexity of operations, the relative costliness of different options, & the degree of administrative burden that different tools place on organizations. b. Capacity of the policy tool to be aimed at particular populations, problems or institutions for whom the tool is primarily intended c. Ability of the institution to deliver on the tasks that have been delegated to it d. Issues that cluster around concerns of unanticipated risk, chances of failure and timing which can significantly impact the sustainability of the policy initiative Page 15 of 17
6. With reference to the study of policy tools, political risks refer to: a. A constellation of concerns involving the complexity of operations, the relative costliness of different options, & the degree of administrative burden that different tools place on organizations. b. Capacity of the policy tool to be aimed at particular populations, problems or institutions for whom the tool is primarily intended c. Ability of the institution to deliver on the tasks that have been delegated to it d. Issues that cluster around concerns of unanticipated risk, chances of failure and timing which can significantly impact the sustainability of the policy initiative 7. With reference to the study of policy tools, institutional capacity refers to: a. A constellation of concerns involving the complexity of operations, the relative costliness of different options, & the degree of administrative burden that different tools place on organizations. b. Capacity of the policy tool to be aimed at particular populations, problems or institutions for whom the tool is primarily intended c. Ability of the institution to deliver on the tasks that have been delegated to it d. Issues that cluster around concerns of unanticipated risk, chances of failure and timing which can significantly impact the sustainability of the policy initiative 8. With reference to the study of policy tools, targeting refers to: a. A constellation of concerns involving the complexity of operations, the relative costliness of different options, & the degree of administrative burden that different tools place on organizations. b. Capacity of the policy tool to be aimed at particular populations, problems or institutions for whom the tool is primarily intended c. Ability of the institution to deliver on the tasks that have been delegated to it d. Issues that cluster around concerns of unanticipated risk, chances of failure and timing which can significantly impact the sustainability of the policy initiative 9. Pluralism refers to: a. Criticizing the meanings held by different knowers and making a strong case for why one set of beliefs must be held by all b. Interpreting the meanings held by different knowers and fitting them into pre-set criteria to make them acceptable c. Acceptance of the fact that knowers holding different ideals & values can construct different meanings, even in the same situation. Page 16 of 17
10. Iron triangles are: a. Triangular enclosures made by iron in which the policy makers sit and make their policies b. Triangular devices made of some sort of heavy metal that policy makers use to convey their decision to the general public once the policy has been made c. Informal networks of supporters of politicians, special interest groups and persons in the media that champion a policy d. Formal networks of politicians, special interest groups and administrators that decide and implement policies ------------- Page 17 of 17