chapter 8 short answer

Question 1

Four types of non-reactive research:

Answer 1

Physical evidence analysis:
Content analysis
Existing statistics analysis
Secondary data analysis

Question 2

What are the steps of Unobtrusive Measures?

Answer 2

Identify physical evidence
Systematically count/record
Identify and measure other variables
Consider alternative explanations for evidence and rule them out
Compare variables

Question 3

Limitations of Physical Evidence

Answer 3

physical evidence measures are indirect

possible privacy violation

Question 4

Content analysis is useful for

Answer 4

Large volumes of text
Topics studied “at a distance”
Content difficult to see with casual observation

Question 5

What do you measure for content analysis

Answer 5

page 209

Direction
Frequency 
Intensity
Space 
Prominence

Question 6

Content Analysis with Visual Material

Answer 6

visual material communicates indirectly

visual images often contain mixed messages and operate at multiple levels of meaning

Visual material is more indirect

• we are looking at, what the character looks like, behaves, sounds
• much more interpretation

We have to give MEANING to this.

Question 7

How to Conduct Content Analysis Research

Answer 7

Step 1. Formulate a Research Question
Step 2. Identify the Text to Analyze
Step 3. Decide on Units of Analysis
Step 4. Draw a Sample
Step 5. Create a Coding System
Step 6. Construct and Refine Categories
Step 7. Code the Data onto Recording Sheets.  
Step 8. Data Analysis

Question 8

Limitations of Content Analysis

Answer 8

content analysis cannot:
determine the truthfulness of an assertion
evaluate aesthetic qualities
interpret content significance
reveal the intentions of the text’s creators
determine the influence of a message on its receivers

Question 9

Locating Data

Answer 9

many diverse sources

Statistical Abstract of the United States

Question 10

What are the limitations of Secondary Data Sources

Answer 10

May lack data for your research question
Validity
Topic knowledge

Question 11

Conducting Ethical Non-Reactive Research INCLUDES:

Answer 11

Protecting people’s privacy

Protecting confidentiality of data

Shouldn’t dig through garbage

Question 12

Existing statistics can be LIMITED by

Answer 12

missing > collected and lost, ethnicity not fully defined

Reliability > thinking about how its measured

Validity > how do we know what the researchers defined is what we define?