CHYS 2000H

Question 1

Social Research

Answer 1

A process in which a researcher combines a set of principles, outlooks, and ideas with a collection of specific practices, techniques, and strategies to produce knowledge. -researching people

Question 2

What alternatives to social research inform us about the social world?

Answer 2

(1) Authority – Knowledge acquired from authoritative figures and sources who have experience with the topic (i.e. parents, teachers, authors).
The misuse of authority may transpire when knowledge is skewed for a particular goal.
2 Tradition – A unique form of authority that derives knowledge from the past (i.e. ‘it’s the way things have always been’).
While knowledge from the past can be helpful, it needs to be interrogated for present and future progress.
(3) Common Sense – Tradition creates common sense notions from everyday reasoning.
While common sense may be useful in social interaction, it may also contain errors, misinformation, contradiction and prejudice. - lack of curiosity same so traditions
(4) Media Myth – The media tends to perpetuate myths that competing interests invoke to secure public support.
(5) Personal Experience – First-hand accounts are important, but one person’s experience can distort judgment:
Overgeneralization – The assumption that one experience applies to many other experiences.

Question 3

Selective Observation

Answer 3

Using evidence that confirms what you already believe while ignoring contradictory information.

Question 4

The Scientific Community

Answer 4

A collection fo people who share a system of rules and attitudes that sustain the process of producing scientific knowledge.
The Scientific Method – The process of creating new knowledge using the ideas, techniques, and rules of the scientific community.

Question 5

Data

Answer 5

Information that a person gathers carefully according to established rules or procedures.

Question 6

Quantitative Data

Answer 6

Information in the form of numbers.

Question 7

Qualitative Data

Answer 7

Information in the form of words, pictures, sounds, visible images, or objects.

Question 8

Empirical Evidence

Answer 8

The observations that people experience through their five senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste).

Question 9

Academic Research

Answer 9

-Advance fundamental knowledge about the social world.
-Further knowledge within a discipline.
-Topic selected based on intellectual interest.
-Primary concern is methodological rigour ( process of how things are done, be able to defend your research ) that connects research to social theory.
-Success is achieved through publication in an academic journal.

Question 10

Applied Research

Answer 10

trying to ford a solution
Offer a practical solution to a policy question.
Research to address a social problem.
Topic identified for the problem needing to be solved.
Primary concern is generalizing findings to create change.
Success is achieved through findings being implemented through a public policy.

Question 11

Exploratory Research

Answer 11

Research into an area that has not been studied.
It addresses the ‘what’ question – what is the activity about?
Sexual minority refugees in Canada (Lee and Brotman, 2011) is considered exploratory as it was previously under-researched.

Question 12

Descriptive Research

Answer 12

Research in which one ‘paints a picture’ of a situation.
It addresses the ‘how’ and ‘who’ questions about the activity.
Undergraduate students who are also parents (Van Rihjn et al., 2011) is considered descriptive as it informs the reader on their lived realities.

Question 13

Explanatory Research

Answer 13

Research into why events occur.
It addresses the ‘why’ question.

Question 14

Cross-Sectional Research

Answer 14

Research in which a researcher examines a single point in time.
While simple and less costly, it cannot account for change over time.

Question 15

Longitudinal Research

Answer 15

Research in which the researcher examines multiple points in time.
It is usually more complex and costly, but it is able to capture complex changes over time.

Question 16

What are the three types of longitudinal research?

Answer 16

(1) Time-Series Study – Any research that takes place over time, in which different people or cases may be looked at in each time period.
Statistics Canada General Social Survey can conduct a study on ‘time use’ distributed every 20 years to show change over time (i.e. commuter times have increased since the previous time period.)

(2) Panel Study – Any research where the researcher observes exactly the same people, group or organization across multiple time points.
Statistics Canada’s Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics interviews the same 30,000 individuals each year to trace change over time.

(3) Cohort Study – Any research where the researcher focuses on a category of people who share a similar life experience in a specified time period.
Cohorts may be arranged in a number of ways including getting married in the same year and examining their experiences over time.

Question 17

Quantitative Data Collection

Answer 17

Tends to use statistical analysis to analyze large data sets and make generalized statements about social life.

Question 18

Experimental Research

Answer 18

Research that impacts one group of people but not the other and compares the results.

Question 19

Survey Research

Answer 19

Research that systematically asks many people the same questions, records and analyzes the answers.

Question 20

Quantitative Content Analysis

Answer 20

Research that examines patterns in numeric form (i.e. counting how many times a certain word is ued and presenting it in a table or graph).

Question 21

Existing Statistics –

Answer 21

Research that examines numberical information to answer new research questions.

Question 22

Qualitative Data Collection

Answer 22

Tends to study smaller groups using specialized techniques to understand the meaning behind individual’s words and actions.

Question 23

Qualitative Interview

Answer 23

A one-on-one interview between the researcher and participant where discussion on the topic(s) unfolds.

Question 24

Field Research

Answer 24

A researcher directly observes people being studied in their natural setting.

Question 25

Historical Research

Answer 25

Research where one examines different cultures or periods to better understand the social world.

Question 26

Qualitative Content Analysis

Answer 26

Research that examines patterns of symbolic meaning within texts, audio, visual, or other communication.

Question 27

What is the relationship between ethics and social research?
Many ethical issues require that you balance two values:

Answer 27

(1) The pursuit of knowledge.
(2) The rights of research participants or others in society.

Question 28

What is the nature of power relations and ethics in social research?

Answer 28

A professional researcher and the research participants are in a relationship of unequal power.
Research participants must trust researcher’s judgment.
The authority to conduct social research and to earn the trust of others is accompanied by an ethical responsibility to guide, protect, and oversee the interest of the interviewee.
-how will you addapt, what other methods would you use

Question 29

What types of harm must researchers avoid inflicting on participants?

Answer 29

(1) Researchers must stop immediately if they can no longer guarantee a participant’s safety.
(2) Researchers should never create unnecessary stress.
(3) Researchers must consider any potential harm (i.e. a survey may involve sensitive matters that can trigger difficult emotions for some participants).

Question 30

What is the principle of voluntary consent?

Answer 30

An ethical principle of social research that people should never participate in research unless they first explicitly agree to do so.
The dilemma of covert research – Conducting covert research should be avoided because it fails the principle of voluntary consent.
-people will be acting in their natural way
-need to balance out the ethics

Question 31

How does human dignity, ethics and the scientific community impact the social research process?

Answer 31

Respect for human dignity – This principle endeavours to safeguard the multifaceted interests of the person that guides the ethical standards by which scientists must undertake research in Canada.
Voluntary consent
Avoid unnecessary physical/mental suffering
Conducting experiments by highly qualified people
Results that are aimed at the good of society

Question 32

What are Ethics of Special Populations-

Answer 32

People who lack the necessary cognitive competency to give informed consent, or experience marginalization both historically and in the present context.
Special populations may include students, prison inmates, homeless individuals, and persons with disabilities just to name a few.
-anybody outside the group of privilege

Question 33

What are Unethical Research with a Special Population

Answer 33

Norway House in Northern Manitoba was an Indian Residential School where indigenous children were part of a nutritional experiment by agents of the Canadian Government.
Scientists gave nutritional supplements to 125 Indigenous children leaving the other 275 deprived of their nutritional requirements to test the effectiveness of a vitamin supplement.

Question 34

Research Fatigue

Answer 34

– A community that has been extensively researched, experienced no measurable gains, and is therefore uninterested in further participation.

Question 35

Privacy

Answer 35

Survey researchers invade a person’s privacy when they probe into beliefs, backgrounds and behaviours
-keeping safe from potential harm, giving them warnings

Question 36

Anonymity

Answer 36

Research participants remain anonymous or nameless (even to the researcher).
A field researcher provides a social picture of an individual giving fictitious name and location.

Question 37

Confidentiality

Answer 37

Information has participant names attached but the researcher holds it in confidence/keeps it secret from the public.
The researcher releases data with fictitious names or releasing data in aggregate form.
-

Question 38

What is Ethical Research Involving Children (ERIC)?

Answer 38

Ethical Research Involving Children entails:
Ethics is everyone’s responsibility.
Respecting the dignity of children is essential.
Ethical research benefits children.
Children should never be harmed by their participation.
Ethical research requires ongoing reflection.

Question 39

what are some Unethical Actions in Social Research

Answer 39

scientific misconduct
-research fraud
-plagiarism
=unethical actions in social research

Question 40

Whistle-Blower

Answer 40

A person who sees ethical wrongdoing, tries unsuccessfully to correct it internally and then informs an external audience (the media).
Dr Nancy Olivieri raised concerns for an experimental drug that was unsafe. The drug company stopped the trials, cancelled her research and tarnished her career. Her actions were ethical but it came at a tremendous cost to her career.

Question 41

Arriving at particular findings

Answer 41

Ethical researchers will refuse to participate if they are told to produce particular findings.

Question 42

Limits on conducting studies

Answer 42

sponsors can set conditions (i.e. survey versus experiment) as they are the ones providing the funding.

Question 43

Suppressing the findings

Answer 43

a researcher may be bound by the sponsor to suppress the findings.

Question 44

Concealing the true sponsor

Answer 44

an ethical researcher will always reveal who sponsored the study.
– The political influence over social research may include cutting funding and censoring findings.

Question 45

What is a literature review? Why is it important?

Answer 45

Literature – The collection of academic and peer-reviewed writing on any given subject.
Literature Review – An articulate summary of the most important aspects of that literature for your field and the most pertinent or relevant to your research project.

Question 46

The purpose of a literature review?

Answer 46

A systematic examination of previously published studies on a research issue; a method that a researcher undertakes to prepare for conducting a study that can bring together and summarize the ‘state of the field’.
(1) Narrow down a broad topic by showing how others have conducted their studies.
(2) It informs you about the ‘state of knowledge’ on a topic.
(3) It can stimulate your creativity and curiosity.

Question 47

what are the goals of a literature review

Answer 47

(1) To demonstrate familiarity with a body of knowledge and establish credibility.
(2) To show the path of prior research and how a current project is linked to it.
(3) To integrate and summarize what is known in an area.
(4) To learn from others and stimulate new ideas.

Question 48

What are the different sources relevant to a literature review?

Answer 48

Books
A source that provides significant depth of research and considerable analysis of a topic.
Periodicals
A category of literature with serial publications that appear in a new edition on a regular schedule.
Scholarly Journals
The primary type of periodical to use for a literature review that is peer-reviewed (assessed by other academics).

Question 49

What are the different sources relevant to a literature review?

Answer 49

Periodicals
Mass market publications including magazines, professional publications, and opinion publications may be used for researchers for a more current understanding of an issue, but these sources have not undergone the proper peer-review process that scholarly articles require.

Scholarly Journals
Peer-reviewed articles published generally monthly, quarterly, bi-annually and annually.
Scholarly journals contain citations to help locate the source vis-à-vis a bibliography.

Dissertation
A work of original research undertaken by a PhD student (usually takes between 4-6 years to complete) that provides an extensive overview of a particular topic.

Government Documents
Studies and published reports of research by government entities and international organizations (i.e. Government of Canada).

Policy Reports
Research supported by an organization to advance understanding and inform legislation on the topic through various means of advocacy.

Question 50

How to conduct a systematic literature review

Answer 50

A literature review requires a clearly defined, well-focused research question and plan to bring greater focus to the topic.

A literature review requires a search strategy including questions such as:
The type of review, the extensiveness of the review, the material to include.

Next, proceed to locate research (particularly a scholarly journal article) by using multiple search strategies and databases.
Trent University Durham Library Search Demonstration

Begin to read and take notes from the literature:
Tips for reading journal articles:

Proceed to organize your notes:

Start writing the review.