Short-answer questions
Answer each question carefully. Consult your Social Research text when
your memory fails you or when you are in doubt about the accuracy of your
responses.
1 What are
factors that can limit the choice of topics in social research?
2
How can social reality influence the choice of a research question?
3
In what ways can contract research influence the choice of the research topic
and the quality of social research in general?
4
What are the implications of persons other than the researcher controlling the
choice of research topics for social research in general and for academics in
particular?
5
What is the purpose of the step 'methodological construction of the topic'?
6
What does a formal definition of the topic entail?
7
What is meant by 'exploration' in social research?
8
How important is the step 'defining variables' for quantitative and
qualitative researchers?
9
How relevant for qualitative research are exploratory studies as described in
this chapter?
10 What are
the types of exploratory research?
11 Discuss
briefly the purpose and structure of the types of exploratory studies.
12 Give a
brief definition and description of operationalisation.
13 What does
the process of operationalisation entail?
14 Define the
essence and purpose of indicators in social research.
15 What are
the general rules that guide operationalisation?
16 Explain
the rule of empirical relevance.
17 What is
meant by the rule of empirical adequacy?
18 What does
the rule of quantification involve and what is its purpose?
19 Explain
how indicators are selected.
20 Do
qualitative researchers employ operationalisation?
21 What are
the main objections qualitative researchers have to operationalisation?
22 Why is
operationalisation considered by qualitative researchers as inadequate,
incomplete and subjective?
23 What is
triangulation and what is its purpose?
24 What are
the major types of triangulation?
25 Which
types of research employ triangulation: quantitative or qualitative research?
26 What are
the strengths of triangulation and what are its weaknesses?
27 What is a
hypothesis?
28 What are
the criteria of hypothesis construction?
29 In what
ways can hypotheses be generated?
30 Are
hypotheses required in social research? Are they useful? If yes, why?
31 What are
the major types of hypotheses?
32 What are
working hypotheses and where are they mainly used?
33 What are
the functions of hypotheses?
34 In
what ways can the use of hypotheses limit the process and effects of social
research?
35 If you
were a qualitative researcher how would you criticise the use of hypotheses?
36 If you
were a quantitative researcher how would you defend the use of hypotheses in
social research?