Research Methodology Quiz

The goal of the method is...

• to say who took part in the research

• to identify the tests and questionnaires used.

• to explain who/what was involved in taking part in the research.

• All of the above.

The _______ explains what the participants did during the data collection, the _______ identifies the things used to collect the data, while the _______ talks which methods of data collection are to be used and why.

• design, materials, procedure

• design, procedure, materials

• procedure, design, materials

• procedure, materials, design

The term 'operationalise' refers to deciding which...

• variables to include in your research so you can answer your research questions.

• event or behaviour you will use to represent a concept you want to measure.

• questions to include in your questionnaire or interview.

• which everyday objects qualify as research materials.

When talking about your participants, you should always make sure to mention...

• as much detail as possible so your audience can get a sense of who they are.

• basic demographics such as age, gender and nationality.

• only those details which might affect the outcome of your research.

• any occasion when you used random sampling.

A material's _______ refers to how consistently and accurately that material measures something, whereas its _______ refers to whether that material is actually measuring what it is supposed to be measuring. Evidence of both of these can come from statistical tests, but only if that material gathers _______ data.

• reliability, validity, quantitative

• validity, reliability, quantitative

• reliability, validity, qualitative

• validity, reliability, qualitative

In some published articles there is either no mention of ethics or that topic is covered by single sentence saying ethical clearance was received. Why is this?

• If you are not dealing with a sensitive topic then there are no ethical issues with your research that need reporting.

• If your sample does not come from a vulnerable population then there are no ethical issues with your research that need reporting.

• In professional research it is often assumed that the research follows all ethical precautions.

• All of the above.

Why should you always carry out a pilot study before conducting your actual data collection?

• Unless you have tested your methodology first, you will be unable to tell your participants what is involved in your data collection and so they cannot provide informed consent.

• A pilot study allows you to find out if there are any flaws in your materials or your research design so you don't lose data and participants to those flaws.

• A pilot study is necessary to establish that there is an issue in the research area that needs to be resolved or better understood, which then justifies the need for your research.

• It is a trick question, you only need to carry out a pilot study if you have developed your own measure, but not if you are using someone else's measure.

On the one hand, using an existing measure developed by another researcher does NOT mean that _______, whereas on the other hand developing your own measure does NOT mean that _______.

• you can compare your findings to theirs, you can be more confident that the measure is a good match for the issues you are researching.

• you can cite the previous research as part of your literature review, you can take an existing measure and modify it.

• you can cite the results from other researcher's checks on the validity or reliability, you will impress anyone with your research skills.

• you will have to pay to be allowed to use it, you will save yourself time compared to locating an existing measure.

Positionality is based on the idea that...

• certain things are so widely known to be true that they go without saying and so you don't need to waste any space explaining them to your audience.

• there are certain variables which are not included in the theoretical model and yet they still need to be controlled so they don't affect the outcome of the research.

• a researcher should always aim to be an objective outsider, disconnected from the events they are researching so as to avoid any unintentional impact on the outcome of the research.

• the beliefs of the researcher can influence their research and should be made known so they can be taken into account when interpreting the research.

When talking about your participants, which of the following should you NOT mention?

• The number of people you approached to participate but who turned you down.

• Details about your participants which affect the outcome but aren't part of any of your research questions.

• Anything which might reveal their identity.

• None of the above.