RSC2601
Research in the Social Sciences
This document contains questions and answers of the following
examination papers:
MAY/JUNE 2017
OCT/NOV 2018
OCT/NOV 2019
MAY/JUNE 2020
, RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2017
QUESTION 1
What research norm is reflected in the following scenario?
A report on the results and recommendations of an investigation into examination
preparation problems experienced by a sample of Unisa students, is circulated
amongst knowledgeable researchers and academics in South Africa and
internationally for comment.
1. honesty
2. transparency
3. communalism
4. organised scepticism
QUESTION 2
Ms Ndlovu runs a health education programme on prevention of the spread of HIV
each first Monday of the month. During February she educated the clients on the
importance of condom use. In April she finds that the majority of the clients still do
not use condoms. She concludes that the clients show a lack of knowledge as well
as a negative attitude towards the prevention of the spread of HIV.
This is an example of …
1. ego involvement.
2. common sense.
3. inaccurate observation.
4. premature closure.
QUESTION 3
A boy convinces his family members that a strange cat visiting their home daily is a
sign of a tragedy that is about to happen.
This is an example of …
1. authority.
2. mysticism.
3. common sense.
4. overgeneralization
, RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2017
QUESTION 4
Identify the epistemological statement.
1. Social reality and natural reality can be studied in the same way.
2. Social reality is inherently meaningful.
3. Human beings are reflexive.
4. Patriarchy is common in traditional societies.
5. Hidden structures mask the true nature of social reality.
QUESTION 5
Which one of the following is NOT a preferred Interpretivist research method?
1. Personal documents
2. Social surveys
3. Participant observation
4. Unstructured interviews
QUESTION 6
Value freedom implies …
1. that one is free to construct ones’ own scientific values when conducting research.
2. complete subjectivity whilst conducting research.
3. that scientific inquiry should not be influenced by values that scientists hold dear.
4. that scientific inquiry will inevitably be influenced by scientists values.
QUESTION 7
Identify the statement(s) that has/have the potential to be a social law.
a) If we exert less force on an object, it will move slower.
b) The suicide rate decreases as the level of social integration increases.
c) Men are sexist.
d) Intelligence is an inherited attribute.
1. (a) (b)
2. (c) (d)
3. (a) (b) (d)
4. (c)
5. (b)
, RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2017
QUESTION 8
Which of the following statements are true?
Operationalisation …
a) provides a concept with observable indicators.
b) allows us to see if a concept is present among the populations we are studying.
c) specifies the direction of causality.
d) excludes the presence of intervening variables.
1. (a) (b)
2. (b) (c)
3. (c) (d)
4. (a) (b) (d)
QUESTION 9
Which of the following are examples of inductive reasoning?
a) Susan leaves for work at 07:00 and is on time. This happens a few times. Susan
assumes then that she will always be on time if she leaves at 07:00.
b) All cars have at least two doors and a Nissan Micra is a car, so the Nissan Micra has
at least two doors.
c) Since all squares are rectangles, and all rectangles have four sides, so all squares
have four sides.
d) This marble from the bag is red. That marble from the bag is red. A third marble from
the bag is red. Therefore, all the marbles in the bag are red.
e) I keep on making a fool of myself time after time in the ballroom dancing class, and
continuously step on the toes of my partner. I have come to the conclusion that I am
no good at ballroom dancing.
1. (a) (b) (e)
2. (c) (d) (e)
3. (a) (d) (e)
4. (a) (b) (c)
QUESTION 10
Indicate the correct sequence of events during the initial stage of a research project.
a) Conducting a literature review
b) Decide on a topic to research
c) Operationalising concepts
d) Specifying a research question
e) Framing a hypothesis
Research in the Social Sciences
This document contains questions and answers of the following
examination papers:
MAY/JUNE 2017
OCT/NOV 2018
OCT/NOV 2019
MAY/JUNE 2020
, RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2017
QUESTION 1
What research norm is reflected in the following scenario?
A report on the results and recommendations of an investigation into examination
preparation problems experienced by a sample of Unisa students, is circulated
amongst knowledgeable researchers and academics in South Africa and
internationally for comment.
1. honesty
2. transparency
3. communalism
4. organised scepticism
QUESTION 2
Ms Ndlovu runs a health education programme on prevention of the spread of HIV
each first Monday of the month. During February she educated the clients on the
importance of condom use. In April she finds that the majority of the clients still do
not use condoms. She concludes that the clients show a lack of knowledge as well
as a negative attitude towards the prevention of the spread of HIV.
This is an example of …
1. ego involvement.
2. common sense.
3. inaccurate observation.
4. premature closure.
QUESTION 3
A boy convinces his family members that a strange cat visiting their home daily is a
sign of a tragedy that is about to happen.
This is an example of …
1. authority.
2. mysticism.
3. common sense.
4. overgeneralization
, RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2017
QUESTION 4
Identify the epistemological statement.
1. Social reality and natural reality can be studied in the same way.
2. Social reality is inherently meaningful.
3. Human beings are reflexive.
4. Patriarchy is common in traditional societies.
5. Hidden structures mask the true nature of social reality.
QUESTION 5
Which one of the following is NOT a preferred Interpretivist research method?
1. Personal documents
2. Social surveys
3. Participant observation
4. Unstructured interviews
QUESTION 6
Value freedom implies …
1. that one is free to construct ones’ own scientific values when conducting research.
2. complete subjectivity whilst conducting research.
3. that scientific inquiry should not be influenced by values that scientists hold dear.
4. that scientific inquiry will inevitably be influenced by scientists values.
QUESTION 7
Identify the statement(s) that has/have the potential to be a social law.
a) If we exert less force on an object, it will move slower.
b) The suicide rate decreases as the level of social integration increases.
c) Men are sexist.
d) Intelligence is an inherited attribute.
1. (a) (b)
2. (c) (d)
3. (a) (b) (d)
4. (c)
5. (b)
, RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2017
QUESTION 8
Which of the following statements are true?
Operationalisation …
a) provides a concept with observable indicators.
b) allows us to see if a concept is present among the populations we are studying.
c) specifies the direction of causality.
d) excludes the presence of intervening variables.
1. (a) (b)
2. (b) (c)
3. (c) (d)
4. (a) (b) (d)
QUESTION 9
Which of the following are examples of inductive reasoning?
a) Susan leaves for work at 07:00 and is on time. This happens a few times. Susan
assumes then that she will always be on time if she leaves at 07:00.
b) All cars have at least two doors and a Nissan Micra is a car, so the Nissan Micra has
at least two doors.
c) Since all squares are rectangles, and all rectangles have four sides, so all squares
have four sides.
d) This marble from the bag is red. That marble from the bag is red. A third marble from
the bag is red. Therefore, all the marbles in the bag are red.
e) I keep on making a fool of myself time after time in the ballroom dancing class, and
continuously step on the toes of my partner. I have come to the conclusion that I am
no good at ballroom dancing.
1. (a) (b) (e)
2. (c) (d) (e)
3. (a) (d) (e)
4. (a) (b) (c)
QUESTION 10
Indicate the correct sequence of events during the initial stage of a research project.
a) Conducting a literature review
b) Decide on a topic to research
c) Operationalising concepts
d) Specifying a research question
e) Framing a hypothesis
