HMPYC80 Research Methodology (2022 - Semester 1 - Assignment 4)

HMPYC80 – Research Methodology 2022 – Semester 1 – Assignment 4 Question 1: Which ONE of the following statements about mixed methods research is TRUE? a. This is a "multimethod" where multiple forms of qualitative data (e.g. interviews and observations); or multiple forms of quantitative data (e.g. survey data, experimental data) are collected in the same study. b. This involves the collection of multiple forms of qualitative data or quantitative data. c. This involves the collection, analysis and integration of both quantitative and qualitative data in different phases of a study. The data need to be “mixed” in some way so that, they form a more complete picture of the problem than they do standing alone. d. The nature of quantitative and qualitative approaches is that these approaches are mutually exclusive. Question 2: Mixed methods research organises the research procedures into specific research designs; and frames them within theory and philosophy. This requires a high level of methodological expertise to guide the study through its different stages and ensure the application of the most appropriate procedures at each point. The following does NOT apply to the values that mixed methods research applies to research. a. Triangulation. Mixed methods research encourages you to collaborate across the occasional antagonistic relationship between quantitative and qualitative researchers. If findings are corroborated across different approaches, then greater confidence can be held in the singular conclusion; if the findings conflict, then you have greater knowledge and can modify interpretations and conclusions accordingly. b. A QUAL quan study is usually followed, indicating a qualitatively driven sequential study where qualitative data collection is followed by quantitative data collection with unequal priority. c. Enrichment. Mixed methods research provides the opportunity for a greater assortment of divergent views and perspectives and alerts you to the possibility that issues are more multifaceted than you may have initially supposed. d. Guide the development of measuring instruments. Mixed methods research enriches the development of appropriate tools based on the findings from either of the approaches (e.g. interviews can inform survey design, or survey results can inform interview schedules). Question 3: According to the typology or classification by Creswell and Plano Clark (2018) there are at least three key types of mixed methods designs. The following does NOT apply to the (i) convergent design? a. This is a triangulated, parallel or concurrent design, where you collect both qualitative and quantitative data, analyse them separately and then merge and compare the results to see if they confirm or disconfirm each other. b. This is a two-phase mixed methods design. The design starts with the collection and analysis of quantitative data followed by the collection and analysis of qualitative data. The overall purpose of this design is that the qualitative data help explain or build upon initial quantitative results from the study’s first phase. c. This design involves the concurrent, but separate collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data – two separate databases – to combine, compare and contrast the different findings at the stage of analysis, to see the extent to which they do or do not agree with each other. d. The researcher will design a concurrent or sequential quantitative and qualitative process for data collection and analysis and use equal or unequal weighting to mix the results. Question 4: Which ONE of the following statements about evaluation research is INCORRECT? a. In its purest sense, there is no difference between intervention research and most types of evaluation research. b. Most types of evaluation research assume the prior existence of a service, programme or intervention designed and developed by someone else – perhaps long before the evaluator ever entered the field. In evaluation research, the development of the service, programme or intervention is not part of the research design. c. Some types of formative evaluation are aimed at gathering information for the design or formation of a programme, such as a needs assessment. d. Evaluation research is the process of using credible data to make judgements about the worth of a product, programme, service or process. Question 5: The manager of a poverty-reduction programme that involves life-skills and mentoring for at-risk youth in Gauteng has expressed the need for research that will convince potential donors of the value of the programme. They have performed surveys on alumni of the programme over the past 5 years and the findings indicate that most programme alumni are able to find employment. Finding employment is a key aim of the programme. However, donors require solid and reputable research on this matter. See Figure 21.1: Integrated process model for evaluation research in Chapter 21. Which ONE of the following phases of evaluation is the MOST applicable to this evaluation need? a. Programme evaluation activities build upward from careful description of the social problem the programme is expected to ameliorate (needs assessment). b. Decisions are made as to whether the programme has the necessary preconditions to allow it to be evaluated, or to what extent this must be incorporated in the design of the programme (evaluability assessment) in the beginning phases of a programme. c. During the middle phases of the programme lifecycle, the focus changes to what was done in the implementation of the intervention, service or programme, the problems that arose and the solutions that were adopted (programme monitoring). d. The end phase comprises decisions about the programme’s effectiveness (impact and outcome evaluation) and efficiency (efficiency assessments). Question 6: What is the aim and use of an evaluability assessment? a. An evaluability assessment aims to determine by objective methods whether a programme, service or other intervention is really needed or if an existing programme is still needed. b. An evaluability assessment is employed to identify areas of social life that require intervention, ascertain whether the establishment of services is justified, inform interest groups, allocate community resources effectively or empower stakeholders. c. An evaluability assessment is a set of procedures for determining the programme's readiness for evaluation; and whether evaluation is possible and likely to offer helpful information. d. An evaluability assessment is a part of programme monitoring. Question 7: How are interventions defined in the prescribed textbook? a. Interventions are social programmes that describe a series of organisational plans, procedures and strategies, including interventions designed to promote or enhance change in people. Social programmes have strong administrative components and represent an agency’s package of services. b. Interventions describe a series of planned actions that, when combined in a certain order and with a specific, informed plan, will enable change to the outcome of a social condition that is to the benefit of those receiving the intervention. The emphasis of an intervention is to bring change to a person or persons through active participation in the intervention. Intervention could be a treatment in health terms. Interventions have theoretical foundations that inform the way change in the individual is facilitated. c. Social programmes that can be viewed as containers for supplementary items that are not directly linked to the change mechanism but support the intervention. In addition to the intervention or mechanism for change, elements such as participation eligibility criteria, application and assessment guidelines, administrative and logistical arrangements, training requirements for facilitators and quality assurance methods are all contained in a programme. d. Intervention consist a systematic review to conduct a state-of-the-art analysis of existing interventions. Question 8: The Design and Development (D&D) intervention research model consists of six phases, each with several key steps (see Table 22.1). Which phase refers to the sharing of the intervention with other communities and other users? a. Problem analysis and project planning. (Identify and involve clients or consumers of the intended programme from the start. Gain entry to and cooperation from people in the host setting. Identify concerns of the target population. Analyse identified problems. Set goals and objectives.) b. Information gathering and synthesis (Use existing information sources. Study existing similar or associated interventions. Identify functional elements of successful models.) c. Design (Design a prototype of intervention options. Design an observational system). Followed by early development and pilot testing (Develop a preliminary intervention. Conduct a pilot test. Apply design criteria to the intervention.) d. Analysis and dissemination (Prepare the product for analysis and dissemination. Identify potential markets for the intervention. Create a demand for the intervention. Encourage appropriate adaptation. Provide technical support for adopters.) Question 9: A critical analysis can be performed on the “identified problems” by asking several questions as listed below. i. What is the nature of the discrepancy between ideal and actual conditions that defines the problem? ii. For whom is the situation a problem? iii. What are the negative consequences of the problem for affected individuals or communities? iv. Whose human rights are affected by not addressing this problem? v. Who (if anyone) benefits from conditions as they are now and how do they benefit? vi. Who should share the responsibility for solving the problem? vii. What behaviours, and of whom, need to change for clients to consider the problem solved? viii. What conditions need to change to establish or support the necessary change? ix. At what level should the problem be addressed? x. Does the problem manifest itself in the behaviour of key individuals in the immediate physical or social environment with broader structural conditions such as chronic unemployment, or with governmental or business policies? Which of the above questions (i to x) would be relevant to critically analyse a proposed intervention to address corruption in a small municipality? Select the MOST CORRECT answer. a. Questions i to v. b. Questions vi to x. c. ... d. Questions i to x. Question 10: Participatory research is NOT just research that . a. is based on a view of knowledge generation for the sake of science, rather than everyday social issues. b. is involved in a complex coalescence of science and practice where participants take on the roles of co-researchers who interpret and evaluate the issues at hand. Therefore, it is rooted in solving issues identified by those most greatly affected. c. is considered an effective way to design localised, multisectoral responses to the wicked problems of our time. Diverse partnerships can be formed with an underlying premise of working together to redistribute power to the margins. d. aims to shift power relationships to dismantle oppressive structures, reducing inequities, or resolving social injustices. It is particularly valuable in countering challenges with cross-cultural, indigenised or transnational research. Question 11: A potential danger of participatory action research that has also led some communities to view participation as a “dirty” word is due to the fact that ... a. participatory action research requires a major shift in attitudes and behaviours related to power. The pursuit of emancipation, liberation, partnership and participation; the fight for social justice; the adherence to all ethical principles; and the embracing of diversity, social awareness and equity are all very important considerations (Walliman, 2018) b. participatory action research explicitly seeks to bring together groups of people who can combine their perspectives, resources, skills and ideas to co-create solutions. c. some researchers who worked within communities claimed to perform participatory action research but failed to meaningfully engage participants and failed to align with stakeholder needs. d. this type of participatory action research empowers members of the partnering community and provides all with access to information. Question 12: Which one of the following statements does NOT apply to participatory action research? a. It is relatively easy to access a community, negotiate entry via gatekeepers, set up meetings, negotiate the community dynamics and conflicts, and support a community to become more empowered via participatory action research. b. Participatory action research may pose certain practical challenges since it demands a deep and sincere commitment to the community and to the research process. Community processes are complex and time-consuming, and often difficult to access or understand. The impediments observed would not necessarily be the same as the felt needs of the community. c. Disadvantaged or multiple-marginalised groups, including women, the elderly and children, persons with disabilities or those who are homeless, can be particularly vulnerable to exploitation by the research endeavour. d. As a participatory researcher, you play a dual role as a community developer and as research consultant. Question 13: Which ONE of the following statements about the social sciences is FALSE? a. The scientific method can be seen as a set of rigorous procedures used in research to obtain and interpret facts. b. The terminology related to scientific constructs is used consistently by authors in the research literature and is therefore easy to understand and interpret. c. Social science may be viewed as the study of people’s behaviour, beliefs, interactions and institutions to acquire knowledge that is objectively obtained and tested through the use of the scientific method. d. Social sciences philosophy can be seen as the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, truth, knowledge, objectivity, clarity, values, reason and mind. It can also be seen as a worldview or framework that is by nature multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. Question 14: a. the study of theory about another theory that already exists – this gives professionals the space to critique theories underpinning their practice and challenges them to develop their own theories that address issues in their specific professions. It is important to make metatheoretical assumptions about the underlying theories, models or paradigms that form the definitive context of the study. b. the principles, procedures and rules according to which research must be conducted and how practice must be directed, in other words how a single study is to be conducted. These procedures include defining the problem, stating the method for observation and measurement, defining the criteria to be used, presenting the findings and limiting the conclusions to those aspects that are supported by the findings, and basing the recommendations on the real findings (Barker, 2014, p. 378). c. a philosophical study of the nature of reality and should express a professional stance in relation to the nature of things and how reality is interpreted, and to arrive at a better understanding of the world. d. the epistemological basis of a profession referring to the specific skills, assumptions and knowledge of that specific profession. Question 15: Research design refers to ... a. the research sampling, measurements, and data collection. b. the philosophical study of human values that influence our perceptions, decisions and actions. c. the framework of methods and techniques that are chosen for a particular study, also called the blueprint or plan of the research project that precedes the actual research procedures. d. the epistemological basis of a profession referring to the specific skills, assumptions and knowledge of that specific profession. Question 16: Indigenous research methodology ... a. applies indigenous research methodologies to research with and about the colonised Other which should involve going back and forth to retrieve marginalised and suppressed literatures to review, analyse, and challenge colonising theories and interpretations, to create counternarratives that see the past differently, and to envision a transformative agenda with the researched. b. is based on research questions and hypotheses that are investigated with experimental and quasi-experimental research designs where the causal relations between variables are studied. c. is geared to predict and control the variables for the use of scientific and objective research. d. continues the marginalisation of other knowledge systems that occurs because of the dominant Euro-Western research paradigms and their discourses on what can be researched and how it can be researched. Question 17: Valid research literature as defined within postcolonial indigenous research methodologies does NOT include ... a. language, cultural artifacts, legends, stories, practices, and songs. b. articles and chapters that espouse deficit thinking and pathological descriptions of the formerly colonised. c. rituals poems, dances, and tattoos. d. lived experiences such as the people’s fight against HIV/AIDS, personal stories, and community stories told at weddings, funerals, celebrations and wars. Question 18: The appropriate practice of ethical research means that .... a. the purpose of the research study is explained to potential research participants, verbally and in writing. b. research participants are informed that they may leave questions unanswered should the question make them feel uncomfortable, verbally and in writing. c. research participants are informed that they may withdraw from the study at any stage, verbally and in writing. d. All of the above are correct. Question 19: Plagiarism is NOT defined as ... a. the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as your own. b. completing assessments on behalf of other students. c. a form of theft which involves several dishonest academic activities, such as cutting and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source; not including or using incorrect references; or paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information. d. taking and using the ideas, writings, works or inventions of another as if they were one’s own. This includes verbatim copying, but also the extensive use of another person’s ideas without proper acknowledgement (which includes the proper use of quotation marks). Question 20: Which ONE of the following references are NOT according to prescribed American Psychological Association's APA7 style for the reference list? a. Langa, M. (2017). Boys to men: Narrating life stories of fatherhood and work life amongst young black men. Psychology in society (PINS), 55, 61-83. b. Wonder, B. & James, A. (2012). The value of an abbreviated stress index. Training and Education in Professional Psychology,3(2), 34-56. c. Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigenous peoples. Zed books. d. Hastings, C. (2016, Sep 27). Get Lit: The Literature Review [Video]. Youtube. Question 21: Which one of the following statements is NOT TRUE? A research proposal … a. states the research issue, focus or topic: The research issue is introduced in one or more paragraphs covering the following topics: (i) a description of the research issue or an outline of the research focus, (ii) justification for conducting the research (why is this of interest; to who or whom and why and how; what are the reasons for researching this issue) and (iii) the current state of affairs (what, if anything, has research already been done on the issue, for example, other studies or other attempts to understand, explain or solve the issue). b. consists of a complete, comprehensive and final literature review, with a compelling discussion of all key theories and findings that are applicable to the proposed study. c. is a written document outlining a proposed research project. The proposal explains WHAT the project is about, WHY the project is important and HOW the project would be conducted. Proposals also include an abstract or summary that provides a brief and concise summary of the proposed study. d. provides a brief but compelling literature review, with a discussion of what key theories and findings are applicable to the proposed study; and explains the proposed and intended research method or approach: (i) a description of how the study is to be conducted, (ii) an indication of who or what are to be used for the study, (iii) an indication of the kind of data required for analysis, (iv) an indication of how this data is to be obtained, (v) an indication of how the information is to be analysed, and (vi) an outline of the project plan indicating dates and costs. Question 22: Which ONE of the following aspects should NOT appear in the "abstract" of a proposal, according to the Research Review Inventory (R.R.I. revised)? a. The brief summary of the actual findings of the study, and how the study answers, addresses or illuminates the research issue or question. b. The proposed research method, study type or research design. The proposed data collection method, proposed population sample, and sampling strategy or approach are indicated. c. the specific research question or research statement; and the key theoretical perspective(s) that is/are used in the literature. d. the setting, demographic or circumstances pertaining to the research interest or question. Any one of the following is sufficient: where, who, when, under what circumstances, or the phenomenon that is being investigated. Question 23: Feminist research, ideology critique, discourse analysis and cultural critique are methodologies in the constructionist research paradigm, where it is believed that ... a. subjective experiences are more important than language and language is used merely as a window onto some other reality. b. research is like a detective story in that it tries to investigate and resolve problems empirically and logically. c. the human life-world is fundamentally constituted in language and that language itself should therefore be the object of study. d. we can construct true accounts of the social world. Question 24: Which ONE of the following statements about relational-causal research designs is FALSE? a. A starting point in designing your project is to decide whether the research problem requires active intervention or whether you are concerned with after the fact (ex post facto) observation. An ex post facto observation is exactly what it proposes to be, namely an observation of the effects of an event or situation that has not been planned or purposefully set up. Examples include survivors of an airplane crash or civil unrest. b. Quasi experimental designs have sufficient controls and provide the necessary proof that the differences between the pre- and post-observations are really due to a treatment. For example: pre- and post-interviews with beneficiaries of an addiction rehabilitation programme. c. The Solomon four-group design compares control and treatment groups, with before and after measures, and controls for possible interaction effects. d. Experimental and quasi-experimental studies look for causal relations between variables. These studies aim to predict and control the variables for the use of scientific and objective research.