DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL WORK.

KNUST

RESEARCH METHODS FOR SOCIAL WORK M.A/M.PHIL

SEMESTER TWO

GENERAL INSTRUCTION

This Paper is in two (2) parts. Answer all Questions in Section ‘A’ and attempt two
Question in Section ‘B’

SECTION A. (25 marks)

Identify the correct answer and circle the letter that corresponds with the correct option.

1. A Likert scale is a set of response categories

A. That proceed on a scale from very positive to very negative

B. That proceeds on a scale from one extreme to the opposite
C. That uses forced-response questions with qualitative answers
D. That uses open-ended questions for quantitative studies

2. Which of the following is not true about open-ended questions?

A. They can result in longer answers

B. They provide a restricted set of response categories
C. They allow respondents to use their own words
D. Some researchers feel they do not offer a measurement.

3. The concept of using multiple methods to measure one concept is known as what?

A.Triangulation
 B. Multiple scale implementation
C. Likert scale implementation
D. A mixed-methods approach

4. A subgroup of the population a researcher selects to study is a

A. Subset
B. Sample
C. Participant set
D. Research base

5. A sample with characteristics that accurately reflect the characteristics of the population is

A. A cross-sectional sample
B. A representative sample
C. A normalized sample
D. An accurate sample

6. When can a researcher generalize what is learned from the research sample to the
population?

A. Sample data should never be generalized

B. When the sample size is 51% or more of the population
C. When a subset is randomly selected
D. When a sample is representative of the population

7. Not informing research participants that they are being studied is what king of ethical
breach?
A. Deception of participants
B. Deception of project supervisor
C. A double-blind study
D. Deception to avoid participant’s anger.
8. What is the main feature of a probability sample?

A. It is random and can be generalized

B. It is random, so it can’t be generalized
C. It is based on specific criteria, but can be generalized
D. It cannot be generalized

9. Explanatory research designs use any of the following data collection approaches

i. Structured interview
ii. Structured questionnaire
iii. Unstructured observation
iv. Participant observation

Select the right answer:

A. iv& v B. iv & iii C. iv & ii D. iv & i E. i & ii

10. What is the main feature of a nonprobability sample?

A. It is based on specific criteria, but can be generalized

B. It is random and can be generalized
C. It is used when the intent is not to generalize the sample
D. It is used when the intent is to generalize the sample

11. Which of the following is not a probability sample type?

A. Systematic random
B. Stratified random
C. Cluster
D. Criterion-based random
12. The style of writing a literature review could be any of the following:

i. Analytical ii. Chronological iii. Synthetic iv. Thematic v. Integrative

Select the right answer:

A. v, iv&iii B. v, iv 7 ii C. v, iv & I D. i, ii & iii E. i, ii & v

13. Which of the following is true about sample size?

A. Sample size doesn’t matter unless the data will be generalized

B. Smaller samples are better if the data will be generalized
C. Larger samples are better if the data will be generalized
D. Nonprobability samples are larger than probability samples

14. Why must ethical safeguards be in place when conducting a business research?

A. To avoid harming human research participants

B. To avoid making research participants angry
C. To preserve the reputation of the researcher
D. To satisfy supervisory requirement
15. Quantitative designs use:

A. Open ended questions

B. closed ended questions
C. Structured questions
D. Use of existing documents

16. Semi-structured interviews are useful for

A. Working with large sample sizes

B. Longitudinal studies
C. Descriptive studies
 D. Exploratory studies

17. Interviews are preferred over questionnaires because

A. They are better for quantitative studies

B. A high response rate is likely
C. They take longer and gather more data
D. The researcher can ask the question the same way each time.

18. A symbol or concept over which the researcher has some control or can manipulate to
some extent and that is hypothesized to cause or influence the predicted variable.

A. Dependent variable
B. Independent variable
C. Spurious variable
D. Mediatory variable

19. Subsets of a population in which little or no attempt is made to ensure a representative

cross section

A. Probability sampling
B. Probabilistic samples
C. Non-probability sampling
D. Non-probabilistic samples

20. Probability sampling technique is preferred over non-probabilistic sampling technique,

because randomized sampling is both

A. Logical and irrational

B. Logical and unempirical
C. Reliable and generalizable
D. Reliable and non-generalizable
 21. The first step in the research process is to _______________________

A. Identify and define a research topic

B. Identify and select a neglected research topic
C. locate a funding source
D. define employer expectation for research

22. A literature review includes all, but which of the following elements?
A. Surveying
B. Hypothesizing
C. Synthesizing
D. Critically analyzing

23. A literature review is presented to

A. Show the researcher’s credentials
B. Help describe the research topic
C. Illustrate how the study has added to the topic’s body of knowledge
D. Show that the research project was important to undertake

24. When is research inductive?

A. When qualitative data is gathered
B. When data is gathered without a hypothesis
C. When data is gathered to prove or disprove a hypothesis
D. When quantitative data is gathered

25. When is research deductive?

A. When qualitative data is gathered
B. When data is gathered without a hypothesis
C. When data is gathered to prove disprove a hypothesis
D. When quantitative data is gathered
26. Dr. Mainoo spends three months as a research and development director of timber firm and
decides to tour Vancouver and British Columbia to familiarize with the timber and paper
industry to learn business operations and associated supply chain dynamics. This is an example
of which kind of study?

A. Cohort
B. Cross-sectional
C. Exploratory
D. Descriptive
27. Dr. Mainoo has just discovered that the amount of time spent in developing business
production models has a casual influence on supervision efficiency and unit productivity.

This is an example of which kind of study?

A. Explanatory

B. Exploratory

C. Cross-sectional

D. Descriptive

28. A literature review is presented to

A. Show the researcher’s credentials
B. Help describe the research topic
C. Illustrate how the study has added to the topic’s body of knowledge
D. Show that the research project was important to undertake

SECTION B (20 marks)

 INSTRUCTIONS: There are three questions in this section. Select and answer any two.
(All questions have equal marks of 10 each)

Question 1. (10 marks)

A. Discuss two reasons why you have to review the literature on your project topic. (2 marks)

B. Describe three specific ways you would present the literature reviewed in your project work.
(3 marks)

C. Explain two reasons why you would specifically identify articles from “the universe, the
continent and the local” for background of your study. (2 marks)

D. Why do you have to state the problems of your project work before writing the research
objectives? (1 mark)

E. Discuss any two reasons why the Methodology section begins with the “Research design?”

(2 marks)

Question 2: (10 marks)

Below is an extract of a research design. Please read carefully and answer the questions (a-i) that
follow

Research Design

This study is a quantitative longitudinal field survey which randomly selects one hundred
employees of “Global Access Capital Limited” in Kumasi. It studies employees’ turnover
and organizational productivity by utilizing structured research instrument in the collection
of a quantitative data which was analyzed with parametric test in the determination of
associations between employee turnover and organizational productivity.

A. Deduce a researchable proposition (title) from the above research design. ( 1 mark)
B. Identify the independent and dependent variables in this researchable proposition. (2 mark)

C. Develop two specific objectives based on the researchable proposition identified in question
(1a) above. (1 mark)

D. Identify two (2) researchable question based on the research design. (1 mark)

E. Develop two (2) hypotheses from this researchable proposition. (1 mark)

F. Identify four demographic characteristics of the sample of the study. (1 mark)

G. Show how to operationalize (measure) these four (4) sample characteristics identified in
question 1(f) above. (1 mark)

H. Draw a causal relation between the independent and dependent variables identified in
question 1b (1mark)

I. Draw a conceptual framework that incorporates spurious relations (mediatory and moderatory
variables) based on the research proposition identified from the above research design. (2
marks)

J. If the population of Global Access Capital Limited is 300, using simple random technique,
show how you will get a sample size of one hundred workers for your study

(1 marks).

Question 3. (10 marks)

A. Develop any researchable topic that contains an independent and dependent variable (1
mark).
From your developed topic, write,
B. Two problem statement based on the selected topic (1 mark)
C. Two research objectives based on the statement of the problem (1 mark)
D. Deduce two research questions from the stated objectives (1 mark)
E. State two hypotheses from the research question (1 mark)
F. Write a research design for this study (2 marks)
G. State the independent variable and the dependent variable (1 mark)
H. Show the measuring scales you will use to measure the independent variable and the
dependent variable (1 mark)
I. List one significance of doing a good literature review. (1 mark)

Good luck

G O. Mainoo
Please answer the following questions for my continuous assessment of work done for semester
two. Thank you

Discussion Questions

1. Define and give examples of each of the following terms:

Variable
Mutually exclusive categories
Exhaustive categories
Hypothesis
Operational definition
Explorative research
Explanatory research
2. Explain your understanding of the following statements
All concepts are variables
All variables are concepts
3. Demographic variables are characteristics of study participants such as age, gender,
marital status, educational level etc. Explain why demographic variables are classified as
independent variables
4. What is the difference between a population, a sample frame and an element

Thank you

Please include copies of your research proposal to the above assignment so that my scoring could
be comprehensive. I lost my phone so all previous assignment are gone.