Scientific Methodology and Communication 3,0 credits
Examination: Individually written examination
Ladok code: 52VM01, 52VM10
Examination for master students in: textile engineering and management at School of Textiles
Number: ________________________________
(Filled in by the student)
Date of the exam: 2015.02.13
Time: 09.00-13.00
Submit this exam booklet!
Full points of the exam: 100 points
Approved: minimum 50 points
Grading: ECTS scale
Grade points
Definition
A
91-100 Approved
B
81-90 Approved
C
65-80 Approved
D
55-64 Approved
E
50-54 Approved - performance meets the minimum criteria
FX
41-49 Fail - some more work required before the credit can be awarded
F
0-40 Fail - considerable further work is required
Correction time is up to 3 weeks.
Important! Do not forget to write your number on each page you submit.
Good Luck!
Responsible teachers:
Joel Peterson, Tel. 070-6016358.
Catarina Player-Koro
Type: multiple choice questions
Fill in the hopefully right answer in
the table.
Only one alternative per question is the right answer.
(if you fill in more than one alternative = 0p on that question)
2 points for each correct answer.
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Alternative
Type: multiple choice questions
Fill in the hopefully right answer in
the table.
Only one alternative per question is the right answer.
(if you fill in more than one alternative = 0p on that question)
2 points for each correct answer.
1) What is an observation schedule when you work with “structured observations”?
a. A set of explicit rules for assigning behavior to categories
b. A timetable of days on which you plan to carry out your observation
c. A list of questions to ask your interviewees
d. A way of testing for measurement validity.
2) Which of the following is not a type of sampling used in structured observation?
a. Focal sampling
b. Scan sampling
c. Emotional sampling
d. Behavior sampling
3) How can you tell if your research questions are really good?
a) If they guide your literature search
b) If they are linked together to help you construct a coherent argument
c) If they force you to narrow the scope of your research
d) All of the above
4) The minimum sample size for qualitative interviewing is:
a) 30
b) 31
c) 60
d) It's hard to say
5) An inductive theory is one that:
a) Involves testing an explicitly defined hypothesis
b) Does not allow for findings to feed back into the stock of knowledge
c) Uses quantitative methods whenever possible
d) Allows theory to emerge out of the data
6) Which of the following is a general rule of thumb for designing questions?
a) Always bear in mind your research questions
b) Never ask a closed question
c) Always use vignettes rather than open questions
d) Use ambiguous terms to put respondents at ease
7) "Internal validity" refers to:
a) Whether or not there is really a causal relationship between two variables
b) Whether or not the findings are relevant to the participants' everyday lives
c) The degree to which the researcher feels that this was a worthwhile project
d) How accurately the measurements represent underlying concepts
8) If there were a perfect positive correlation between two interval/ratio variables, the Pearson's r test
would give a correlation coefficient of:
a) 0
b) + 1
c) + 0.328
d) - 1
9) An investigation used correlations between different variables in the Results. Which single statement
represents the best solution in the specific situation?
a) The variables compared had non-normal distribution and demonstrated a non-linear correlation.
The researcher chooses Pearson’s r-coefficient.
b) The variables had a distorted distribution and a linear correlation. The researcher chooses
Pearson’s r-coefficient.
c) The variables have a distorted distribution. The researcher chooses Spearman rank correlation.
d) Both variables represented interval data. The researcher prefers Spearman rank correlation.
e) The variables compared represented nominal values. The researcher chooses Pearson’s r-coefficient.
10) The equitation for multiple linear regression:
Y= a + b1X1 + b2X2 + b3X3 generates information. Which alternative is the correct one?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
a is the regression coefficient
X1 is the dependent variable
b is β (the correlation)
Y is the explained variance
Each b represents a constant
11) Which statement of the following is correct for confidence interval?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
The 95 % confidence intervals do not overlap and therefore we accept H0
The 95 % confidence intervals means p=0.01
The 95 % confidence intervals means p=0.001
The 95 % confidence intervals do not overlap and therefore we reject H0
The 95 % confidence interval encompasses no random results
12) One of the advantages of self-completion questionnaires over structured interviews is that:
a) They are quicker and cheaper to administer
b) They create interviewer effects
c) They have greater measurement validity
d) They are less prone to inter-coder variation
13) Pretend you have a small sample (around 30) and want to avoid especially type I error when the
sample is compared with the population?
a) The p-level either 0.05 or 0.01 does not increase the risk
b) The p-level = 0.05
c) The p-level = 0.01
d) The p-level has to be lower than 0.001
e) The p-level has nothing to do with it.
14) One of the preoccupations of quantitative researchers is with generalization, which is a sign of:
a) External validity
b) Internal reliability
c) External reliability
d) Internal validity
15) Why is it important for structured interviews to follow a standardized procedure?
a) To increase validity, as the interview can be adapted for each respondent
b) To increase reliability, because all respondents receive the same interview stimulus
c) To allow for an in-depth exploration of the topic
d) To make it easier for untrained interviewers to carry out complex surveys
16) Closed ended questions in structured interviews are those that:
a) Have a fixed range of possible answers
b) Prevent respondents from allocating themselves to a category
c) Encourage detailed, elaborate responses
d) Relate to the basic demographic characteristics of respondents
17) What is inductive reasoning?
a) Inductive reasoning starts with theories or generalizations, narrowing them down to hypotheses, and
finally testing the hypothesis.
b) Inductive reasoning consist always of structured interviews with few respondents
c) Inductive reasoning consist always of structured interviews with a large number of respondents
d) Inductive reasoning makes broad generalizations and theories from more specific observations
18) What is triangulation?
a) Using three quantitative or three qualitative methods in a project
b) Cross-checking the results found by different research strategies
c) Allowing theoretical concepts to emerge from the data
d) Drawing a triangular diagram to represent the relations between three concepts
19) An investigation used correlations between different variables in the Results. Which statements
represent the best instrument for the described situation?
a) The variables compared had normal distribution and demonstrated a non-linear correlation.
The researcher chooses Pearson’s r-coefficient.
b) The variables had a distorted distribution and a linear correlation. The researcher chooses
Pearson’s r-coefficient.
c) The variables compared represented nominal values. The researcher chooses Pearson’s r-coefficient.
d) The variables compared represented interval data. The researcher chooses Spearman rank correlation.
e) The variables have a distorted distribution. The researcher chooses Spearman rank correlation.
20) Which of the following is not an example of an official document?
a)
b)
c)
d)
A report of a public inquiry into a disaster
A PhD student's collection of interview transcripts
Documentation from a pharmaceutical company about a new drug
A leaked memo from one Member of Parliament to another
Questions where you answer with writing on separate paper.
Be aware of the word limit in your answer!
21) What is plagiarism and why do researchers take it so seriously? (4 points)
22) Why are researchers encouraged to specify their research questions? Describe at least
two different kinds of research questions. (6 points)
23) In quantitative methods of social science decisions upon data levels are important. You
are supposed to use 3 data levels. By combinations of data levels certain advantages
appear. What are they called and what kind of central tendencies can be calculated for
each of them? (6 points)
24) What are the differences between validity and reliability and why are these important
criteria for the evaluation of research? Give example from quantitative OR qualitative
research. (6 points)
25) A question related to the Research methodology day” in the course:
A mixed methodology was followed in devising the research in Pal et al. (2014)
[Antecedents of organizational resilience in economic crises - an empirical study of
Swedish textile and clothing SMEs].
a. What is mixed methodology and how was it followed in the paper?
b. Mention two specific usefulness of following mixed methodology in terms of research
quality? (4 points).
26) What role do concepts and theories play in the process of doing research? (5 points)
27) Why do researchers need to sample? Why is it important to outline the principles that
underpin sampling choices? (5 points)
28) The table 1.1 summarizes the research process from two different studies. Use the table
to answer the questions below: Compare the two studies in table 1.1 and outline the
distinction between the research strategies in terms of:
a. their relationship to ontology and epistemology (4 points)
b. the relationship between theory and data (4 points)
c. research questions and their relationship to ontology, epistemology (4 points)
29) The writing up of research should be organized around an argument that links all
aspects of the research process from problem formulation, through literature review and
the presentation of research methods, to the discussion and conclusion. Briefly describe
the structure of a scientific paper, the main headings to be included and the main issues
that should be discussed beneath each heading: (max 120 word). (12 points).
See table 1.1 on the next page