• Chapter Summaries
  • Project Prep
  • Presentations
  • Chapter Summary
  • Research Topic
  • Research Questions
  • Research Methodology
  • Research Methods

Research Methods

Chapter 14: Quantitative Analysis, descriptive statistics

Descriptive analysis refers to statistically describing, aggregating, and presenting the constructs of interest or associations between these constricts. Inferential analysis refers to the statistical testing of hypotheses (Theory Testing). Basically, it refers to using statistical data to understand the results of a study. This chapter addresses each step that one must take when doing Quantitative Analysis.

Data Preparation

In this section, we see the first step, data preparation which is what it sounds like, collecting and organizing data. There are many things that go into this step such as coding. They define coding as the process of converting data into numeric format. Coding requires the use of codebooks which contains detailed description of each variable in a research study, the response scale for each item whether on a nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio scale and how to code each value into numeric format. This coded data is then entered into a spreadsheet, database, text file, or directly into a statistical program like SPSS. During this process one must check if there is missing data within a data set and address this before entering it into a database. Once everything is entered, Data transformation is needed to help create a more clearly interpreted data set.

Univariate Analysis

In this section, Univariate analysis is the analysis of a single variable which they say refers to a set of statistical techniques that can describe the general properties of one variable including frequency distribution, central tendency and dispersion. Frequency distribution is a number of times an individual value or range of values appear. Central tendency is an estimate of the center of a distribution which is found using mean, median and mode. As I understood, dispersion is how far apart a variable is from the central tendencies like mean. Range and standard deviation measure the dispersion. Standard deviation is said to correct for outliers, the formula is a shown below.

page131image21808976

Bivariate Analysis

In this section, we look at Bivariate analysis, which is the analysis of two variables and how they relate to one another. A Bivariate correlation is the most common, between -1 and +1 showing how strong of a relationship the two variables have. The formula for bivariate correlation is as shown below.

page132image21746768

2 thoughts on “ Chapter 14 ”

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Thank you for the summary of chapter 14, and the biggest takeaway from this chapter is organization! Researchers focus a lot on organizing the data they receive, which makes it easier for readers to visualize and process. The coding portion is interesting to read about, and I know there are many factors and techniques that researchers have at their disposal. For me, the best way for me to really grasp the organizational process is to do it myself. Especially with coding, learning and doing individually makes it a lot easier to understand what the author is trying to say. Great post!

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Thank you for the summary! This chapter could be a lot to take in if you don’t enjoy statistics and data. There is a lot of information, formulas and definitions throughout the chapter. Coding is one of the most important parts of the chapter as it is how it is organized and can be deciphered. I have to think that statistical programs like SPSS have allowed for easier breakdown of the data and ability to incorporate it on a larger scale. It also allows for correlations to be computed in an easier manner so we can see if the pattern is real or “statistically significant,”

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Methodology

Research Methods | Definitions, Types, Examples

Research methods are specific procedures for collecting and analyzing data. Developing your research methods is an integral part of your research design . When planning your methods, there are two key decisions you will make.

First, decide how you will collect data . Your methods depend on what type of data you need to answer your research question :

  • Qualitative vs. quantitative : Will your data take the form of words or numbers?
  • Primary vs. secondary : Will you collect original data yourself, or will you use data that has already been collected by someone else?
  • Descriptive vs. experimental : Will you take measurements of something as it is, or will you perform an experiment?

Second, decide how you will analyze the data .

  • For quantitative data, you can use statistical analysis methods to test relationships between variables.
  • For qualitative data, you can use methods such as thematic analysis to interpret patterns and meanings in the data.

Table of contents

Methods for collecting data, examples of data collection methods, methods for analyzing data, examples of data analysis methods, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research methods.

Data is the information that you collect for the purposes of answering your research question . The type of data you need depends on the aims of your research.

Qualitative vs. quantitative data

Your choice of qualitative or quantitative data collection depends on the type of knowledge you want to develop.

For questions about ideas, experiences and meanings, or to study something that can’t be described numerically, collect qualitative data .

If you want to develop a more mechanistic understanding of a topic, or your research involves hypothesis testing , collect quantitative data .

You can also take a mixed methods approach , where you use both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Primary vs. secondary research

Primary research is any original data that you collect yourself for the purposes of answering your research question (e.g. through surveys , observations and experiments ). Secondary research is data that has already been collected by other researchers (e.g. in a government census or previous scientific studies).

If you are exploring a novel research question, you’ll probably need to collect primary data . But if you want to synthesize existing knowledge, analyze historical trends, or identify patterns on a large scale, secondary data might be a better choice.

Descriptive vs. experimental data

In descriptive research , you collect data about your study subject without intervening. The validity of your research will depend on your sampling method .

In experimental research , you systematically intervene in a process and measure the outcome. The validity of your research will depend on your experimental design .

To conduct an experiment, you need to be able to vary your independent variable , precisely measure your dependent variable, and control for confounding variables . If it’s practically and ethically possible, this method is the best choice for answering questions about cause and effect.

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Your data analysis methods will depend on the type of data you collect and how you prepare it for analysis.

Data can often be analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. For example, survey responses could be analyzed qualitatively by studying the meanings of responses or quantitatively by studying the frequencies of responses.

Qualitative analysis methods

Qualitative analysis is used to understand words, ideas, and experiences. You can use it to interpret data that was collected:

  • From open-ended surveys and interviews , literature reviews , case studies , ethnographies , and other sources that use text rather than numbers.
  • Using non-probability sampling methods .

Qualitative analysis tends to be quite flexible and relies on the researcher’s judgement, so you have to reflect carefully on your choices and assumptions and be careful to avoid research bias .

Quantitative analysis methods

Quantitative analysis uses numbers and statistics to understand frequencies, averages and correlations (in descriptive studies) or cause-and-effect relationships (in experiments).

You can use quantitative analysis to interpret data that was collected either:

  • During an experiment .
  • Using probability sampling methods .

Because the data is collected and analyzed in a statistically valid way, the results of quantitative analysis can be easily standardized and shared among researchers.

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research methods chapter 14 quizlet

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

  • Chi square test of independence
  • Statistical power
  • Descriptive statistics
  • Degrees of freedom
  • Pearson correlation
  • Null hypothesis
  • Double-blind study
  • Case-control study
  • Research ethics
  • Data collection
  • Hypothesis testing
  • Structured interviews

Research bias

  • Hawthorne effect
  • Unconscious bias
  • Recall bias
  • Halo effect
  • Self-serving bias
  • Information bias

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings.

Quantitative methods allow you to systematically measure variables and test hypotheses . Qualitative methods allow you to explore concepts and experiences in more detail.

In mixed methods research , you use both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods to answer your research question .

A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population . Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research. For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.

In statistics, sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population.

The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

  • If you want to measure something or test a hypothesis , use quantitative methods . If you want to explore ideas, thoughts and meanings, use qualitative methods .
  • If you want to analyze a large amount of readily-available data, use secondary data. If you want data specific to your purposes with control over how it is generated, collect primary data.
  • If you want to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables , use experimental methods. If you want to understand the characteristics of a research subject, use descriptive methods.

Methodology refers to the overarching strategy and rationale of your research project . It involves studying the methods used in your field and the theories or principles behind them, in order to develop an approach that matches your objectives.

Methods are the specific tools and procedures you use to collect and analyze data (for example, experiments, surveys , and statistical tests ).

In shorter scientific papers, where the aim is to report the findings of a specific study, you might simply describe what you did in a methods section .

In a longer or more complex research project, such as a thesis or dissertation , you will probably include a methodology section , where you explain your approach to answering the research questions and cite relevant sources to support your choice of methods.

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Section Quiz

2.1 approaches to sociological research.

The 1 st step of the scientific method:

  • Collect and analyze data
  • Summarize the articles
  • Ask a question about a topic
  • Create a hypothesis

A measurement is considered ________ if it actually measures what it is intended to measure, according to the topic of the study.

  • sociological
  • quantitative

Sociological studies test relationships in which change in one ________ causes change in another.

  • test subject
  • operational definition

In a study, a group of ten-year-old boys are fed doughnuts every morning for a week and then weighed to see how much weight they gained. Which factor is the dependent variable?

  • The doughnuts
  • The duration of a week
  • The weight gained

Which statement provides the best operational definition of “childhood obesity”?

  • Children who eat unhealthy foods and spend too much time watching television and playing video games
  • A distressing trend that can lead to health issues including type 2 diabetes and heart disease
  • Body weight at least 20 percent higher than a healthy weight for a child of that height
  • The tendency of children today to weigh more than children of earlier generations

2.2 Research Methods

Which materials are considered secondary data?

  • Photos and letters given to you by another person
  • Books and articles written by other authors about their studies
  • Information that you have gathered and now have included in your results
  • Responses from participants whom you both surveyed and interviewed

Why is choosing a random sample an effective way to select participants?

  • Participants do not know they are part of a study
  • The researcher has no control over who is in the study
  • It is larger than an ordinary sample
  • Everyone has the same chance of being part of the study

What research method did John S. Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd mainly use in their Middletown study?

  • Secondary data
  • Participant observation

Which research approach is best suited to the scientific method?

  • Questionnaire
  • Ethnography
  • Secondary data analysis

The main difference between ethnography and other types of participant observation is:

  • ethnography isn’t based on hypothesis testing
  • ethnography subjects are unaware they’re being studied
  • ethnographic studies always involve minority ethnic groups
  • ethnography focuses on how subjects view themselves in relationship to the community

Which best describes the results of a case study?

  • It produces more reliable results than other methods because of its depth
  • Its results are not generally applicable
  • It relies solely on secondary data analysis
  • All of the above

Using secondary data is considered an unobtrusive or ________ research method.

  • nonreactive
  • nonparticipatory
  • nonrestrictive
  • nonconfrontive

2.3 Ethical Concerns

Which statement illustrates value neutrality?

  • Obesity in children is obviously a result of parental neglect and, therefore, schools should take a greater role to prevent it
  • In 2003, states like Arkansas adopted laws requiring elementary schools to remove soft drink vending machines from schools
  • Merely restricting children’s access to junk food at school is not enough to prevent obesity
  • Physical activity and healthy eating are a fundamental part of a child’s education

Which person or organization defined the concept of value neutrality?

  • Institutional Review Board (IRB)
  • Peter Rossi
  • American Sociological Association (ASA)

To study the effects of fast food on lifestyle, health, and culture, from which group would a researcher ethically be unable to accept funding?

  • A fast-food restaurant
  • A nonprofit health organization
  • A private hospital
  • A governmental agency like Health and Social Services

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Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology

Student resources, chapter 14: research ethics & chapter 15: conclusion: managing uncertainty in psychological research.

1. Which of the following is true about the relationship between scientific research and society? [TY14.1]

  • Science exists outside society.
  • Ethical principles are generally imposed by governments on psychologists against their will.
  • Only scientists should decide what is ethical or not about research.
  • Decisions about research ethics are always a matter of personal choice.
  • None of the above.

2. Which of the following should ethical research with humans involve? [TY14.2]

  • Informed consent on the part of the participants where possible.
  • Debriefing.
  • Minimization of research risk.
  • Justification of invasive procedures.
  • All of the above.

Answer:  No answer given

3. Which of the following is true about ethical research using animals? [TY14.3]

  • It must ensure that discomfort to animals is minimized and harm only occurs where essential.
  • Ethics are not a major issue because participants are not deceived.
  • Because it is such a controversial topic, the issues it raises are only worth discussing in relation to medical research.
  • It is not really relevant to psychology.

4. Imagine that you are conducting a psychological experiment that has been approved by your institutional ethics committee and two participants object to answering some questions which they consider to be too personal. As a result, they decide they want to cease participating in the experiment. What are their responsibilities in this case? [TY14.4]

  • To complete the experimental session because you would not ask personal questions unless they were really important for science.
  • To explain to you why they wish to leave so that you can conduct debriefing.
  • The participants have no responsibilities, they can leave at any time.
  • To report you to the institutional ethics committee.
  • To discuss your experiment with other students.

5. Informed consent means that researchers should tell participants about which of the following before they agree to participate in research? [TY14.5]

  • The hypotheses.
  • Anything that is likely to affect the participants’ decision to participate in the research.
  • Details of any deception.
  • The independent variable.
  • Whether the experiment involves a placebo.

6. Which of the following statements about Milgram’s obedience-to-authority studies is (are) true?   [TY14.6]

  • They violated the American Psychological Association’s standards at the time because they used poor debriefing procedures.
  • They led to important developments in ethical principles in psychological research.
  • They have been criticized for putting participants at risk of harm.
  • Both (b) and (c).
  • They used inadequate follow-up procedures.

7. Which of the following statements is true?

  • Ethical considerations are only relevant in experimental research.
  • Ethical considerations are only relevant in survey research.
  • Ethical considerations are more relevant in experimental research than survey research.
  • Ethical considerations are more relevant in survey research than experimental research.
  • None of the above (i.e., all are false).

8. Which of the following statements is true?

  • Everyone today accepts that Milgram’s research was unethical.
  • Everyone today accepts that Milgram’s research was ethical.
  • There is as less debate about the ethics of Milgram’s research today than when it was first conducted.
  • Milgram had no regard for ethical issues.
  • None of the above (i.e., all are false)

9. Which of the following statements is true?

  • The goal of psychological research is often to minimize statistical uncertainty and create methodological uncertainty.
  • The goal of psychological research is often to create statistical uncertainty and measure methodological uncertainty.
  • The goal of psychological research is often to measure statistical uncertainty and reduce methodological uncertainty.
  • The goal of psychological research is often to create statistical uncertainty and reduce methodological uncertainty.
  • The goal of psychological research is often to reduce statistical uncertainty and create methodological uncertainty.

10. Which of the following statements is true?

  • Statistical and methodological uncertainty are the only forms of uncertainty good researchers need to worry about.
  • Ethical uncertainty has no place in good psychological research.
  • Research always progresses by attempting to reduce as much uncertainty as possible.
  • Scientific revolutions are often associated with the introduction of uncertainty into the research process.
  • Uncertainty in general has no place in psychological research — it is a sign of weakness and failure.

11. “The ethical principle that research participants should be told enough about a piece of research to be able to make a decision about whether to participate in it.” Which research principle is this a glossary definition of?

  • Informed consent.
  • Revelation management.
  • Expectation management.
  • Participant decision-making.
  • Deconcealment.

12. “Ensuring that in the research process individual participants cannot be identified. This often means making sure that responses are anonymous.” What research principle is this a glossary definition of?

  • Concealment.
  • Confidentiality.
  • Subject-incognito.
  • The experimental code of silence.

13. “An ethical principle which guarantees the right of all human participants to cease taking part in research at any time.” Which ethical principle is this a glossary definition of?

  • Freedom of movement.
  • Freedom of association.
  • Democratic contract.
  • Psychological contract.
  • Discontinuing participation.

14. “The possibility of harm to participants, usually in the form of long-term negative effects.” Which ethical construct is this a glossary definition of?

  • Research harm.
  • Research risk.
  • Participant stress.
  • Relevance-sensitivity trade-off
  • The law of unintended consequences.

15. “Research procedures which lead to changes in participants.” Which construct is this a glossary definition of?

  • Experimental design.
  • Experimental manipulation.
  • Experimental procedures.
  • Invasive procedures.
  • Invasive protocols.

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Social Sci LibreTexts

1.16: Chapter 16 Research Methods

  • Last updated
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  • Page ID 84792

  • William Pelz
  • Herkimer College via Lumen Learning

Ethics is defined by Webster’s dictionary as conformance to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group. Such standards are often defined at a disciplinary level though a professional code of conduct, and sometimes enforced by university committees called even Institutional Review Board. Even if not explicitly specified, scientists are still expected to be aware of and abide by general agreements shared by the scientific community on what constitutes acceptable and non-acceptable behaviors in the professional conduct of science. For instance, scientists should not manipulate their data collection, analysis, and interpretation procedures in a way that contradicts the principles of science or the scientific method or advances their personal agenda.

Why is research ethics important? Because, science has often been manipulated in unethical ways by people and organizations to advance their private agenda and engaging in activities that are contrary to the norms of scientific conduct. A classic example is pharmaceutical giant Merck’s drug trials of Vioxx, where the company hid the fatal side -effects of the drug from the scientific community, resulting in 3468 deaths of Vioxx recipients, mostly from cardiac arrest. In 2010, the company agreed to a $4.85 billion settlement and appointed two independent committees and a chief medical officer to monitor the safety of its drug development process. Merck’s conduct was unethical and violation the scientific principles of data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Ethics is the moral distinction between right and wrong, and what is unethical may not necessarily be illegal. If a scientist’s conduct falls within the gray zone between ethics and law, she may not be culpable in the eyes of the law, but may still be ostracized in her professional community, face severe damage to professional reputation, and may even lose her job on grounds of professional misconduct. These ethical norms may vary from one society to another, and here, we refer to ethical standards as applied to scientific research in Western countries.

Ethical Principles in Scientific Research

Some of the expected tenets of ethical behavior that are widely accepted within the scientific community are as follows.

Voluntary participation and harmlessness. Subjects in a research project must be aware that their participation in the study is voluntary, that they have the freedom to withdraw from the study at any time without any unfavorable consequences, and they are not harmed as a result of their participation or non-participation in the project. The most flagrant violations of the voluntary participation principle are probably forced medical experiments conducted by Nazi researchers on prisoners of war during World War II, as documented in the post-War Nuremberg Trials (these experiments also originated the term “crimes against humanity”). Less known violations include the Tuskegee syphilis experiments conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service during 1932 -1972, in which nearly 400 impoverished African-American men suffering from syphilis were denied treatment even after penicillin was accepted as an effective treatment of syphilis, and subjects were presented with false treatments such as spinal taps as cures for syphilis. Even if subjects face no mortal threat, they should not be subjected to personal agony as a result of their participation. In 1971, psychologist Philip Zambardo created the Stanford Prison Experiment, where Stanford students recruited as subjects were randomly assigned to roles such as prisoners or guards. When it became evident that student prisoners were suffering psychological damage as a result of their mock incarceration and student guards were exhibiting sadism that would later challenge their own self-image, the experiment was terminated.

Today, if an instructor asks her students to fill out a questionnaire and informs them that their participation is voluntary, students must not fear that their non-participation may hurt their grade in class in any way. For instance, it in unethical to provide bonus points for participation and no bonus points for non-participations, because it places non-participants at a distinct disadvantage. To avoid such circumstances, the instructor may possibly provide an alternate task for non-participants so that they can recoup the bonus points without participating in the research study, or by providing bonus points to everyone irrespective of their participation or non- participation. Furthermore, all participants must receive and sign an Informed Consent form that clearly describes their right to not participate and right to withdraw, before their responses in the study can be recorded. In a medical study, this form must also specify any possible risks to subjects from their participation. For subjects under the age of 18, this form must be signed by their parent or legal guardian. Researchers must retain these informed consent forms for a period of time (often three years) after the completion of the data collection process in order comply with the norms of scientific conduct in their discipline or workplace.

Anonymity and confidentiality. To protect subjects’ interests and future well-being, their identity must be protected in a scientific study. This is done using the dual principles of anonymity and confidentiality. Anonymity implies that the researcher or readers of the final research report or paper cannot identify a given response with a specific respondent. An example of anonymity in scientific research is a mail survey in which no identification numbers are used to track who is responding to the survey and who is not. In studies of deviant or undesirable behaviors, such as drug use or illegal music downloading by students, truthful responses may not be obtained if subjects are not assured of anonymity. Further, anonymity assures that subjects are insulated from law enforcement or other authorities who may have an interest in identifying and tracking such subjects in the future.

In some research designs such as face-to-face interviews, anonymity is not possible. In other designs, such as a longitudinal field survey, anonymity is not desirable because it prevents the researcher from matching responses from the same subject at different points in time for longitudinal analysis. Under such circumstances, subjects should be guaranteed confidentiality , in which the researcher can identify a person’s responses, but promises not to divulge that person’s identify in any report, paper, or public forum. Confidentiality is a weaker form of protection than anonymity, because social research data do not enjoy the “privileged communication” status in United State courts as do communication with priests or lawyers. For instance, two years after the Exxon Valdez supertanker spilled ten million barrels of crude oil near the port of Valdez in Alaska, the communities suffering economic and environmental damage commissioned a San Diego research firm to survey the affected households about personal and embarrassing details about increased psychological problems in their family. Because the cultural norms of many Native Americans made such public revelations particularly painful and difficult, respondents were assured confidentiality of their responses. When this evidence was presented to court, Exxon petitioned the court to subpoena the original survey questionnaires (with identifying information) in order to cross-examine respondents regarding their answers that they had given to interviewers under the protection of confidentiality, and was granted that request. Luckily, the Exxon Valdez case was settled before the victims were forced to testify in open court, but the potential for similar violations of confidentiality still remains.

In one extreme case, Rick Scarce, a graduate student at Washington State University, conducted participant observation studies of animal rights activists, and chronicled his findings in a 1990 book called Ecowarriors: Understanding the Radical Environmental Movement . In 1993, Scarce was called before a grand jury to identify the activists he studied. The researcher refused to answer grand jury questions, in keeping with his ethical obligations as a member of the American Sociological Association, and was forced to spend 159 days at Spokane County Jail. To protect themselves from travails similar to Rik Scarce, researchers should remove any identifying information from documents and data files as soon as they are no longer necessary.

In 2002, the United States Department of Health and Human Services issued a “Certificate of Confidentiality” to protect participants in research project from police and other authorities.

Not all research projects qualify for this protection, but this can provide an important support for protecting participant confidentiality in many cases.

Disclosure. Usually, researchers have an obligation to provide some information about their study to potential subjects before data collection to help them decide whether or not they wish to participate in the study. For instance, who is conducting the study, for what purpose, what outcomes are expected, and who will benefit from the results. However, in some cases, disclosing such information may potentially bias subjects’ responses. For instance, if the purpose of a study is to examine to what extent subjects will abandon their own views to conform with “groupthink” and they participate in an experiment where they listen to others’ opinions on a topic before voicing their own, then disclosing the study’s purpose before the experiment will likely sensitize subjects to the treatment. Under such circumstances, even if the study’s purpose cannot be revealed before the study, it should be revealed in a debriefing session immediately following the data collection process, with a list of potential riska or harm borne by the participant during the experiment.

Analysis and reporting. Researchers also have ethical obligations to the scientific community on how data is analyzed and reported in their study. Unexpected or negative findings should be fully disclosed, even if they cast some doubt on the research design or the findings. Similarly, many interesting relationships are discovered after a study is completed, by chance or data mining. It is unethical to present such findings as the product of deliberate design. In other words, hypotheses should not be designed in positivist research after the fact based on the results of data analysis, because the role of data in such research is to test hypotheses, and not build them. It is also unethical to “carve” their data into different segments to prove or disprove their hypotheses of interest, or to generate multiple papers claiming different data sets. Misrepresenting questionable claims as valid based on partial, incomplete, or improper data analysis is also dishonest. Science progresses through openness and honesty, and researchers can best serve science and the scientific community by fully disclosing the problems with their research, so that they can save other researchers from similar problems.

Institutional Review Boards

Research ethics in studies involving human subjects is governed in the United States by federal law. Any agency, such as a university or a hospital, that wants to apply for federal funding to support its research projects must establish that it is in compliance with federal laws governing the rights and protection of human subjects. This process is overseen by a panel of experts in that agency called an Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB reviews all research proposal involving human subjects to ensure that the principles of voluntary participation, harmlessness, anonymity, confidentiality, and so forth are preserved, and that the risks posed to human subjects are minimal. Even though the federal laws apply specifically for federally funded projects, the same standards and procedures are also applied to non-funded or even student projects.

The IRB approval process require completing a structured application providing complete information about the research project, the researchers (principal investigators), and details on how the subjects’ rights will be protected. Additional documentation such as the Informed Consent form, research questionnaire or interview protocol may be needed. The researchers must also demonstrate that they are familiar with the principles of ethical research by providing certification of their participation in an research ethics course. Data collection can commence only after the project is cleared by the IRB review committee.

Professional Code of Ethics

Most professional associations of researchers have established and published formal codes of conduct describing what constitute acceptable and unacceptable professional behavior of their member researchers. As an example, the summarized code of conduct for the Association of Information Systems (AIS), the global professional association of researchers in the information systems discipline, is summarized in Table 16.1 (the complete code of conduct is available online at http://home.aisnet.org/ displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=15 ). Similar codes of ethics are also available for other disciplines.

The AIS code of conduct groups ethical violations in two categories. Category I includes serious transgressions such as plagiarism and falsification of data, research procedures, or data analysis, which may lead to expulsion from the association, dismissal from employment, legal action, and fatal damage to professional reputation. Category 2 includes less serious transgression such as not respecting the rights of research subjects, misrepresenting the originality of research projects, and using data published by others without acknowledgement, which may lead to damage to professional reputation, sanctions from journals, and so forth. The code also provides guidance on good research behaviors, what to do when ethical transgressions are detected (for both the transgressor and the victim), and the process to be followed by AIS in dealing with ethical violation cases. Though codes of ethics such as this have not completely eliminated unethical behavior, they have certainly helped clarify the boundaries of ethical behavior in the scientific community and reduced instances of ethical transgressions.

research methods chapter 14 quizlet

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  1. Research Methods

    Research Methods - Chapter 14. REPLICATIONS (3) Click the card to flip 👆. Replication involves conducting the study and obtaining the same general pattern of results again. We want to be confident that empirical results are not "flukes" or accidental. - (i.e., we want to know that they're replicable). Click the card to flip 👆.

  2. Research Methods Chapter 14 Flashcards

    statistical analysis yields quantitative summary of literature. file drawer problem. meta-analysis may overestimate true effect size (b/c null effects not published) A replication study will generally not help to support external validity when it is a. A. conceptual replication. B. replication-plus-extension study.

  3. 2.2 Research Methods

    Recall the 6 Steps of the Scientific Method. Differentiate between four kinds of research methods: surveys, field research, experiments, and secondary data analysis. Explain the appropriateness of specific research approaches for specific topics. Sociologists examine the social world, see a problem or interesting pattern, and set out to study it.

  4. Research Methods in Psychology

    8. Which of the following is a research method that allows a researcher to get information about a large number of subjects relatively inexpensively and easily? Naturalistic observation. Case study. Laboratory observation. Survey. 9. What is a common way of controlling extraneous variables in an experiment?

  5. Chapter 14

    2 thoughts on " Chapter 14 " Ashton Smith October 18, 2021 at 11:44 am. Thank you for the summary of chapter 14, and the biggest takeaway from this chapter is organization! Researchers focus a lot on organizing the data they receive, which makes it easier for readers to visualize and process.

  6. Research Methods

    Research methods are specific procedures for collecting and analyzing data. Developing your research methods is an integral part of your research design. When planning your methods, there are two key decisions you will make. First, decide how you will collect data. Your methods depend on what type of data you need to answer your research question:

  7. Ch. 2 Section Quiz

    Approaches to Sociological Research. 1. The 1 st step of the scientific method: Collect and analyze data. Summarize the articles. Ask a question about a topic. Create a hypothesis. 2. A measurement is considered ________ if it actually measures what it is intended to measure, according to the topic of the study.

  8. Chapter 3: Research Methods

    Psychological measurement can involve the self-reports of a sample drawn from a particular sub-population. Psychological measurement can involve direct examination of psychological states and processes. 2. A researcher conducts an experiment that tests the hypothesis that 'anxiety has an adverse effect on students' exam performance'.

  9. Multiple Choice Questions

    Revise your knowledge with these multiple choice quiz questions. Chapter 2: Research in Psychology: Objectives and Ideals. Chapter 3: Research Methods. Chapter 4: Experimental Design. Chapter 5: Survey Design. Chapter 6: Descriptive Statistics. Chapter 7: Some Principles of Statistical Inference. Chapter 8: Examining Differences between Means ...

  10. Research Methods: Chapter 14 Quiz Flashcards

    Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like A mathematical formula that allows researchers to determine the likelihood of obtaining sample outcomes if the null hypothesis were true, is called:, The type of regression analysis used when two or more predictor variables are analyzed in the same model is called:, True or False: The least common tests of significance used by ...

  11. Chapter 14: Research Ethics & Chapter 15: Conclusion: Managing

    Research always progresses by attempting to reduce as much uncertainty as possible. Scientific revolutions are often associated with the introduction of uncertainty into the research process. Uncertainty in general has no place in psychological research — it is a sign of weakness and failure.

  12. 1.16: Chapter 16 Research Methods

    1.16: Chapter 16 Research Methods. Ethics is defined by Webster's dictionary as conformance to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group. Such standards are often defined at a disciplinary level though a professional code of conduct, and sometimes enforced by university committees called even Institutional Review Board.

  13. Research Methods in Psychology: Study Guide

    Continue your study of Research Methods in Psychology with these useful links. Research Methods in Psychology Quiz. Review Questions. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes Research Methods in Psychology Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays.

  14. PDF CHAPTER 1 The Selection of a Research Approach

    Introducing Key Terms in this Chapter Research has its own language, and it is important to understand key terms to use in a study. The title of this book uses the term, research approaches. Research approaches (or methodologies) are procedures for research that span the steps from broad assumptions to detailed methods of data collec-

  15. Research Methods in Psychology: Multiple Choice Quiz I

    A correlational study is uniquely useful for meeting which of the following goals of the scientific method? A) description: B) creating change ... or things vary together. C) one study uses applied research and a second study uses basic research. D) a measurement is both reliable and valid. 7. ... Home > Chapter 2 > Multiple Choice Quiz I ...

  16. 'Research Methods' Practice Quiz Chapter 4

    'Research Methods' Practice Quiz Chapter 4. Quiz Content * not completed. _____ is the research methods term that describes the researcher's ability to measure what is intended. Reliability. correct incorrect ... In research methods, there are different types of validity. True. correct incorrect.

  17. Research Methods in Psychology, Chapter 14 Flashcards

    A study in which researchers study the same research question but use different procedures. At the abstract level, the variables in the study are the same, but the procedures for operationalizing the variables are different. In a direct replication study. researchers use the same methods to study the same variables as they did in the original ...

  18. 'Research Methods' Practice Quiz Chapter 7

    Return to Research Methods in Crime, Justice and Social Problems 2e Student Resources ... 'Research Methods' Practice Quiz Chapter 7. Quiz Content * not completed. Mixed methods research is a type of research that combines qualitative and quantitative research techniques into a single study. True. correct incorrect ...

  19. 'Research Methods' Practice Quiz Chapter 5

    'Research Methods' Practice Quiz Chapter 5. Quiz Content * not completed. In regards to qualitative research, there is only one best practice for conducting research. ... In research methods, a "gatekeeper" refers to research related to the behavior of a warden at a prison. True. correct incorrect.

  20. 'Research Methods' Practice Quiz Chapter 1

    Return to Research Methods in Crime, Justice and Social Problems 2e Student Resources 'Research Methods' Practice Quiz Chapter 1. Quiz Content * not completed. Epistemology seeks to determine what the legitimate sources of knowledge are. True. correct incorrect. False. correct incorrect ...

  21. PDF 4th Edition Research Methods in Psychology

    4th Edition Research Methods in Psychology Edited by Glynis M. Breakwell, Jonathan A. Smith and Daniel B. Wright 55707-Breakwell-Prelims.indd iii707-Breakwell-Prelims.indd iii 88/21/2012 12:03:40 PM/21/2012 12:03:40 PM