Homework answers / question archive / 1) A) Does the researcher overconclude? Are the conclusions supported by the results? B) What extraneous variables might have affected the outcomes of this study? Does the author mention them? What were the controls? Were they sufficient? C) Did the author acknowledge the limitations of the study? 2) A) What conclusions and interpretations are made? Are they appropriate to the sample, type of study, duration of the study, and findings? Does the author over- or undergeneralize the results? B) Is enough information given so that an independent researcher could replicate the study? C) Does the researcher relate the results to the hypotheses, objectives, and other literature? 3) A) How do you account for the results? What are the competing explanations and how did the authors deal with them? What competing explanations can you think of other than those the author discussed? B) How would the results be influenced if applied to different types of people (e

1) A) Does the researcher overconclude? Are the conclusions supported by the results? B) What extraneous variables might have affected the outcomes of this study? Does the author mention them? What were the controls? Were they sufficient? C) Did the author acknowledge the limitations of the study? 2) A) What conclusions and interpretations are made? Are they appropriate to the sample, type of study, duration of the study, and findings? Does the author over- or undergeneralize the results? B) Is enough information given so that an independent researcher could replicate the study? C) Does the researcher relate the results to the hypotheses, objectives, and other literature? 3) A) How do you account for the results? What are the competing explanations and how did the authors deal with them? What competing explanations can you think of other than those the author discussed? B) How would the results be influenced if applied to different types of people (e

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1) A) Does the researcher overconclude? Are the conclusions supported by the results? B) What extraneous variables might have affected the outcomes of this study? Does the author mention them? What were the controls? Were they sufficient? C) Did the author acknowledge the limitations of the study?

2) A) What conclusions and interpretations are made? Are they appropriate to the sample, type of study, duration of the study, and findings? Does the author over- or undergeneralize the results? B) Is enough information given so that an independent researcher could replicate the study? C) Does the researcher relate the results to the hypotheses, objectives, and other literature?

3) A) How do you account for the results? What are the competing explanations and how did the authors deal with them? What competing explanations can you think of other than those the author discussed? B) How would the results be influenced if applied to different types of people (e.g., rural or urban)? C) What were the processes that caused the outcomes?

4) A) Was peer debriefing used? Outside referees? Negative case analysis? Member checks? B) Is the report long and rambling, thus making the findings unclear to the reader? C) Was the correct conclusion missed by premature closure, resulting in superficial or wrong interpretations? D) Did the researcher provide sufficient description?

5) A) Did regularities emerge from the data such that addition of new information would not change the results? B) Was there corroboration between the reported results and people’s perceptions? Was triangulation used? Were differences of opinions made explicit? C) Was an audit used to determine the fairness of the research process and the accuracy of the product in terms of internal coherence and support by data?

6) A) When the sample size is small and the effect size large, are the results underinterpreted? Or if the sample size is large and effect size modest, are the results overinterpreted? B) Are many univariate tests of significance used when a multivariate test would be more appropriate? C) Are basic assumptions for parametric, inferential statistics met (i.e., normal distribution, level of measurement, and randomization)?

7) In observational research, was it possible or reasonable to use multiple observers or teams, diverse in age, gender, or ethnicity? Were observational findings cross-checked with other researchers? Were negative cases sought out to test emergent propositions? Were the research setting and findings described in such a way that the reader can “see” and “feel” what it was like there? Was reliability addressed by making observations in various settings, at various times of the day, days of the week, and months of the year?

8) A) Did the researcher consider his or her own prejudices and biases that might affect data collection? If a research team was used, how sensitive were team members to cultural issues? Was training provided to people in dealing with people who are culturally different from themselves? B) Were the various different cultural groups involved in planning, implementing, and reviewing the data collection instruments? In the results? 17. Were multicultural issues addressed openly at all stages of the research process?

9) Were instruments explored for gender bias? For example, were instruments used for both sexes that had only been validated for one sex? Did questions use sexist language? Was consideration given to the sex of the test administrator? Were questions premised on the notion of sex-inappropriate behavior, traits, or attributes? Did the research instruments stress sex differences with the effect of minimizing the existence and importance of sex similarities? Was information about one sex obtained by asking people of the other sex about their behaviors, traits, or attributes and then treating such information as fact rather than opinion?

10) A) Are the procedures used by the test developers to establish reliability, validity, objectivity, and fairness appropriate for the intended use of the proposed data collection techniques? Was the research instrument developed and validated with representatives of both sexes and of diverse ethnic and disability groups? B) Is the proposed data collection tool appropriate for the people and conditions of the proposed research? C) Given the research questions of the proposed research, when and from whom is it best to collect information?

11) A) Face validity. Do the items on the measurement instrument appear relevant to the life experiences of persons in a particular cultural context? B) Content validity. Do the measurement items or tools have content relevance? C) Criterion-related validity. Have the measures selected been validated against external criteria that are themselves culturally relevant?

12) A) Did the researcher know the community well enough to make recommendations that will be found to be truly useful for community members? B) Did the researcher adequately acknowledge the limitations of the research in terms of contextual factors that affect its generalizability or transferability? C) Whose voices were represented in the research study? Who spoke for those who do not have access to the researchers? Did the researchers seek out those who are silent? To what extent are alternative voices heard?

13) A) Does the researcher report the sample composition by gender and other background characteristics, such as race or ethnicity and class? B) How does the researcher deal with the heterogeneity of the population? Are reified stereotypes avoided and adequate opportunities provided to differentiate effects within race/gender/disability group by other pertinent characteristics (e.g., economic level)? C) Did the researcher objectify the human beings who participated in the research study?3

14) A) Who dropped out during the research? Were they different from those who completed the study? B) In qualitative research, was thick description used to portray the sample? C) In qualitative research, what is the effect of using purposive sampling on the transferability to other situations? D) Are female participants excluded, even when the research question affects both sexes? Are male subjects excluded, even when the research affects both sexes?

15) A) What are the characteristics of the sample? To whom can you generalize or transfer the results? Is adequate information given about the characteristics of the sample? B) How large is the population? How large is the sample? What is the effect of the sample size on the interpretation of the data? C) Is the sample selected related to the target population?