Quantitative & Qualitative Methods Flashcards

A researcher wants to measure the central tendency of an ordinal scale variable. Which measure is most appropriate?

Answer: Median

The median is the most appropriate measure of central tendency for ordinal data because it respects rank order without assuming equal intervals.

In ethnographic research, the primary data collection method is:

Answer: Participant observation

Ethnography relies on participant observation, where the researcher immerses themselves in a community to study behavior in its natural context.

A confidence interval of 95% means that:

Answer: If repeated samples were drawn, 95% of the constructed intervals would contain the true parameter

A 95% CI is a frequentist statement: over many repeated samples, 95% of intervals constructed the same way would contain the true population parameter.

Which type of validity refers to whether a measure accurately represents the full domain of a concept?

Answer: Content validity

Content validity assesses whether a measurement instrument covers all relevant aspects of the theoretical construct being measured.

A researcher coding interview transcripts notices a pattern that was not part of the original research questions. This is an example of:

Answer: Inductive coding

Inductive coding involves deriving codes and themes directly from the data rather than from a pre-existing theoretical framework.

The coefficient of variation (CV) is used to:

Answer: Compare variability across datasets with different units or means

The CV expresses the standard deviation as a percentage of the mean, allowing variability comparisons across datasets with different scales or units.

Which research design is best suited to studying how a phenomenon changes over time within the same sample?

Answer: Longitudinal study

A longitudinal study follows the same participants over time, making it ideal for tracking changes and developmental trends.