Download Test 2: Study Guide | PSCI 2024 - Research Methods and more Quizzes Political Science in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Descriptive Statistics DEFINITION 1 The mathematical summary of measurements for one variable. Statistics that describe characteristics of a group or subjects as a statement of current status. Used to describe and interpret sample data. (e.g. 70% of participants were females) TERM 2 Needs Assessment DEFINITION 2 An attempt to find out whether a program, policy, or legal change is required. What are the needs and how do we discover them? Used in conjunction with other methods (i.e. surveys) TERM 3 Double-Barreled Questions DEFINITION 3 A question that is really two questions in one. Example: Do you think professors should have more contact with university staff and university administrators? Clearly, this question asks about two different issues: Do you think professors should have more contact with university staff? AND Do you think that teachers should have more contact with university administrators? Combining the two questions into one question makes it unclear which attitude is being measured, as each question may elicit a differ TERM 4 Qualitative Interview DEFINITION 4 Can be 1 on 1 or done within a group setting. In a group setting it is known as a focus group. A very personal research methodology. The respondent will react to a trust situation. If the respondent has any issue with the situation, the information you've provided, or your motives your response quality will decrease. TERM 5 Saturation Point DEFINITION 5 A point at which no new information will be collected. At this point you end the interview. Obvious signs are repetition, participant fatigue, etc. TERM 6 Multivariate Analysis DEFINITION 6 Data analysis techniques designed to test hypothesis involving more than two variables. Can be used to understand the relationship between variables more fully. (e.g. how race and income affect voting behavior) TERM 7 Central Tendency DEFINITION 7 The most frequent, middle, or central value in a frequency distribution. TERM 8 Content Analysis DEFINITION 8 A procedure by which verbal, non-quantitative records are transformed into quantitative data. The systemic analysis of message characteristics and their inferences. Identify relationships among constructs in the text. Books, newspapers, court cases, interview transcripts, speech transcripts, etc. Used with: interview data, focus group data, observation, and ethnography. TERM 9 Ethnography DEFINITION 9 An extremely detailed and in-depth study of cultural life or a group. It produces a thick description a description that provides a sense of expert knowledge of some cultural setting. It is from the perspective from those who are actually being studied. It requires a HUGE time commitment and requires that the researcher be immersed within the group. It tends to be holistic the researcher will include all aspects of the culture, not just one or two. It is more detailed than TERM 10 Gatekeeper DEFINITION 10 Capable of denying or permitting you access to a field environment for data collection. You must identify who these people are.