Research Methods in Public Administration (PAD 502)

Assignment 3

Chapter 10

1. What have surveys, live data feeds, and big data done to revolutionize the process of survey data collection?
2. Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of mail questionnaires, telephone inter- views, and personal interviews.
3. Suppose you are engaged in a research project to determine attitudes toward welfare assistance in a small town throughout the United States. Further suppose that you are planning to use a mailed questionnaire that is preceded by an introductory cover letter to survey respondents explaining the nature of your study. Write the cover letter

Chapter 11

4. Explain the uses of closed-ended, open-ended, and contingency questions. What are the primary purposes, advantages, and disadvantages of each?
5. What sorts of biases can be introduced into a questionnaire because of question sequencing? What sorts of strategies do researcher implement to eliminate these biases?
6. In your opinion, what are the most important pitfalls in questionnaire construction? Why?

Chapter 12

7. What is analytic induction? Explain how it is used.
8. What are the major ethical and political issues of fieldwork?

Chapter 13

9. Investigate advertising variation in the media by watching commercial network television during different times of the day. Does the amount of advertising vary according to time of day? What about content? Do particular commercials appear at particular times? Are there any gender implications? (Are commercials aimed at housewives any more likely to appear during the daytime? Do beer commercials tend to accompany football games and other athletic events? Are fast-food commercials more likely after the kids come home from school?) Have students write up the results of their content analysis.

Chapter 14

10. Discuss the differences between inductive and deductive coding schemes.