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Chapter_11 Field_Research
1. Field research is often associated with qualitative techniques.
a. True
b. False
2. When it is necessary to study phenomenon in their natural setting, experiments are the best approach to take.
a. True
b. False
3. Field research that deals with crime is best served by focusing upon crimes that are visible such as drug selling or
prostitution.
a. True
b. False
4. “Going native” refers to the possibility that subjects may start to become too close to the researcher.
a. True
b. False
5. Finding the right sponsor in a formal organization is often the most important step in gaining access.
a. True
b. False
6. Fortunately, when doing field research, sampling is very straight forward and you don’t have the concerns that would
be present in survey techniques.
a. True
b. False
7. Many different options are available for gathering data in field research.
a. True
b. False
8. Validity is especially weak in field studies.
a. True
b. False
9. It may be helpful to record field notes onto highly structured forms created prior to the beginning of the study.
a. True
b. False
10. Qualitative field research is very reliable.
a. True
b. False
11. Field research uses what technique to gather data?
a. written records
b. agency data
c. direct observation
d. obtaining government documents
12. Which of the following is accurate concerning data acquired during field research?
a. it is qualitative data that is easily reduced to numbers
b. it is quantitative data that is not easily reduced to numbers
c. it is qualitative data that is not easily reduced to numbers
d. all the data gathered must be reducible to numbers
13. Which of the following is true concerning qualitative field research?
a. it is often a theory or hypothesis generating activity
b. always has clear operational definitions of key terms
c. must begin with clearly stated and defined hypotheses
d. does not define the nature of a crime problem being studied
14. Which of the following is not considered a strength of field research?
a. validity is enhanced
b. reliability is enhanced
c. it allows for a more comprehensive, fuller understanding
d. limited generalizability
15. Many aspects of physical settings are probably best studied through
a. asking questions
b. reviewing written documents
c. direct observation
d. surveys
16. Which of the following would not be an appropriate crime to study using the field research technique?
a. prostitution
b. shoplifting
c. embezzlement
d. drug use
17. In this role the researcher observes some location or process without becoming a part of it in any way?
a. complete participation
b. complete observer
c. participant-as-observer
d. observer-as-participant
18. If the subjects know that they are being studied, which of the following is not likely to result?
a. the subjects may change their behavior and their language
b. the subjects may reject the researcher
c. the process being observed may change
d. they ignore the researcher
19. If the researcher feels they will need to ask questions of the subjects, what is the best technique in field research to
use?
a. complete observer
b. complete participant
c. a combination of observer and participant
d. surveys
20. There are 2 different methods for obtaining data in field research, asking questions and:
a. making direct observation
b. searching documents
c. finding answers
d. analyzing existing data
21. Research involving which of the following groups would not be receptive to the use of unstructured interviews?
a. criminals
b. police officers
c. judges
d. probation officers
22. Interviews in field research which are somewhat structured (as opposed to unstructured) would be appropriate for
use on which group?
a. death row inmates
b. juveniles
c. police officers
d. criminals
23. Which of the following may be a concern if we are interested in studying “career drug dealers” and we use our
friend from the probation department to act as our informant into that subculture?
a. those getting probation may be first time offenders
b. those getting probation have obviously been caught, thus will not reflect those that have more skill and have
not been apprehended
c. there may be some drug dealers who entered into plea negotiations and plead to possession instead of dealing
d. all of the above
24. All but which of the following sampling techniques are appropriate for field research?
a. snowball sampling
b. purposive sampling
c. controlled probability sampling
d. non-probability techniques
25. When doing field research, researchers should be aware that sampling dimensions can be impacted by the varying
behavior of people affected by the:
a. time of day or year
b. weather
c. location where the observations may take place
d. all of the above
26. What time of the year would be best to do an observational study of thefts from cars parked at shopping malls?
a. early in the year, January – February
b. early summer, June – July
c. late summer, August
d. late in the year, December
27. Which of the following are legitimate questions to ask when deciding upon a sample for field research?
a. are the actual observations you make representative of all possible observations
b. can your findings be generalized back to the sample you used
c. are the situations you observe likely to reoccur
d. will they be at home
28. Which of the following is false concerning the use of field notes for recording observations?
a. field notes include what you are sure you have observed
b. field notes should not include unanticipated events
c. field notes should include what you think you observed
d. note-taking can be done on standardized recording forms that you create prior to the start of the research
29. Which of these is not a guideline for good field note taking?
a. don’t trust your memory, write down as much as possible unobtrusively
b. develop your notes from sketchy to more detailed with re-writes
c. use only key words and phrases in your notes, you will remember the details at a later date
d. record as many details as you can right after each observation session
30. In structured field observations, the data collection form resembles a survey questionnaire. For example, the
environmental surveys are used for which of the following research purposes?
a. counting the number of parking tickets given in a specific part of town
b. planning police strategies in drug enforcement and to assess the impact of those strategies
c. asking juveniles why they use graffiti
d. asking inmates why they committed their crime
31. Which of the following statements is not true concerning field research?
a. it does not provide a comprehensive perspective to the researcher
b. it often involves theory creation
c. it often combines observation and asking questions
d. it can provide both qualitative and quantitative data
32. Kim, while doing field research with a police department begins to become more sympathetic to officers’ behavior.
She would be considered to be:
a. becoming sympathetic
b. going naïve
c. becoming conservative
d. going native
33. On the continuum of methods for recording observations, one extreme is taking notes with pen and paper, the other
extreme is:
a. video recording
b. participant observation
c. total participation
d. interviews
34. Recording graffiti might be best accomplished through:
a. field notes
b. still photographs
c. video recording
d. drawings
35. Which of the following would not be considered an advantage of field research?
a. qualitative field studies yield precise statements about a larger population
b. the research is considered very flexible
c. the researcher has a choice of roles they can assume to fit the individual needs of the research at hand
d. the research is reliable
36. Which of the following groups would be good candidates for snowball sampling when doing field research?
a. patrol officers from your city
b. circuit court judges
c. active burglars
d. those arrested for auto theft in 2002 in New Jersey
37. One way to gain access to a subculture would be to
a. ask question of the larger culture
b. post flyers in the neighborhood
c. conduct a telephone survey
d. hang around places where the subculture you are interested in hang out
38. Which of the following is not appropriate subject matter for a field study?
a. juvenile gang behavior following the arrest of one of its leaders
b. police-citizen interactions at a rock concert
c. homeless men’s use of shelters
d. measuring the length of jury trials
39. Dr. Garcia wants to study migrant farm workers and how they move from one agricultural job to another. In order to
do this, Dr. Garcia will live and move with the workers for one summer while they pick strawberries in Florida. What
would increase the impact and generalizability of his study?
a. speak only Spanish to the workers
b. live and work for one year since different parts of the country have different growing and harvesting seasons
c. use every method to collect the data including videotaping the workers
d. nothing will make this study generalizable
40. What is not an advantage to using unstructured interviewing techniques when conducting field research?
a. good when the researcher does not know much about the subject under study
b. good when the researcher may be likely to enter into casual conversation with the subject as a means of
gathering data
c. good when there is a high likelihood of the subjects and the researcher spending a lot of time together
d. being able to ask pre-established questions and record the answers
41. In which of the following situations would unstructured interviewing techniques be appropriate?
a. gathering information on active criminals
b. gathering information on State Supreme Court judges
c. gathering information on prison wardens within your state
d. gathering information on death row inmates from Texas
42. Which of the following is not correct concerning structured field interviews?
a. the researcher can change the order in which questions are asked
b. the researcher can use follow up questions to clarify an earlier prepared question
c. the researcher must stick to the questions prepared prior to the interview
d. ask questions in a manner that always keeps the subject on target, and not wandering to areas of no interest to
the researcher
43. Which of the following is not true concerning a sponsor?
a. the sponsor should be able to advise you on whom to contact within the organization
b. the sponsor should be well respected by the director of the organization
c. the sponsor should be familiar with the formal and informal status’ of various personnel within the organization
d. the sponsor should introduce you to the organization and leave
44. Which of the following is not something that your letter, as a follow up to identification of the sponsor, should
contain?
a. the name of your sponsor
b. a detailed description of your research
c. arranging a time and date for a phone call
d. identify that you want to meet and talk with the contact person
45. After you have identified a sponsor and sent a letter to a formal organization stating your interest in research, a
phone call is typically the next step in the process. You have agreed upon a time and day for the phone call and at
the appointed time, you call. The director will not take your call. In this case you should do which of the following?
a. forget that specific organization as a target of your research because if the director will not take your call
now, you cannot expect much from him once the research begins
b. keep calling back until your call is taken by the director
c. ask to speak the director’s assistant and make an appointment for a meeting
d. find another sponsor and see if you have better luck getting access to the director
46. In an attempt to gain access to a formal organization, you have found a sponsor, sent a letter and spoken with the
director by phone. You are now ready for the meeting and you should do each of the following except for
a. going to the meeting prepared about the organization so that you can speak with the director from an informed
position
b. flattering the director, complement them on their attire, hair style and anything else you can think of
c. asking for any procedures manuals or reports that may assist in your research
d. being sure to use the right words of encouragement and your best interviewing skills
47. Qualitative research is best explained through which of the following?
a. never theory generating
b. called a process of grounded theory
c. used to make the subjects comfortable
d. used to increase generalizability
48. Because field research is generally considered to be comprehensive in nature, it tends to ensure the observations are
more:
a. generalizable
b. reliable
c. valid
d. correct
49. Field research is not especially appropriate for topics that:
a. are not easily quantifiable
b. need to be examined in their natural setting
c. require the generation of a theory
d. are limited to aggregate data
50. Field research would be most appropriate for which of the following topics?
a. the average age of sex offenders
b. the number of neighborhood watch programs initiated in 2003
c. the frequency of newspaper articles criticizing the treatment of “enemy combatants” after 9/11
d. how street prostitutes are selected by Johns in the early evening hours in your city
51. Which of the following is a serious consideration for researchers who adopt the role of complete participant when
doing field research?
a. generalizability
b. ethics
c. validity
d. reliability
52. Which of the following would not be an example of a topic that would lend itself to field research?
a. gang graffiti
b. prostitution
c. drug use
d. criminal records
53. If you wanted to study juveniles who steal cars, who would serve as your best informant?
a. juvenile police officers
b. mothers of young boys
c. school teachers
d. young people arrested for drugs
54. Which of the following is appropriate for gaining access to criminal justice subcultures such as active criminals,
deviants, or juvenile gangs?
a. letters
b. phone calls
c. formal meetings
d. use of a sponsor
55. Which of the following would not be considered an appropriate method of gathering information in field studies?
a. automated devices such as ELMO
b. using written records
c. paper and pencil to write notes
d. videotape
56. Which of the following is an accurate statement concerning the gathering of data in field studies?
a. there is never a legal issue with videotaping people
b. the only way to get all relevant information is to videotape
c. tape recorders and cameras cannot capture all relevant information
d. automated devices, such as traffic-counting devices, are effective for any research question dealing with cars
and their drivers
57. Which of the following is an ethical question that needs to be addressed by the researcher?
a. Are the scientific results generalizable?
b. Is it proper to use of deception to get subjects to talk with us?
c. Are the results valid?
d. Are you sure that the results are reliable?
58. Sponsors, who help a researcher gain access to a subculture, are also known as:
a. active criminals
b. participant observers
c. natives
d. informants
59. What role does the sponsor play in field research?
a. telling the police about criminal acts being done so that the researcher knows where to look for offenders
b. someone who helps make contact with subcultures
c. the person who assists in the observation of subcultures
d. the person responsible for making sure that the researcher is not hurt during the course of their data collection
60. Which of the following sampling techniques would not be appropriate for field research?
a. snowball
b. purposive sampling
c. stratified sampling
d. probability
61. Which of the following guidelines are not appropriate for completing field notes?
a. do not rely upon your memory, you need to take notes
b. you do not need to take notes all at once, do them in stages
c. when in doubt take more notes than you think you will need
d. delay taking notes until you have left the research area because there is nothing like being able to reflect on
what you observed
62. What role do environmental surveys play in field research?
a. they seek to assess overall environment of an area without concern for who lives there
b. they have been very instructive in the area of problem-oriented policing
c. they are limited to strategies for surveying the people who live in the area
d. they have been instructive in the area of understanding the values of the citizens of an area
63. Which of the following is accurate with respect to field research?
a. field research can only gather quantitative data
b. field research can only gather qualitative data
c. field research can gather both qualitative and quantitative data
d. field research can gather neither qualitative nor quantitative data
64. What is the proper relationship between validity and reliability with respect to field research?
a. field research is weak on validity but strong on generalizability
b. field research is strong on validity and strong on reliability
c. field research is strong on validity and strong on generalizability
d. field research is strong on validity and weak on reliability
65. Which of the following is not a strength of field research?
a. field research is rigid thus allowing for accurate observations
b. field research is relatively inexpensive
c. field research on behavior makes more sense than surveys
d. field research is flexible
66. In which of the following situations would field research be the least proper method to gather data?
a. when you want to get an overview of the physical surroundings where you want to examine an event
b. when you want to get information about the behavior of a group that is not likely to be found in the general
population
c. when research in the natural setting is of up most importance
d. when the research focuses upon reasons for crime
67. With respect to sampling in field studies, which of the following is least accurate?
a. field studies can use only non-probability samples
b. field studies can use only probability samples
c. field studies primarily use non-probability samples
d. field studies can be accomplished by using probability and non-probability samples
68. A researcher engaged in field research would likely use data that is defined as
observations that are not easily reduced to numbers.
69. A theory that is created based upon experience and field observations is referred to as a
theory.
70. When the researcher selects the role of they are participating with the group but let the
group know that they are conducting research.
71. When the researcher starts to identify too closely with the interests and viewpoints of the participants, they are said
to have gone ____________________.
72. refers to the importance that subjects not be affected by the researcher’s role as
observer.
73. To gain access to a formal organization for the purposes of field research, one needs to find a
who is personally known to and respected by the director.
74. The sponsor or is the person who will assist you in gaining access to a subculture.
75. Field research is usually considered to be strong on validity yet weak on .
76. refers to whether specific findings apply to the unobserved.
77. An in-take survey done at the local jail that recorded the result of structured observations of inmates is an example
of an __________________ survey.
78. is a matter if dependability.
79. Population, time of day, season of the year and weather are known as sampling .
80. As a rule, field research is usually weak on because of the type of sampling used.
81. In Homel and associates’ study of bars and violence, they were interested in learning how various
factors were related to public drinking that might produce violence.
82. When the researcher is interested in the physical area where they will make their observations they may want to
engage in ____________________ research first.
83. Identify the difference between the various roles of the observer in field research. Offer an example of a research
scenario that would be appropriate for each role.
84. Describe the steps that would be necessary to gain access to a formal organization for the purposes of doing field
research.
85. Identify the various methods that can be used to record observations. Offer an explanation of which method, in your
opinion, is most effective and why. Also, which method, in you opinion, is least effective and why?
86. Why is it often necessary to supplement field research with other forms of data? Give examples of other types of
data that are often used in criminal justice research and how each may be used as a link to field research.
87. Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of field research and survey research. Give specific attention
to the topics of validity, reliability and generalizability.
88. Field Research in Criminal Justice produces the following type(s) of data:
a. quantitative
b. qualitative
c. quantitative and qualitative
d. clerical errors
89. The type of field observation that most closely matches a survey is:
a. a structured observation
b. unstructured observation
c. sampling
d. coded observation
90. Observations that can be quantified may produce measures for:
a. conversation
b. oral questionnaires
c. purposive sampling
d. hypothesis testing
