A college teacher does research with a view to depict the reality situations relating to home conditions of students and hostels provided for. Which of the following research format will be helpful to do so?
Participant observation based research
The teacher wants to depict real-life situations, namely the actual home conditions of students and the hostels provided, as they exist in their natural setting. Capturing reality as it is actually lived, in its natural context and from close, first-hand contact, is the purpose of participant observation based research.
In participant observation the researcher becomes part of the setting being studied and observes people directly in their natural surroundings, recording behaviour and conditions as they genuinely are. This gives an authentic, in-depth picture of real situations such as students' home circumstances and hostel life, which is exactly what the teacher intends to portray.
Why the other options are less appropriate:
Experimental research involves manipulating variables under controlled conditions to establish cause and effect; it does not simply depict existing real-life situations and would distort the natural setting.
Descriptive research does describe conditions as they are, but it typically relies on surveys and questionnaires to describe characteristics broadly, and does not give the close, first-hand depiction of lived reality that direct participant observation provides for this specific purpose.
Ethnographic research studies the culture and shared way of life of a whole community over long immersion; it is broader in aim than depicting the particular home and hostel conditions of students, and the tool used to gather such reality-based data is participant observation itself.
Hence participant observation based research is the most suitable format.
Correct answer: Participant observation based research
There are two sets given below. Set-I specifies the types of research, while Set-II indicates their characteristics. Match the two and give your answer by selecting the appropriate code.
Set-I (Research types)
(a) Fundamental research
(b) Applied research
(c) Action research
(d) Evaluative research
Set-II (Characteristics)
(i) Finding out the extent of perceived impact of an intervention
(ii) Developing an effective explanation through theory building
(iii) Improving an existing situation through use of interventions
(iv) Exploring the possibility of a theory for use in various situations
(v) Enriching technological resources
Code: (a) (b) (c) (d)
A researcher attempts to evaluate the effect of method of feeding on anxiety-proneness of children. Which method of research would be appropriate for this?
Which of the following research formats focuses on hypothesis testing and generalizations'?
Case studies are:
Through which research method, the manipulation of an independent variable and its effect on dependent variable is examined with reference to a hypothesis under controlled conditions?
In which of the following research studies interpretation and meaning get more attention than formulation of generalizations?
(i) Historical studies
(ii) Survey studies
(iii) Philosophical studies
(iv) Ethnographic studies
(v) Hypothetical – deductive studies
(vi) Ex-post facto studies
Choose your answer from the options given below:
The research in which the independent variable is manipulated is termed as
For which type of research, the action words – 'Control, manipulate and observe' are most relevant?
Qualitative researchers criticize quantitative research for its tendency towards:
Which of the following is an incorrect statement?
Match List-I with List-II :
List-I | List-II | ||
(a) | Research studies which describe facts as they come by | (i) | Observational research |
(b) | A non-experimental conceptual research based on logical thinking | (ii) | Ex-post facto research |
(c) | Experience and observation-based research aiming to determine casual relationship among factors | (iii) | Philosophical research |
(d) | A field of natural study of epidemics, plant growth, child growth, bird-animal or crowd behaviour | (iv) | Empirical (Experimental) research |
Select the correct option :
The ethnographic research is mostly conducted in:
Match the following :
List 1 | List 2 |
a) Fundamental Research | 1) To find solutions to problems faced by practitioners |
b) Applied Research | 2) To establish facts experimentally |
c) Action Research | 3) To identify right practices on the basis of established theory |
d) Case study | 4) To establish concepts, principles, and theories |
e) Experimental Research | 5) To study individuals in detail |
The disadvantage of using the observation method for market surveys is that
Distinguished features of the action research are as follows:
A. Only teachers conduct action research.
B. A small accessible population is used for the study.
C. Sample drawn from a population is used for the study.
D. Researcher is the consumer of the findings.
E. Obtained findings are generalized to the population
Choose the correct answer from the options given below: