Doing Research

Key to the assignments from Chapter 10

Assignment 1

In this case the following is mentioned: 'retrieved from the web', followed by the source and the date of the visit to the website involved.

 

Assignment 2

  1. Article

  2. Book

  3. Onderzoeksrapport (Research report), Roy & Vanheuverzwyn, published in 2002.

  4. Research result on the internet, no specific author(s), placed in 2005 and retrieved in 2006 from the website: www.tweevoeter.nl (biped in English).

Assignment 3

  1. The aim (given the client) can be to look into the affordability of pension plans in different countries and to arrive at a number of policy measures.
    The target group     could vary, for instance, the group for which the policy measures are intended: the tax payers or pensioners.

  2. The aim might be to improve the feeling of safety in the neighborhoods
    Target group then is local residents.

  3. The aim of the research can be to remove the differences between boys and girls with respect to mathematics.
    In that case, the target group is the secondary school pupil.

  4. The aim of testing drugs is to look into effectiveness and side effects.
    The target group is the patient.

  5. The aim (given the client) could be to control the expenditure for higher education (student grants).
    The target group is the group of higher vocational students.

Assignment 4

 

Many answers can be correct, if they are well-argued.

  1. A definition of a problem can be: 'How is the Social Services Department in the Municipality of Rheden assessed by its clients as far as its service is concerned?' A possible aim is to optimize the service with the results.

  2. If there are not too many clients, you can give everyone a questionnaire. Otherwise, a random sample from the clients could be of help (systematically, with an a-select start). A total of 800 usable questionnaires work well for the analysis. However, there is no information on the representativeness of the random sample.

  3. A survey was taken for this satisfaction research.

  4. Actually, the reporter is drawing the conclusion that the clients are very satisfied, with the exception of a few minor issues.

  5. The reporter mentions ‘most satisfied about’. Suppose that the results are very negative. This would mean that ‘most satisfied' would have to be interpreted in an entirely different way than when people are generally very satisfied.

    • A high non-response means that the reliability is not what it should be.

    • Even the representativeness is questionable.

    • Has ´satisfaction´ even been measured? The construct validity is at stake here. Some of the aspects of satisfaction have certainly been dealt with, but there was no room for any personal input.

    • There is also criticism as far as content is concerned. The functioning of the Social Services Department is being criticized, only this is not clear from the research: communication, bureaucratic strictness, et cetera. The author of the letter in Frame 10.12 questions the usability of the research; and does so with a personal note.

Assignment 5

  1. It is true that two research studies are described here with the first providing the reason for the author to name the second. Firstly, it is about a secondary analysis carried out by the CBS (Dutch Census Bureau). From the point ‘Six years ago…’ research by the Dutch Family Advisory Board is described which concern the choice to have children.

  2. The reporter uses the Dutch Family Advisory Board’s research to counterbalance the results and design of the CBS research. According to family sociologist De Hoog, who is quoted in the article, the CBS’s research is too focused on figures. The other research study probably involved interviews with the couples [that is correct, eds]. The results from the CSB research can be put into perspective, as it were, by comparing them to the underlying arguments from the research done by the.Dutch Family Advisory Board.

  3. The CBS research analyzed the population data (from municipalities, births, family composition). That is a desk study, quantitative. The research units are Dutch families, the sources are data files (from municipalities, for instance).

  4. For the CBS research, a descriptive question may suffice: 'what was the composition of Dutch families in 2003, compared to … year(s) ago?’ The aim could be to map out demographical developments when preparing policy. For the Dutch Family Advisory Board the question might be posed: 'What have the developments in family composition been since the sixties of the previous century and how do background characteristics, family circumstances and the negotiations between partners play a role?' The aim of mapping out such changes could be the same as that for the CBS: preparing policy.

  5. Group discussion about issues that have been brought up.