A. Suppose you are a public library director interested in learning the effects of different promotional efforts on summer reading programs within the Texasville Public Library System. You suspect that a visit to each of the public elementary sc hools to describe the summer reading program may be a big help in boosting summer reading program participation. To obtain the funds needed to support these visits, in such a large metropolitan area as Texasville, and provide some simple bookmarks to stu dents with the summer reading schedule, you need to request money from the city council. They would like to be more convinced that your idea has merit, or at least that your effort could be measured and its effects known for the following year. So you decide to conduct a small study.

1. Try to make a research question/statement about your idea.
2. What do you think it would take to convince others that your statement is supportable?
3. Write a simple research hypothesis for your study.
4. Identify the variables you might examine and how you might operationalize them. Which are dependent or independent and given the choices you made about variables what are the levels of measurement of those variables?
5. What realistic barriers might prevent you from making the above statement? List all practical barriers you can think of and try to classify these barriers as noise or bias. How might these threaten the validity and reliability of your study?

1. 4 0 6 7 6 2 3 3 4 5 1 3 0 1 4 4 5 4 6 2

 

 

2. 1 5 9 4 3 7 6 7 8 5 6 3 1 9 6 8 5 1 3 6

 Looking at the data in either a frequency polygon or a stem and leaf display, what suspicions might you have about the data for Group b. What figures might you use to enhance someone else's understanding of the graphic display of the data?

Stem and Leaf
 
 

90F Classroom	Units	70F Classroom
xx	9	-
xx	8	-
xx	7	x
xxxx	6	xxx
xxx	5	xx
x	4	xxxxx
xxx	3	xxx
-	2	xx
xxx	1	xx
-	0	xx

C. Using one of the two groups in B. compute each of the following statistics:

Answers for 90F Classroom

• mean = 5.15
• median = 5.5
• mode = 6
• range = 9-1 = 8
• CSS = 112.43 122.55
• variance = 5.62 6.13
• standard deviation = 2.4 or 2.37 2.48
• Q1 = 3; Q3 = 7
• midspread = 7-3 = 4
• USS = 653

• mean = 3.5
• median = 4
• mode = 4
• range = 7-0 = 7
• CSS = 79
• variance = 3.95
• standard deviation = 1.99
• Q1 = 2; Q3 = 5
• midspread = 5-2 = 3
• USS = 324

 E. Plot the following bivariate data and describe your assessment of the "shape of the cigar." Can you make a rough estimate of the Pearson r value? Is there an outlier?
 
 

• X 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5

 

 

• Y 2 2 3 2 3 4 3 4 5 4 6

G. How might you describe the process of doing a scientific study to another graduate student in the GSLIS, who is not taking research methods at this time?

H. Can you describe the difference between a simple random sample and a convenience sample? How about describing the usefulness of a snowball sampling technique?

I. Name three "beliefs" which are probably held by a researcher from the qualitative camp. How would these three "beliefs" differ in a researcher from the quantitative camp?

J. Name three characteristics of an ethical research study?

K. What elements would indicate a "true" experiment as opposed to a "quasi-"experiment? Which type of experiment allows you to make a stronger causal argument?

L. What is an "ex post facto" study and why is it the poorest approach for making a causal argument?

M. Choose a particular research methodology and explain its usefulness in assessing users' attitudes toward some system, system feature or a service. Imagine you are describing the methodology and its value to someone who is in the school but hasn't taken any research method courses. Now, try to choose a different methodol ogy and repeat the same task. How did the choice of method affect the sort of analysis you could conduct?

N. List the level of measurement, Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, or Ratio next to each of the following variables:
 
 

1. numbers on a football jersey -- nominal

 

 

2. favorite flavors of ice cream -- ordinal

 

 

3. height for 7th graders -- ratio

 

 

4. religious belief -- nominal

 

 

5. temperature -- interval

 

 

6. hat size -- ratio

 

 

7. no. of books circulated -- ratio

 

 

8. LC call number designation -- nominal

 

 

9. ILL delivery time (in days) -- ratio