exercise-4
exercise-4
his exercise relates to Chapters 6 in your textbook.
For this exercise, you need to identify a “controversial local issue” in the news. Note that “local” does not necessarily mean “Corpus Christi”, just that the controversy is limited to a local issue for some community. For example, you might find an city that’s considering the introduction of a mandatory recycling program or new water use restrictions or perhaps a new sign height law. Your selection does not have to be a current issue…but try to focus on the last two or three election cycles. When you find an interesting controversy, spend a little time reviewing news stories and other online resources to get a feel for the nature of the issue.
To receive credit for this exercise, create a new journal entry and answer the following questions:
1. Employing each combination of structure and disguise (e.g., unstructured disguised v. structured disguised v. unstructured undisguised v. structured undisguised), develop a hypothetical research question that one or more parties to the controversy might want to answer. Briefly describe the characteristics of each structure/disguise combination and the strengths and weaknesses of each option. Identify the party or parties that would likely choose each structure. Why?
2. Using your selected controversial issue as an example, briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method for administering questions. Which method would you select for the research question you identified above? Justify your choice.
3. What method of gathering data would you use in each of the following situations: (a) Administration of a questionnaire to determine the number of people who listened to the “100 Top Country Tunes in 2010,†a program that aired on December 31, 2014, (b) Administration of a questionnaire by a national manufacturer of microwave ovens in order to test people’s attitudes toward a new model, and (c) Administration of a questionnaire by a local dry cleaner who wants to determine customers’ satisfaction with a recent discount promotion.
