What is the advantage in using the written record over other methods when it comes to reactivity?
What will be an ideal response?
Data from archival sources are usually nonreactive. Human subjects often consciously or unconsciously establish expectations or other relationships with investigators, which can influence their behavior in ways that might confound the results of a study. But those writing and preserving the records are frequently unaware of any future research goal or hypothesis or, for that matter, that the fruits of their labors will be used for research purposes at all. Record keeping is not always completely nonreactive, however. Record keepers are less likely to create and preserve records that are embarrassing to them, their friends, or their bosses; that reveal illegal or immoral actions; or that disclose stupidity, greed, or other unappealing attributes. Furthermore, many record-keeping agencies employ paper shredders to ensure that a portion of the written record does not endure. Researchers must be aware of the possibility that the written record has been selectively preserved to serve the record keepers’ own interests.
You might also like to view...
An environmental group works to pass legislation that would decrease air pollution
But an individual would probably not contribute to that group, especially if he or she could enjoy the benefits of breathing clean air without participating in the group's campaign. This is an example of the __________ problem.
The most powerful position in the Chinese party-state is
a. the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. b. the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. c. the president of the People's Republic of China. d. the premier of the People's Republic of China. e. all of these, since they are always held by the same person.
Which of the following is not one of the guiding principles offered by Denhardt and Denhardt for the New Public Service?
a. Public servants should help citizens articulate their interests. b. Administrators should help create a collective, shared notion of the public interest. c. Administrators must be entrepreneurial and use public funds as if it were their own. d. Public servants must be attentive to more than the market.
Which government act helped environmental groups stop the completion of the Tellico Dam because it threatened the habitat that was critical to the snail darter fish?
A) The Clean Water Act of 1972 B) The Endangered Species Act of 1973 C) The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 D) The Clean Air Act of 1990 E) The Engine Emissions Act of 2002