MAASAI MARA UNIVERSITY
REGULAR UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS
2014/2015 ACADEMIC YEAR
FIRST YEAR FIRST SEMESTER
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
BACHELOR OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
COURSE CODE: IRD 100
COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
DATE: 16th AUGUST, 2105 TIME:
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Question ONE is compulsory.
Answer any other TWO questions.
This paper consists of 2 printed pages. Please turn over.
Q1. A research carried out a study on how females are portrayed in Kenyan television commercials
(a) Identify the most suitable research method for this study. (2marks)
(b) Give TWO reasons for your choice of the method in (1a) above. (4marks)
(c) Write THREE research objectives for this study. (6marks)
(d) Explain TWO advantages and TWO disadvantages of the method in (1a) above (8marks)
(e) Describe FIVE basic characteristics that distinguish the scientific method from other methods of knowing. (10marks)
Q2. In an organization you work for as a Public Relations Officer, you have discovered that employees do not read their company’s internal newspaper. You intend to carry out a readership research by examining the reader profiles to enable the company focus the content of the publication. Assuming that you have gone through the other research steps, construct a questionnaire of not less than TEN questions to be distributed to your respondents. (20marks)
Q3. As a researcher you intend to carry out a study and you need to locate a research topic.
(a) Identify FIVE common sources of research topics. (5marks)
(b) Explain FIVE features of s suitable research topic. (10marks)
(c) Distinguish between independent and dependent variables. (5marks)
Q4. A researcher carried out a study among students of Maasai Mara University on the kind of songs a radio station should play.
(a) Describe FIVE issues the researcher considered when deciding whether to use probability or a non probability sample.(10marks)
(b) Identify the type of sampling appropriate for this study. (2marks)
(c) Explain TWO advantages of the type of sampling in (4a) above. (4marks)
(d) Explain the significance of ‘respresentativeness’ in sampling. (4marks)
Q5. (a) Literature review has several important purposes that make it well worth the time and effort. Explain FIVE purposes of literature review. (10marks)
(b) In the course of carrying out research, suggest FIVE reasons why a research ought to pay attention to ethical issues. (10marks)
