Research methodology Practical Solution Manual and Test
Bank MCQ With Answers
9. A qualitative research problem statement:
a. Specifies the research methods to be utilized
b. Specifies a research hypothesis
c. Expresses a relationship between variables
d. Conveys a sense of emerging design
Answer: d: Conveys a sense of emerging design
11. A review of the literature prior to formulating research questions allows the researcher to :
a. Provide an up-to-date understanding of the subject, its significance, and structure
b. Guide the development of research questions
c. Present the kinds of research methodologies used in previous studies
d. All of the above
Answer: d: All of the above
13. The feasibility of a research study should be considered in light of:
a. Cost and time required to conduct the study
b. Access to gatekeepers and respondents
c. Potential ethical concerns
d. All of the above
Answer: d: All of the above
14. Research that uses qualitative methods for one phase and quantitative methods for the next
phase is known as:
a. Action research
b. Mixed-method research
c. Quantitative research
d. Pragmatic research
Answer: b: Mixed-method research
15. Research hypotheses are:
a. Formulated prior to a review of the literature
b. Statements of predicted relationships between variables
c. B but not A
d. Both A and B
Answer: c: B but not A
16. Which research approach is based on the epistemological viewpoint of pragmatism?
a. Quantitative research
b. Qualitative research
c. Mixed-methods research
d. All of the above
Answer: c: Mixed-methods research
17. Adopting ethical principles in research means:
a. Avoiding harm to participants
b. The researcher is anonymous
c. Deception is only used when necessary
d. Selected informants give their consent
Answer: c: Deception is only used when necessary
18. A radical perspective on ethics suggests that:
a. Researchers can do anything they want
1
,b. The use of checklists of ethical actions is essential
c. The powers of Institutional Review Boards should be strengthened
d. Ethics should be based on self-reflexivity
Answer: d: Ethics should be based on self-reflexivity
19. Ethical problems can arise when researching the Internet because:
a. Everyone has access to digital media
b. Respondents may fake their identities
c. Researchers may fake their identities
d. Internet research has to be covert
Answer: b: Respondents may fake their identities
PART B: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1. Which research paradigm is most concerned about generalizing its findings?
a. Quantitative research
b. Qualitative research
c. Mixed-methods research
d. All of the above
Answer: a: Quantitative research
2. A variable that is presumed to cause a change in another variable is called:
a. An intervening variable
b. A dependent variable
c. An independent variable
d. A numerical variable
Answer: c: An independent variable
3. Researchers posit that performance-related pay increases employee motivation which in turn
leads to an increase in job satisfaction. What kind of variable is ‘motivation”’ in this study?
a. Extraneous
b. Confounding
c. Intervening
d. Manipulated
Answer: c: Intervening
6. Which of the following can be described as a nominal variable?
a. Annual income
b. Age
c. Annual sales
d. Geographical location of a firm
Answer: d: Geographical location of a firm
7. A positive correlation occurs when:
a. Two variables remain constant
b. Two variables move in the same direction
c. One variable goes up and the other goes down
d. Two variables move in opposite directions
Answer: b: Two variables move in the same direction
8. The key defining characteristic of experimental research is that:
a. The independent variable is manipulated
b. Hypotheses are proved
c. A positive correlation exists
2
,d. Samples are large
Answer: a: The independent variable is manipulated
9. Qualitative research is used in all the following circumstances, EXCEPT:
a. It is based on a collection of non-numerical data such as words and pictures
b. It often uses small samples
c. It uses the inductive method
d. It is typically used when a great deal is already known about the topic of interest
Answer: d: It is typically used when a great deal is already known about the topic of interest
10. In an experiment, the group that does not receive the intervention is called:
a. The experimental group
b. The participant group
c. The control group
d. The treatment group
Answer: c: The control group
13. What do we call data that are used for a new study but which were collected by an earlier
researcher for a different set of research questions?
a. Secondary data
b. Field notes
c. Qualitative data
d. Primary data
Answer: a: Secondary data
16. Which of the following statements are true?
a. The larger the sample size, the larger the confidence interval
b. The smaller the sample size, the greater the sampling error
c. The more categories being measured, the smaller the sample size
d. A confidence level of 95 percent is always sufficient
Answer: b: The smaller the sample size, the greater the sampling error
17. Which of the following will produce the least sampling error?
a. A large sample based on convenience sampling
b. A small sample based on random sampling
c. A large snowball sample
d. A large sample based on random sampling
Answer: d: A large sample based on random sampling
20. A test accurately indicates an employee’s scores on a future criterion (e.g.,
conscientiousness). What kind of validity is this?
a. Predictive
b. Face
c. Content
d. Concurrent
Answer: a: Predictive
PART C: DATA COLLECTION METHODS
2. One advantage of using a questionnaire is that:
a. Probe questions can be asked
b. Respondents can be put at ease
c. Interview bias can be avoided
d. Response rates are always high
3
, Answer: c: Interview bias can be avoided
7. Secondary data can include which of the following?
a. Government statistics
b. Personal diaries
c. Organizational records
d. All of the above
Answer: d: All of the above
8. An ordinal scale is:
a. The simplest form of measurement
b. A scale with an absolute zero point
c. A rank-order scale of measurement
d. A scale with equal intervals between ranks
Answer: c: A rank-order scale of measurement
10. The ‘reliability’of a measure refers to the researcher asking:
a. Does it give consistent results?
b. Does it measure what it is supposed to measure?
c. Can the results be generalized?
d. Does it have face reliability?
Answer: a: Does it give consistent results?
11. Interviewing is the favoured approach EXCEPT when:
a. There is a need for highly personalized data
b. It is important to ask supplementary questions
c. High numbers of respondents are needed
d. Respondents have difficulty with written language
Answer: c: High numbers of respondents are needed
12. Validity in interviews is strengthened by the following EXCEPT:
a. Building rapport with interviewees
b. Multiple questions cover the same theme
c. Constructing interview schedules that contain themes drawn from the literature
d. Prompting respondents to expand on initial responses
Answer: b: Multiple questions cover the same theme
13. Interview questions should:
a. Lead the respondent
b. Probe sensitive issues
c. Be delivered in a neutral tone
d. Test the respondents’ powers of memory
Answer: c: Be delivered in a neutral tone
16. Which of the following is not always true about focus groups?
a. The ideal size is normally between 6 and 12 participants
b. Moderators should introduce themselves to the group
c. Participants should come from diverse backgrounds
d. The moderator poses preplanned questions
Answer: c: Participants should come from diverse backgrounds
17. A disadvantage of using secondary data is that:
a. The data may have been collected with reference to research questions that are not those
of the researcher
4
Bank MCQ With Answers
9. A qualitative research problem statement:
a. Specifies the research methods to be utilized
b. Specifies a research hypothesis
c. Expresses a relationship between variables
d. Conveys a sense of emerging design
Answer: d: Conveys a sense of emerging design
11. A review of the literature prior to formulating research questions allows the researcher to :
a. Provide an up-to-date understanding of the subject, its significance, and structure
b. Guide the development of research questions
c. Present the kinds of research methodologies used in previous studies
d. All of the above
Answer: d: All of the above
13. The feasibility of a research study should be considered in light of:
a. Cost and time required to conduct the study
b. Access to gatekeepers and respondents
c. Potential ethical concerns
d. All of the above
Answer: d: All of the above
14. Research that uses qualitative methods for one phase and quantitative methods for the next
phase is known as:
a. Action research
b. Mixed-method research
c. Quantitative research
d. Pragmatic research
Answer: b: Mixed-method research
15. Research hypotheses are:
a. Formulated prior to a review of the literature
b. Statements of predicted relationships between variables
c. B but not A
d. Both A and B
Answer: c: B but not A
16. Which research approach is based on the epistemological viewpoint of pragmatism?
a. Quantitative research
b. Qualitative research
c. Mixed-methods research
d. All of the above
Answer: c: Mixed-methods research
17. Adopting ethical principles in research means:
a. Avoiding harm to participants
b. The researcher is anonymous
c. Deception is only used when necessary
d. Selected informants give their consent
Answer: c: Deception is only used when necessary
18. A radical perspective on ethics suggests that:
a. Researchers can do anything they want
1
,b. The use of checklists of ethical actions is essential
c. The powers of Institutional Review Boards should be strengthened
d. Ethics should be based on self-reflexivity
Answer: d: Ethics should be based on self-reflexivity
19. Ethical problems can arise when researching the Internet because:
a. Everyone has access to digital media
b. Respondents may fake their identities
c. Researchers may fake their identities
d. Internet research has to be covert
Answer: b: Respondents may fake their identities
PART B: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1. Which research paradigm is most concerned about generalizing its findings?
a. Quantitative research
b. Qualitative research
c. Mixed-methods research
d. All of the above
Answer: a: Quantitative research
2. A variable that is presumed to cause a change in another variable is called:
a. An intervening variable
b. A dependent variable
c. An independent variable
d. A numerical variable
Answer: c: An independent variable
3. Researchers posit that performance-related pay increases employee motivation which in turn
leads to an increase in job satisfaction. What kind of variable is ‘motivation”’ in this study?
a. Extraneous
b. Confounding
c. Intervening
d. Manipulated
Answer: c: Intervening
6. Which of the following can be described as a nominal variable?
a. Annual income
b. Age
c. Annual sales
d. Geographical location of a firm
Answer: d: Geographical location of a firm
7. A positive correlation occurs when:
a. Two variables remain constant
b. Two variables move in the same direction
c. One variable goes up and the other goes down
d. Two variables move in opposite directions
Answer: b: Two variables move in the same direction
8. The key defining characteristic of experimental research is that:
a. The independent variable is manipulated
b. Hypotheses are proved
c. A positive correlation exists
2
,d. Samples are large
Answer: a: The independent variable is manipulated
9. Qualitative research is used in all the following circumstances, EXCEPT:
a. It is based on a collection of non-numerical data such as words and pictures
b. It often uses small samples
c. It uses the inductive method
d. It is typically used when a great deal is already known about the topic of interest
Answer: d: It is typically used when a great deal is already known about the topic of interest
10. In an experiment, the group that does not receive the intervention is called:
a. The experimental group
b. The participant group
c. The control group
d. The treatment group
Answer: c: The control group
13. What do we call data that are used for a new study but which were collected by an earlier
researcher for a different set of research questions?
a. Secondary data
b. Field notes
c. Qualitative data
d. Primary data
Answer: a: Secondary data
16. Which of the following statements are true?
a. The larger the sample size, the larger the confidence interval
b. The smaller the sample size, the greater the sampling error
c. The more categories being measured, the smaller the sample size
d. A confidence level of 95 percent is always sufficient
Answer: b: The smaller the sample size, the greater the sampling error
17. Which of the following will produce the least sampling error?
a. A large sample based on convenience sampling
b. A small sample based on random sampling
c. A large snowball sample
d. A large sample based on random sampling
Answer: d: A large sample based on random sampling
20. A test accurately indicates an employee’s scores on a future criterion (e.g.,
conscientiousness). What kind of validity is this?
a. Predictive
b. Face
c. Content
d. Concurrent
Answer: a: Predictive
PART C: DATA COLLECTION METHODS
2. One advantage of using a questionnaire is that:
a. Probe questions can be asked
b. Respondents can be put at ease
c. Interview bias can be avoided
d. Response rates are always high
3
, Answer: c: Interview bias can be avoided
7. Secondary data can include which of the following?
a. Government statistics
b. Personal diaries
c. Organizational records
d. All of the above
Answer: d: All of the above
8. An ordinal scale is:
a. The simplest form of measurement
b. A scale with an absolute zero point
c. A rank-order scale of measurement
d. A scale with equal intervals between ranks
Answer: c: A rank-order scale of measurement
10. The ‘reliability’of a measure refers to the researcher asking:
a. Does it give consistent results?
b. Does it measure what it is supposed to measure?
c. Can the results be generalized?
d. Does it have face reliability?
Answer: a: Does it give consistent results?
11. Interviewing is the favoured approach EXCEPT when:
a. There is a need for highly personalized data
b. It is important to ask supplementary questions
c. High numbers of respondents are needed
d. Respondents have difficulty with written language
Answer: c: High numbers of respondents are needed
12. Validity in interviews is strengthened by the following EXCEPT:
a. Building rapport with interviewees
b. Multiple questions cover the same theme
c. Constructing interview schedules that contain themes drawn from the literature
d. Prompting respondents to expand on initial responses
Answer: b: Multiple questions cover the same theme
13. Interview questions should:
a. Lead the respondent
b. Probe sensitive issues
c. Be delivered in a neutral tone
d. Test the respondents’ powers of memory
Answer: c: Be delivered in a neutral tone
16. Which of the following is not always true about focus groups?
a. The ideal size is normally between 6 and 12 participants
b. Moderators should introduce themselves to the group
c. Participants should come from diverse backgrounds
d. The moderator poses preplanned questions
Answer: c: Participants should come from diverse backgrounds
17. A disadvantage of using secondary data is that:
a. The data may have been collected with reference to research questions that are not those
of the researcher
4
