Research Methods Quiz

1. Research is:

• A. A purposeful, systematic activity

• B. Primarily conducted for purely academic purposes

• C. Primarily conducted to answer questions about practical issues

• D. A random, unplanned process of discovery

The two main styles of research are:

• A. Data collection and data coding

• B. Surveys and questionnaires

• C. Sampling and recording

• D. Qualitative and quantitative

How would you define the 'research process'?

• A. The researcher's plan of action to be followed when carrying out research.

• B. A method of collecting research data.

• C. The stages or steps the researcher follows in carrying out a research project.

• D. The account of a study the researcher will write at the end of the study ready for publication.

The research process can be compared to which of the following?

• A. A train timetable

• B. The spine of a skeleton

• C. The problem-solving process

• D. Medical theories

The purpose of a literature review is to:

• A. Use the literature to identify present knowledge and what is unknown

• B. Assist in defining the problem and operational definition

• C. Identify strengths and weaknesses of previous studies

• D. All of the above

What is a research design?

• A. A way of conducting research that is not grounded in theory

• B. The choice between using qualitative and quantitative methods

• C. The style in which you present your research findings, e.g. a graph

• D. A framework for every stage of the research process

"Internal validity" refers to:

• A. Whether or not there are flaws in the research design fir data collection methods

• B. Whether or not findings are relevant to the participants' everyday lives.

• C. The degree to which the researcher feels that this was a worthwhile project

• D. How accurately the concepts were presented or measurable.

What does the term 'reliability' indicate?

• A. We can trust that the research has been carried out to a high standard.

• B. That the results are accurate

• C. That the research can be trusted

• D. That the tool of data collection can be regarded as measuring accurately and consistently.

A variable that changes due to the action of another variable is known as the

• A. Independent variable

• B. Extraneous variable

• C. Dependent variable

• D. Complex variable

A sample can be defined as a:

• A. Population of interest to a researcher

• B. Quota from within the whole population

• C. Subset of a population representative of the population of interest to the researcher

• D. Criterion used to define eligibility for the research study