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Unit 2: Research Approaches and Concept of Theory - Practice Quiz

DEGEN530 60 Questions
0 Correct 0 Wrong 60 Left
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1 Which two broad approaches to research are most commonly distinguished?

Research approaches Easy
A. Formal and casual
B. Primary and tertiary
C. Direct and indirect
D. Quantitative and qualitative

2 The quantitative approach to research is mainly concerned with:

Research approaches Easy
A. Avoiding any measurement
B. Personal opinions of the researcher
C. Descriptions of feelings only
D. Generation of data in numerical form

3 Which approach focuses on understanding meanings, experiences, and non-numeric data?

Research approaches Easy
A. Statistical approach
B. Experimental approach
C. Qualitative approach
D. Simulation approach

4 The inferential approach to research is a form of which broader approach?

Research approaches Easy
A. Quantitative approach
B. Narrative approach
C. Historical approach
D. Qualitative approach

5 Which of the following best states a key significance of research?

Significance of research Easy
A. It provides a basis for policy and decision making
B. It eliminates the use of data
C. It only fills library shelves
D. It replaces the need for planning

6 Research is significant to business and industry mainly because it helps to:

Significance of research Easy
A. Solve operational and market problems
B. Avoid all record keeping
C. Increase random guessing
D. Remove the need for customers

7 For students and academics, research is significant because it:

Significance of research Easy
A. Develops new knowledge and analytical skills
B. Ends the need for reading
C. Discourages curiosity
D. Guarantees results without study

8 Which of the following is usually the first step in the research process?

Research process Easy
A. Defining the research problem
B. Writing the final report
C. Collecting the data
D. Interpreting the results

9 In the research process, reviewing existing literature helps the researcher to:

Research process Easy
A. Avoid defining the problem
B. Guarantee funding
C. Understand what is already known about the problem
D. Skip data collection

10 A hypothesis in the research process is best described as a:

Research process Easy
A. Final proven conclusion
B. Summary of the report
C. List of references
D. Tentative assumption to be tested

11 Which step generally comes last in the research process?

Research process Easy
A. Formulating the problem
B. Developing the research design
C. Reviewing the literature
D. Preparation of the research report

12 A research design is best described as a:

Research process Easy
A. Final summary of findings
B. List of respondents' names
C. Plan or blueprint for conducting the study
D. Set of references used

13 Which of the following is a criterion of good research?

Criteria of good research Easy
A. Clearly defined purpose
B. Biased conclusions
C. Unrepeatable methods
D. Hidden objectives

14 Good research is said to be systematic, which means it:

Criteria of good research Easy
A. Follows a logical, structured sequence of steps
B. Avoids any procedure
C. Relies only on guesswork
D. Is done without any planning

15 When the results of a study can be verified by repeating it, the research is said to be:

Criteria of good research Easy
A. Replicable
B. Temporary
C. Confidential
D. Optional

16 Which quality ensures that a research instrument measures what it is intended to measure?

Criteria of good research Easy
A. Length
B. Novelty
C. Popularity
D. Validity

17 A theory in research is best described as a:

Concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Easy
A. Random collection of unrelated facts
B. Single unverified opinion
C. List of raw data values
D. Set of related concepts explaining a phenomenon

18 Deductive reasoning moves from:

Concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Easy
A. General to specific
B. Data to nowhere
C. Specific to general
D. Effect to no cause

19 Inductive reasoning moves from:

Concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Easy
A. Conclusion to premise
B. Specific observations to general conclusions
C. General laws to single facts
D. Theory to hypothesis only

20 Which approach typically begins with a theory and then tests it with data?

Concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Easy
A. Deductive approach
B. Inductive approach
C. Descriptive approach
D. Random approach

21 A researcher collects numerical data on customer satisfaction scores and applies statistical tests to identify patterns. Which research approach is being used?

Research approaches Medium
A. Quantitative approach
B. Historical approach
C. Qualitative approach
D. Case study approach

22 An investigator conducts in-depth interviews to understand the lived experiences of migrant workers, focusing on meanings rather than numbers. This best represents which approach?

Research approaches Medium
A. Experimental approach
B. Survey approach
C. Quantitative approach
D. Qualitative approach

23 Which situation best justifies the use of a mixed-methods research approach?

Research approaches Medium
A. A study relies solely on personal narratives
B. A study avoids any form of measurement
C. A study only requires counting frequencies of events
D. A study needs both statistical trends and detailed contextual understanding

24 A researcher manipulates one variable and controls others to observe the effect on an outcome. This describes which type of quantitative approach?

Research approaches Medium
A. Experimental approach
B. Inferential approach
C. Simulation approach
D. Descriptive approach

25 A government department uses research findings to decide how to allocate its healthcare budget. This illustrates which significance of research?

Significance of research Medium
A. Entertainment of the general public
B. Elimination of all forms of uncertainty
C. Aid to policy formulation and decision making
D. Reduction of the need for any planning

26 Which statement best captures the significance of research for a business firm?

Significance of research Medium
A. It replaces the requirement for financial records
B. It helps identify market opportunities and solve operational problems
C. It removes the need for any managerial judgement
D. It guarantees profit in every venture undertaken

27 A student argues that research is significant because it "promotes the development of logical habits of thinking." This significance is most directly related to which domain?

Significance of research Medium
A. Physical health improvement
B. Immediate financial gain
C. Individual intellectual development
D. Political campaigning

28 In the standard research process, which step immediately follows the formulation of the research problem?

Research process Medium
A. Data analysis
B. Extensive literature review
C. Hypothesis testing
D. Report writing

29 A researcher has just finished collecting survey data. According to the typical research process, what is the next logical step?

Research process Medium
A. Reviewing literature
B. Analysis of data
C. Formulating the hypothesis
D. Defining the problem

30 Why is the research process generally described as "cyclical" rather than strictly linear?

Research process Medium
A. Findings may raise new questions that lead to further research
B. Each step can only be done once and never revisited
C. It requires skipping the literature review
D. It always ends before data is collected

31 At which stage of the research process does a researcher decide on the sampling design and data collection method?

Research process Medium
A. Writing the final report
B. Interpreting the results
C. Preparing the research design
D. Defining the significance of research

32 A researcher formulates the statement: "Students who sleep more than 7 hours score higher on exams." Within the research process, this statement is best classified as a:

Research process Medium
A. Sampling frame
B. Conclusion
C. Literature review
D. Hypothesis

33 A study is repeated by another researcher using the same methods and yields the same results. Which criterion of good research does this demonstrate?

Criteria of good research Medium
A. Popularity
B. Novelty
C. Brevity
D. Reliability

34 A research instrument accurately measures the concept it is intended to measure. This reflects which criterion of good research?

Criteria of good research Medium
A. Feasibility
B. Objectivity
C. Validity
D. Reliability

35 A reviewer criticizes a study because the researcher's personal opinions influenced the interpretation of data. Which criterion of good research has been violated?

Criteria of good research Medium
A. Reliability
B. Objectivity
C. Replicability
D. Generalizability

36 Which of the following best indicates that a piece of research is systematic?

Criteria of good research Medium
A. It follows a logical, well-defined sequence of steps
B. It avoids stating any procedures used
C. It relies only on the researcher's intuition
D. It is completed as quickly as possible

37 A researcher starts with a general theory, derives a hypothesis, and tests it with data. This reasoning approach is:

Concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Medium
A. Abductive by default
B. Inductive
C. Random
D. Deductive

38 An investigator observes several specific instances of behavior and then formulates a general theory to explain them. This best describes:

Concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Medium
A. Deductive reasoning
B. Inductive reasoning
C. Hypothetical reasoning
D. Circular reasoning

39 Which sequence correctly represents the flow of the deductive approach?

Concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Medium
A. Theory → Hypothesis → Observation → Confirmation
B. Pattern → Theory → Hypothesis → Observation
C. Observation → Pattern → Hypothesis → Theory
D. Hypothesis → Theory → Observation → Pattern

40 A key limitation of inductive theory building is that:

Concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Medium
A. Generalizations may not hold true for all unobserved cases
B. It always guarantees a proven theory
C. It never uses collected data
D. It cannot begin with any observation

41 A researcher measures brand recall scores on a 100-point scale across 500 respondents and then models how demographic variables predict those scores. Which classification of research approach most precisely describes this design?

Research approaches Hard
A. Quantitative approach using purely descriptive tabulation
B. Qualitative approach using a naturalistic design
C. Mixed-methods approach with a dominant qualitative strand
D. Quantitative approach using an inferential, structured design

42 A study begins with open-ended interviews to surface themes, then constructs a survey from those themes to test them on a large sample. What best characterizes this sequencing?

Research approaches Hard
A. Exploratory sequential mixed-methods design
B. Purely qualitative triangulation design
C. Convergent parallel mixed-methods design
D. Explanatory sequential mixed-methods design

43 Which statement most accurately distinguishes the fundamental (basic) research approach from the applied research approach?

Research approaches Hard
A. Basic research aims to expand generalizable knowledge, while applied research targets solving a specific practical problem
B. Basic research always uses qualitative data, while applied research always uses quantitative data
C. Applied research cannot generate theory, while basic research always does
D. Basic research is funded only by industry, while applied research is funded only by governments

44 A researcher chooses a longitudinal panel design over a cross-sectional design specifically to strengthen one type of inference. Which inference is most directly improved?

Research approaches Hard
A. Causal ordering by observing change within the same units over time
B. Statistical conclusion validity by reducing measurement error
C. External validity by increasing the sample size
D. Construct validity by refining the measurement scale

45 A policymaker argues research is significant only when it changes policy immediately. Which critique of this view is most defensible from a research-fundamentals standpoint?

significance of research Hard
A. Significance requires that findings be commercially profitable
B. Significance depends only on whether the hypothesis is confirmed
C. Significance is measured solely by the sample size of the study
D. Significance also includes building theory and generating knowledge whose value may be delayed

46 Two studies address the same problem: one produces reproducible findings but modest novelty, the other offers striking novelty but cannot be replicated. Which best captures why the reproducible study carries greater scientific significance?

significance of research Hard
A. Reproducibility provides a dependable knowledge base others can build upon
B. Only large sample studies count as significant
C. Novelty is irrelevant to scientific progress
D. Significance is determined solely by publication in a journal

47 Which scenario best illustrates the role of research in reducing decision-making uncertainty rather than merely describing a situation?

significance of research Hard
A. Estimating the probability that a new process cuts defects, with confidence limits
B. Recording customer complaints without analysis
C. Summarizing last year's sales in a table
D. Listing the features of an existing manufacturing process

48 A team formulated a hypothesis before conducting a thorough literature review and later found their construct had already been operationalized differently by prior work. Which step ordering violation most directly caused this problem?

research process Hard
A. Data collection should precede problem definition
B. Sampling should precede defining the research problem
C. Reviewing literature should precede or accompany hypothesis formulation
D. Report writing should precede analysis

49 In the research process, why is the step of formulating an operational definition considered a bridge between conceptualization and measurement?

research process Hard
A. It determines the statistical significance level
B. It translates an abstract concept into observable, measurable indicators
C. It selects the sampling frame for the study
D. It writes the final report conclusions

50 A researcher discovers during analysis that the chosen design cannot answer the refined research question. According to a well-structured research process, what does this reveal?

research process Hard
A. The process is strictly linear and no revision is permitted
B. The process is iterative, and design should be revisited when the question is refined
C. The research problem should be discarded entirely
D. Analysis must always be abandoned once started

51 Which arrangement correctly orders these research process steps: (i) formulate hypotheses, (ii) define the problem, (iii) design the study, (iv) collect data?

research process Hard
A. ii, i, iii, iv
B. iii, ii, i, iv
C. i, ii, iii, iv
D. ii, iii, i, iv

52 A pilot study reveals that respondents interpret a key survey item inconsistently. Correctly integrating this feedback into the research process most directly improves which subsequent aspect?

research process Hard
A. The statistical software used in analysis
B. Measurement reliability and validity before full data collection
C. The formatting of the final report
D. The choice of the research problem

53 A study reports a very high internal consistency () but its items all paraphrase a single narrow statement. Which criterion of good research is most likely compromised despite the high reliability figure?

criteria of good research Hard
A. Objectivity, because reliability was reported
B. Generalizability, because the sample was too large
C. Validity, because the scale may not adequately cover the construct's breadth
D. Reliability, because the coefficient is too high

54 Which situation best demonstrates a failure of the systematic criterion of good research rather than a failure of the logical criterion?

criteria of good research Hard
A. The conclusion did not follow from the stated premises
B. Procedures were applied inconsistently and not documented for others to follow
C. A deductive argument used an invalid syllogism
D. An inductive generalization overreached its evidence

55 Good research is often described as empirical. Which finding most directly violates the empirical criterion?

criteria of good research Hard
A. Conclusions rest on the author's personal belief rather than observed data
B. The literature review omitted a few recent studies
C. The analysis used descriptive rather than inferential statistics
D. Data were gathered from a slightly small sample

56 A replication attempt produces the same statistics but the original authors defined the outcome variable ambiguously, so two labs measured different things. Which criterion pair is most in tension here?

criteria of good research Hard
A. Neither reliability nor validity is affected
B. Only reliability is threatened, validity is intact
C. Only generalizability is threatened
D. Reliability is met while validity and objectivity are threatened by ambiguous definition

57 A researcher observes 40 firms, notices a recurring pattern between decentralization and innovation, and proposes a general principle. Later, another researcher derives a testable prediction from that principle and gathers data to test it. Which sequence describes the two phases?

concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Hard
A. Both phases are purely inductive
B. Both phases are purely deductive
C. First inductive theory building, then deductive theory testing
D. First deductive theory building, then inductive theory testing

58 Which statement most accurately captures the epistemological limit of inductive theory compared to valid deductive inference?

concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Hard
A. Deductive conclusions can always be falsified by a single observation
B. Both inductive and deductive conclusions are guaranteed true regardless of premises
C. Inductive conclusions are always certain, while deductive ones are only probable
D. Inductive conclusions are probable and can be overturned by new cases, unlike valid deduction which is truth-preserving given true premises

59 A theory states: 'All high-trust teams share information freely.' A researcher tests it by predicting a specific team's behavior and observing it. Which reasoning is being used, and what does a single disconfirming team imply?

concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Hard
A. Inductive testing; one disconfirming case strengthens the theory
B. Inductive testing; the universal claim becomes proven
C. Deductive testing; a disconfirming case has no bearing on the theory
D. Deductive testing; one disconfirming case falsifies or forces revision of the universal claim

60 Grounded theory is frequently cited as exemplifying one mode of theorizing. Which characterization is most accurate?

concept of theory: deductive and inductive theory Hard
A. It is primarily deductive, testing pre-set hypotheses against data
B. It rejects all use of empirical data
C. It applies only within experimental laboratory settings
D. It is primarily inductive, generating theory from systematically analyzed data
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