Unit 1: Foundation of research - Practice Quiz

1 Research aimed at solving a specific, practical problem faced by an organization or society is called:

2 Which type of research is primarily concerned with generalizations and formulation of theories without immediate practical application?

3 Research concerned with understanding qualities, opinions, and reasons rather than numerical measurement is known as:

4 Which type of research relies on the collection and analysis of numerical data?

5 A study that observes the same subjects repeatedly over a long period of time is called a:

6 A study that collects data from a population at a single point in time is best described as:

7 Correlational research is mainly used to:

8 Research that studies past events and records to understand the present or predict the future is called:

9 Reasoning that moves from specific observations to broader generalizations is known as:

10 Deductive reasoning in research generally proceeds from:

11 The two broad approaches to research are commonly classified as:

12 Which of the following best describes the significance of research?

13 Which of the following is usually the FIRST step in the research process?

14 In the research process, the step of reviewing existing literature mainly helps to:

15 Which of the following is a key criterion of good research?

16 The ability of research to produce the same results when repeated under similar conditions is called:

17 The impact factor of a journal is primarily a measure of:

18 The h-index of a researcher measures:

19 A journal in which submitted articles are evaluated by experts before publication is called a:

20 In a double-blind peer review process:

21 A pharmaceutical company funds a study to develop a faster-acting formulation of an existing painkiller for immediate commercial launch. Which type of research does this best represent?

22 A physicist investigates the behavior of subatomic particles purely to expand theoretical understanding, with no intended application. This is an example of:

23 A researcher conducts in-depth interviews to understand why consumers feel loyal to a brand, focusing on meanings and experiences rather than numbers. This approach is:

24 A study measures the physical activity levels of people aged 20, 40, and 60 at a single point in time to compare age groups. This design is:

25 Which research design is most appropriate for studying how children's reading ability develops by following the same group from ages 6 to 12?

26 A study reports a correlation coefficient of between hours of study and exam scores. What can be validly concluded?

27 A researcher observes many specific cases of birds migrating in winter and forms a general theory that most birds in cold regions migrate. This reasoning is:

28 A study begins with the theory "All metals expand when heated," then tests whether a specific copper rod expands upon heating. This logical approach is:

29 A scholar analyzes archived letters, government records, and old newspapers to reconstruct the causes of an 18th-century famine. This is an example of:

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

31 A colleague repeats your published experiment using your described methods and obtains the same results. Which criterion of good research does this demonstrate?

32 A study combines a large-scale numerical survey with follow-up focus group discussions to interpret the findings. This best reflects a:

33 Which of the following best captures the primary significance of research in policy-making?

34 A journal published 100 citable articles in the previous two years, which received 400 citations in the current year. What is its Journal Impact Factor?

35 A researcher has publications with citation counts of 10, 8, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. What is this researcher's h-index?

36 Unlike the raw Impact Factor, the SJR (SCImago Journal Rank) metric is distinctive because it:

37 A researcher wants to publish original experimental results that undergo expert scrutiny before acceptance. Which journal type is most appropriate?

38 Which of the following is a recognized reputable academic publishing house?

39 In a double-blind peer review process, which of the following is true?

40 After submitting a manuscript, an author receives a decision of "major revisions." What does this typically mean?

41 A journal published 120 citable items in 2022 and 130 in 2023. In 2024 it received 500 citations to those items (220 to 2022 items, 280 to 2023 items). What is the journal's 2024 Journal Impact Factor?

42 A researcher has papers with citation counts: 25, 12, 9, 8, 5, 4, 3, 1. What is this researcher's h-index?

43 A researcher observes that in 50 randomly sampled firms, higher R&D spending coincides with higher patent output, and then proposes a general theory linking innovation investment to patenting. Which reasoning pattern, and its key limitation, best describes this?

44 A study on aging effects follows the same cohort born in 1990 over 30 years but cannot separate the influence of the specific historical period from true age-related change. Which threat is most directly at play?

45 A study reports between hours studied and exam score. What proportion of variance in exam scores is explained by hours studied, and what caution applies?

46 Two journals have identical raw citation counts, but Journal X has a higher SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) than Journal Y. What best explains this difference?

47 A pharmaceutical firm funds a project to understand the fundamental folding mechanism of a protein, with no immediate product in mind, but expects it may eventually inform drug design. How is this research most accurately classified?

48 In a double-blind peer review, which statement correctly describes what is concealed and a key advantage?

49 A researcher measures diet and blood pressure in 2,000 adults at a single time point and finds an association. Why can this cross-sectional design not establish that diet causes blood pressure changes?

50 A study's findings change substantially when a second analyst re-codes the same qualitative transcripts using the same coding scheme. Which criterion of good research is most directly threatened?

51 A researcher finalizes the sampling design and data-collection instruments before completing the literature review and problem definition. What is the primary methodological risk of this sequencing error?

52 A researcher wants to test whether a new teaching method causes higher scores, controlling for confounders and enabling statistical generalization to a defined population. Which approach and rationale fit best?

53 A journal has a high 2-year Impact Factor but a much lower 5-year Impact Factor. What does this pattern most plausibly indicate?

54 Consider: 'All peer-reviewed studies are credible. This study is peer-reviewed. Therefore this study is credible.' From a deductive-logic standpoint, what is the correct evaluation?

55 A predatory journal claims a very high 'impact factor' from an unfamiliar 'index,' charges high article-processing fees, and promises acceptance within 48 hours. Which single feature is the strongest red flag of predatory practice?

56 A historian evaluating conflicting accounts of an event prioritizes primary sources and cross-checks them against independent records. Which pair of concepts best names this practice?

57 A qualitative researcher continues interviewing until new interviews yield no substantially new themes or codes. This stopping rule is best described as:

58 A government agency commissions a study to decide whether to scale up a pilot welfare program. In terms of the significance of research, this best illustrates research serving which primary function?

59 When distinguishing reputable academic publishers (e.g., Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, Taylor & Francis) from questionable ones, which combination of signals is most diagnostic of legitimacy?

60 A researcher combines a quantitative survey to test hypotheses with follow-up qualitative interviews to explain unexpected statistical results. Which mixed-methods design does this sequence exemplify?