Question 1

There is no difference between a research question, objective and hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 2

A symmetry of potential outcomes means that the project ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   Starts with a qualitative stage and ends with a qualitative stage
B)   Starts with a quantitative stage and ends with a quantitative stage
C)   Will be valuable whatever the outcome
D)   Will be reliable whatever the outcome C

Question 3

Which of these is NOT theory?

Accepted Answer

A)   References
B)   Data
C)   Hypotheses
D)   All of these D

Question 4

Projects do go wrong. In one case a student was indecisive and collected anything, just in case it came in useful: Web sites, photocopies, brochures, the questionnaire even included irrelevant questions, just in case the information could be useful. Which ONE of the following would have been realistic and would have helped the most with this problem?

Accepted Answer

A)   Regular progress reports to the supervisor
B)   Using a Gantt Chart
C)   Using SPSS
D)   Setting a clear objective
E)   Being less ambitious

Question 5

Why is undertaking a preliminary study a good idea?

Accepted Answer

A)   To gather data quickly
B)   To impress your supervisor
C)   To refine your research questions
D)   To test your hypothesis

Question 6

What is meant by "fresh insights" into a topic?

Accepted Answer

A)   A completely new idea
B)   Something which will never get out of date
C)   Insights into a topic by "fresh eyes"
D)   None of the above

Question 7

What is "working up, narrowing down"?

Accepted Answer

A)   Turning research objectives into questions
B)   An increasingly detailed and focused description of the research idea
C)   A way of mapping out a variety of different research ideas
D)   None of the above

Question 8

Why do we need 'schemata'?

Accepted Answer

A)   To make sense of the complexity of the everyday world
B)   To test the relationship between variables
C)   So we can avoid using theory
D)   To ground our observations in everyday reality

Question 9

Which of these is NOT a reason for writing a research proposal?

Accepted Answer

A)   It organises your ideas
B)   It makes your ideas clear to your supervisor
C)   It gives an opportunity to have your ideas scrutinized
D)   It is not a taught module

Question 10

What is the difference between research questions and research objectives?

Accepted Answer

A)   One of these is proposed by a supervisor
B)   The wording of one is likely to be more specific than the other
C)   The question is worded by the researcher, the objective is not
D)   No difference, they are the same

Question 11

Which of the following should you NOT include in the methods section of your research proposal?

Accepted Answer

A)   Research design
B)   Ethics
C)   A copy of your questionnaire
D)   Method of analysis

Question 12

What helps to agree timing, agree resource allocation and also draws boundaries?

Accepted Answer

A)   The proposal
B)   The questionnaire
C)   The observation form
D)   The final report

Question 13

Substantive theory ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   Changes the way we think about the world
B)   Is generally applicable
C)   Is restricted to a particular set of circumstances
D)   Covers the middle-ground

Question 14

Scanning the news media can help generate a research topic because ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   Newspapers report only important facts
B)   Reports are likely to trigger ideas of current significance
C)   Academic review articles can be found here
D)   All of the above

Question 15

Research objectives should be precisely written and lead to observable outcomes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The Delphi Technique is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   A deep breathing and relaxation method to help you think clearly
B)   A way to review literature
C)   The name for examining your personal preferences
D)   A systematic group question, answer and suggestion session

Question 17

It is generally accepted that research objectives require more rigorous thinking which derives from the use of more formal language.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

It is a good idea to impress your proposal reader with a long list of references.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

What are you doing when you make your research question more specific?

Accepted Answer

A)   Procrastinating
B)   Operationalising
C)   Theorising
D)   Plagiarising

Question 20

Which of these is an item you would list in the 'resources' section of your research proposal?

Accepted Answer

A)   Financial costs
B)   Access to journal articles
C)   Key dates
D)   Research ethics

Exam 2: Formulating and Clarifying the Research Topic

There is no difference between a research question, objective and hypothesis.

A symmetry of potential outcomes means that the project ________.

Which of these is NOT theory?

Why is undertaking a preliminary study a good idea?

What is meant by "fresh insights" into a topic?

What is "working up, narrowing down"?

Why do we need 'schemata'?

Which of these is NOT a reason for writing a research proposal?

What is the difference between research questions and research objectives?

Which of the following should you NOT include in the methods section of your research proposal?

What helps to agree timing, agree resource allocation and also draws boundaries?

Substantive theory ________.

Scanning the news media can help generate a research topic because ________.

Research objectives should be precisely written and lead to observable outcomes.

The Delphi Technique is ________.

It is generally accepted that research objectives require more rigorous thinking which derives from the use of more formal language.

It is a good idea to impress your proposal reader with a long list of references.

What are you doing when you make your research question more specific?

Which of these is an item you would list in the 'resources' section of your research proposal?