Practice Quizzes

1. Which one of the following is NOT a feature of classical experimental designs?

  1. recruitment of study participants
  2. assignment at random to experimental and control groups
  3. creating conditions in which the two groups will compete with each other
  4. describing the experiment so that other researchers can potentially replicate the work in future

Ans: C

2. Which one of the following statements about factual surveys is NOT correct?

  1. can be used to describe the main features of a sample (of people, opinions, etc.)
  2. will identify relationships between predictor and dependant variables
  3. are used to gather data for survey feedback exercises in companies
  4. are frequently used to conduct market research and opinion polls

Ans: B

3. Which of the following statements about ethnography is NOT correct?

  1. The aim in ethnography is for researchers to come as close as they can to the people or organizations are studying, sometimes called ‘immersion’.
  2. Ethnography always involves covert observation.
  3. The distinction between emic and etic perspectives in ethnography is similar to the practical research idea of combining insider and outsider perspectives.
  4. Participant observation is important way of gathering ethnographic data.

Ans: B

4. Which of the below is TRUE about narrative methods?

  1. are closely linked to ethnographic methods
  2. require the researcher to be a great storyteller
  3. aspire to reconcile emic and etic perspectives
  4. are a key feature in the induction process within multinationals

Ans: A

5. Which one of the following statements is NOT true about case studies?

  1. usually involve investigating events, processes, or organizations
  2. can be conducted using positivist, or constructionist epistemologies
  3. are useful for inspiring new research ideas
  4. are cheaper to run than factual surveys

Ans: D

6. Which one of the following statements about grounded theory (GT) is TRUE?

  1. The researcher should be fully conversant with all relevant literature before any data is collected.
  2. GT assumes that theory will emerge from interaction with the data.
  3. GT assumes that any contact with stakeholders will create bias and thus will invalidate results.
  4. GT requires that the sampling framework be determined before fieldwork commences.

Ans: B

7. Which one of the following statements is FALSE about mixed methods studies?

  1. normally employ at least two data collection methods
  2. can be used to identify greater diversity of views in comparison with single methods studies
  3. do not require that the research design is articulated before data is collected
  4. require that the researcher is competent at using each of the methods involved in the study

Ans: C

8. Which of the following statements do you consider to be truer than the other two?

  1. The primary aim of the researcher must be to contribute to ‘grand’ theories.
  2. A common distinction about positivist and constructionist designs is that the former are more useful for testing theories, while the latter are more useful for developing theories.
  3. We should only use the term ‘theory’ in relation to scientifically deduced and validated ideas.

Ans: B

9. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

  1. The ‘subject of study’ is the academic discipline to which the research belongs.
  2. The key debates within an academic discipline are extremely stable and do not change over time.
  3. Neither people nor data are considered to be part of the subject of study.
  4. When trying to identify and define the subject of study, both students and academics need to be very aware of fads and fashions and decide whether they want to follow others or to strike out independently.

Ans: B

10. The main purpose of collecting data from a sample is to ______.

  1. provide sufficient information at the beginning of a study to judge the overall validity of the research
  2. enable the researcher to make statements about the larger groups from which the sample is drawn
  3. minimize the overall costs of gathering research data
  4. test and develop the ability of members of the research team to work co-operatively

Ans: B