Free Research Methods MCQs with Answers

• A. household account book
• B. confidential medical records
• C. government white paper
• D. the shares register of a business

Explanation: A household account book is a personal record normally kept for private use, so access is closed unless the owner permits inspection.

• A. not being able to write comprehensive field notes or record conversations
• B. deceiving the respondents as to the reason for your presence
• C. observing people outside of their natural setting
• D. subjecting the participants to physical harm

Explanation: Covert observation conceals the researcher's identity or purpose, so participants cannot give fully informed consent and are deceived…

• A. probability sampling
• B. cluster sampling
• C. non-probability sampling
• D. using the Christmas vacation constructively

Explanation: Snowball sampling recruits initial participants who refer the researcher to further participants, so selection probabilities are unknown.

• A. identifying any problems with the wording and routing
• B. testing out your computer and printer
• C. finding out which topics are important to the respondents
• D. deciding which respondents to leave out of the final sampleHire Grant Writers

Explanation: Pre-testing a questionnaire reveals unclear wording, faulty response options, and incorrect routing or skip instructions before the main…

• A. secondary analysis
• B. content analysis
• C. observation
• D. interviews

Explanation: Content analysis systematically examines written material for themes, meanings, or patterns, such as political ideas in novels.

• A. Pure science
• B. both a & b
• C. Applied Science
• D. None of these

Explanation: Applied science uses scientific knowledge to address practical problems, whereas pure or basic science primarily expands general knowledge…

• A. None of theseAccess Government Careers
• B. analytical research
• C. Scientific research
• D. Evaluation research

Explanation: Evaluation research assesses whether an action programme has achieved its objectives and how effectively it has worked.

• A. Experiment situation
• B. Scientific control
• C. Normal circumstances
• D. None of these

Explanation: Questionnaires and interviews are systematic methods because they ask respondents a planned set of questions under scientific control.

• A. fully controlled
• B. less controlled
• C. uncontrolled
• D. None of theseTry Science Kits

Explanation: Impressionistic studies rely largely on personal observation or general impressions rather than strict procedures, so they are less…

• A. unconscious
• B. behave naturally
• C. conscious and behave artificially
• D. None of these

Explanation: Laboratory participants know they are being observed, which can make them conscious of their behaviour and cause them to act artificially.

• A. Laboratory
• B. Field
• C. None of theseEveryday Science Mcqs
• D. both A & B

Explanation: The two broad types are laboratory experiments, conducted in controlled settings, and field experiments, conducted in natural social…

• A. its reliance on surveys
• B. its theoretical grounding
• C. its desire to solve problems
• D. its emphasis on careful reliable empirical research
• E. its reliance on government funding

Explanation: Sociology investigates social problems through systematic, careful, and reliable empirical research rather than opinion or a desire to…

• A. religious integration
• B. immigration
• C. globalization
• D. suicide
• E. disadvantaged groups

Explanation: Sociological research often examines disadvantaged groups because research can reveal how inequality, exclusion, and limited access to…

• A. testable
• B. formulated prior to research
• C. based on pre-existing facts
• D. exclusively sociological
• E. issue driven

Explanation: A sociological theory must be testable, meaning that evidence can potentially support or challenge its claims.

• A. it usually generates richer and more in-depth information than other methods
• B. the influence of specific variables can be controlled by the investigator
• C. it is essential when a study is primarily historical or has a historical dimension
• D. it can only be used to study relatively small groups or communities

Explanation: Ethnography uses close, usually prolonged observation and interaction, allowing researchers to obtain detailed, context-rich accounts of…

• A. Malthusianism
• B. forecasting
• C. demography
• D. official statistics

Explanation: Demography is the systematic study and measurement of population size, composition, distribution and change.

• A. Accuracy
• B. Precision and objectivity
• C. Systematic and recorded
• D. All of the above

Explanation: Scientific observation must be accurate, precise, objective, systematic, and recorded so that findings can be checked and replicated.

• A. observation solution theory
• B. Problem observation hypothesis data experiment conclusion
• C. Problem hypothesis observation conclusion
• D. None of these

Explanation: Scientific inquiry generally moves from identifying a problem through observation, hypothesis formation, data collection and testing, and…

• A. Mere observation
• B. Verifiable evidence
• C. Individual experiences
• D. None of these

Explanation: Science depends on evidence that can be checked, tested and verified by others.

• A. social research should highlight the positive aspects of social life
• B. none of the aboveTake Economics Courses
• C. sociologists should make more use of official statistics
• D. knowledge should be produced based on evidence from observations

Explanation: Positivism holds that reliable knowledge should be based on observable evidence and systematic methods, often including measurement.