GIMPA BUSINESS SCHOOL
SAMPLE OBJECTIVES QUESTIONS: BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS:
1. The research process is best described as a:
a) Method to select a frame of reference
b) Set of rules that govern the selection of subjects
c) Series of steps completed in a logical order
d) Plan that directs the research design
2. A research proposal is best described as a(n):
a) Framework for data collection and analysis
b) Description of the research process for a research project
c) Description of how the researcher plans to maintain an ethical perspective during the
study
d) Argument for the merit of the study
3.The purpose of a literature review is to:
a) Use the literature to identify present knowledge and what is unknown
b) Assist in defining the problem and operational definition
c) Identify strengths and weaknesses of previous studies
d) All of the above
4.The statement 'To identify the relationship between the time the patient spends on the
operating table and the development of pressure ulcers' is best described as a research:
a) Objective
b) Aim
c) Question
d) Hypothesis
5. An operational definition specifies:
a) The data analysis techniques to be used in the study
b) The levels of measurement to be used in the study
c) How a variable or concept will be defined and measured in the study
d) How the outcome of the research objectives for the study will be measured
6. A statement of the expected relationship between two or more variables is known as the:
a) Concept definition
b) Hypothesis
c) Problem statement
d) Research question
Examiner: Robert Abebreseh Page 1
7. In a qualitative research proposal you would not expect to see a:
a) Research question
b) Research aim
c) Hypothesis
d) Operational definition
8.'Relaxation therapy is more effective than standard patient education alone in decreasing
pre-operative anxiety' is an example of a:
a) Null hypothesis
b) Non-directional hypothesis
c) Complex hypothesis
d) Directional hypothesis
9. 'There is no difference in the incidence of phlebitis around intravenous cannula changed
every 72 hours and those changed at 96 hours' is an example of a:
a) Null hypothesis
b) Directional hypothesis
c) Non-directional hypothesis
d) Simple hypothesis
10. Which of the following statements meets the criteria for a researchable question?
a) Is the use of normal saline to cleanse wounds harmful to patients?
b) Do generalist registered nurses meet the mental health needs of general patients?
c) What are the patients' perceptions of the effectiveness of pre-operative education for
total hip replacement?
d) Do palliative care patients have spiritual needs?
11.The researcher needs to clearly identify the aim of the study; the question to be answered;
the population of interest; information to be collected, and feasibility in order to decide on the
research:
a) Design and method
b) Purpose and assumptions
c) Design and assumptions
d) Purpose and data analysis
12.A variable that changes due to the action of another variable is known as the:
a) Independent variable
b) Extraneous variable
c) Dependent variable
d) Complex variable
13.Researchers have a duty to avoid, prevent or minimise risk to study participants. This is
based on the principle of:
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a) Human rights
b) Non-maleficence
c) Beneficence
d) Justice
14. Which of the following is correct if a participant wishes to withdraw from a study?
a) Participation is voluntary and they can withdraw at any time
b) They must continue to participate as they have signed the consent form
c) Withdrawal from the study has to occur through the ethics committee
d) They may be able to withdraw if they negotiate with the research team
15.Researchers can ensure confidentiality by:
a) Using identification numbers or pseudonyms for participants
b) Not discussing participants in any data gathering with others
c) Keeping any identifying information separate from the data
d) All of the above
16.One of the requirements for informed consent is that the participant/s have been:
a) Told they have been selected because they meet the criteria for inclusion
b) Told they need to read the ethics proposal
c) Informed of the risks and benefits of the study
d) Informed the study has approval from administration
17.The principle underpinning voluntary and informed consent is:
a) Beneficence
b) Autonomy
c) Non-maleficence
d) Respect
18.Researchers must seek approval from a Human Research Ethics Committee if they intend
to:
a) Collect data from people by Interview or survey
b) Collect data by observation of people
c) Perform an intervention/treatment
d) All of the above
19.You are a nurse undertaking research as part of a higher degree. Your study will take place
in the outpatient clinic of a hospital. You will need to submit a proposal for ethics approval to
the ethics committee for the:
a) Hospital where the outpatient clinic is situated
b) Institution at which you are studying
c) Hospital and for the institution at which you are studying
d) Australian Health Ethics Committee
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20.You are invited to be a participant in a research study and have been given an information
sheet about the study. Which of the following statements best includes the information you
would expect to see included in this sheet?
a) A brief summary of the literature review, focus of the research and how the research
will affect you
b) What the research is about, benefits and risks of the research and how your privacy
will be respected
c) A brief summary of the literature review, how findings will be disseminated and a
place to sign your consent
d) What the research is about, benefits of the study and how your privacy will be
respected
21.A researcher plans to interview parents who have had a stillborn child. Aware that talking
about this event may cause distress, the researcher has a plan of action if this occurs during
data collection. The principle underlying this plan is that of:
a) Maleficence
b) Self-determination
c) Autonomy
d) Non-maleficence
22. If you collected data from a patient who had not been asked to give consent, which of the
following principles would you have broken?
a) Autonomy and human rights
b) Beneficence and autonomy
c) Human rights and maleficence
d) Beneficence and dignity
23. A researcher poses a question about the relationship between the effects of pre-operative
education on the level of anxiety in patients who are due to have hip replacement surgery.
This question can best be answered by a(n):
a) Comparative design
b) Descriptive design
c) Randomised control trial
d) Epidemiological design
24. Phenomenological research design is used to study:
a) Individuals, artefacts and natural settings
b) Social processes individuals use in their daily interactions
c) Theoretical and methodological issues
d) The nature and meaning of everyday experiences
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25. In a phenomenological study the researcher needs to identify their own previous beliefs,
ideas or knowledge about the phenomenon they wish to study, then set them aside. This is
called:
a) Heuristics
b) Bracketing
c) Essence
d) Intuiting
26. Heuristics aims to explore a phenomenon through:
a) Applying concepts from existential thought
b) Describing the researcher's phenomenon of interest
c) Transcendence of the findings into scientific concepts
d) The personal experiences of the researcher
27. Grounded theory examines and analyses the data using a process known as:
a) Theoretical compression
b) Constant comparative method
c) Memoing
d) Intentionality
28.Theoretical sampling refers to:
a) The collection of further data from participants to validate their responses
b) The collection of data from new participants based on the emerging theory
c) Testing the theory in the research setting
d) A method of coding
30.Ethnographic research design is used when a researcher wishes to study:
a) Psychological processes of individual human interaction
b) Experience of social change within individuals
c) Life, patterns and meanings of human behaviour in groups or individuals.
d) The effect of social structures on individuals' lives
31. A researcher wishes to examine why the health of homeless people has not improved
despite the introduction of community health clinics. The research design that would best
provide answers to this question is:
a) Critical social theory
b) Phenomenology
c) Grounded theory
d) Heuristics
32.A group of clinicians discover that they have similar concerns about a practice issue and
decide to carry out a study to determine factors affecting the issue. From the results they
developed, implemented and evaluated a new practice approach. This study used a(n):
a) Experimental design
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b) Ethnographic design
c) Action research design
d) Critical social theory design
33.A representative sample is used so that the results of a study are:
a) Reliable
b) Generalisable
c) Convenient
d) Limited
34. A sample can be defined as a:
a) Population of interest to a researcher
b) Quota from within the whole population
c) Subset of a population representative of the population of interest to the researcher
d) Criterion used to define eligibility for the research study
35. The type of sampling approach where each person in the sampling frame has an equal
chance of being selected is best described as:
a) Systematic sampling
b) Stratified random sampling
c) Simple random sampling
d) Non-probability sampling
36.Random sampling is used to ensure that:
a) Only those persons available are included in the study
b) The research design is adequate for the specific study
c) The size of the sample is appropriate for the study
d) The sample is representative of the study population
37.The population from which the study sample is selected is called the:
a) Accessible population
b) Target population
c) Total population
d) Universal population
38. Which one of the following types of samples is least representative of the population?
a) Stratified random sample
b) Convenience sample
c) Quota sample
d) Cluster sample
39.A random sample is expected to approximate a normal distribution because:
a) A small sample size is not an issue
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b) There are equal numbers of below and above average cases
c) The sample will contain mainly average cases
d) The goal is to maximise the sampling error
40. You are approached by a person in the street who asks you to participate in a study on life
insurance by answering a number of questions. The method of sampling which has been used
to select you is:
a) Random sampling
b) Convenience sampling
c) Stratified random sampling
d) Network sampling
41.Random assignment is the:
a) Selection of subjects into the sampling frame
b) Selection of a subset of subjects using random numbers
c) Allocation of subjects into a specific intervention group
d) Allocation of subjects into the accessible group
42.Purposive samples contain participants who:
a) Meet the criteria of being available to the researcher
b) Meet specific purposes or criteria related to the aims of the study
c) Are in the study field when something unexpected occurs during data collection
d) Represent each group within the accessible sample
43. To calculate the required sample size for a quantitative study the researcher needs to
consider:
a) Maximum effect size
b) Level of significance
c) Measurement error
d) Population homogeneity
44. A larger sample size is required when:
a) The population of interest for a study is less diverse
b) A low level of precision is required
c) The population of interest is easily recruited to the study
d) A high level of precision is required
45.Study participants are asked to indicate their ethnic background from a given list (e.g.
Caucasian). This type of variable is classified as:
a) Continuous
b) Ordinal
c) Nominal
d) Discrete
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46. Researchers are interested in measuring cholesterol levels of participants. Cholesterol
levels are:
a) Continuous variables
b) Ordinal variables
c) Nominal variables
d) Discrete variables
47. Identify the type of statistics researchers use when reporting demographic information
such as gender, age, ethnicity, salary and level of education collected during a study:
a) Interpretative
b) Dichotomous
c) Descriptive
d) Inferential
48.Analysis of data shows that the distribution of results is skewed. Due to this the
researchers decide the measure of central tendency best used to report the findings is the:
a) Mean
b) Range
c) Median
d) Average
49. An abstract for a research report states that cross tabulation was performed. This indicates
to the reader that the analysis involves:
a) Two numerical variables
b) Two categorical variables
c) One categorical and one numerical variable
d) One numerical and one ordinal variable
50.Researchers report a 95% confidence interval (CI) for pain scores. This indicates:
a) There is absolute risk reduction for the population
b) There is a significant difference in pain scores in the sample
c) The mean pain score for the sample
d) The range within which the true value of the population mean is likely to lie within
95% probability
51.A report states that the results are statistically significant. This means that:
a) The null hypothesis is true
b) The alternate hypothesis is true
c) The p-value is larger then the level of significance
d) The p-value is less than the significance level
52. Reporting that there is no difference between treatment groups when differences exist is
called a(n):
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a) Error of confidence
b) gamma
c) Beta
d) Alpha
53. The relationship between blood pressure and cholesterol levels is best described by using
a:
a) Correlation test
b) Chi-square test
c) t-test
d) Wilcoxon test
54. If a researcher wanted to predict with 99% accuracy they would set the level of
significance at:
a) .05
b) .95
c) .01
d) .10
55.The risk of making a beta (type II) error is:
a) Less if the level of significance is set at 0.01
b) Greater if the level of significance is set at 0.05
c) Not affected by the p-value
d) Increased by the confidence interval
56.Multivariate statistical analysis is used when:
a) Random allocation to three groups has occurred
b) Randomisation has not occurred
c) Only one study factor is to be analysed
d) There is failure of a study factor
57.A critical review aims to:
a) Summarise information on a topic from all relevant literature to inform practice
b) Identify strengths and limitations to make conclusions about quality of the evidence
c) Identify weaknesses in research studies to make judgments about their suitability
d) Describe the methods used to gain evidence in the research studies
58.In deciding which literature to include in a critical review you would include all except:
a) Journal articles that report on the relationship between variables
b) Published abstracts of research conference papers
c) Articles that discuss theories or concepts and their application to practice
d) Published studies that used qualitative methodology
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59. In critically reviewing a report of a quantitative study the area of the report you would
focus on to appraise credibility is the:
a) Introduction
b) Methodology
c) Ethical issues
d) Report of the analysis
60.Constraints or problems in a study are known as:
a) Assumptions
b) Generalizations
c) Concepts
d) Limitations
61. The section/sentence that includes the aim or purpose of the study is found in the:
a) Literature review
b) Methodology
c) Introduction
d) Theoretical framework
62.When evaluating the research study results you would consider all of the following as
important except:
a) The author's qualifications and experience
b) The design and methodology for the study
c) The significance of the findings for nursing practice
d) The discussion of results and recommendations for practice
63.When appraising the statistical results of a study you need to:
a) Not worry about understanding the results as the researcher has analysed them for the
reader
b) Assume that the right statistical tests have been used to answer the research question
c) Just understand what the p-value means
d) Search for the researcher's rationale for the statistical tests and results
64.In critiquing a qualitative research report you would expect to find information that would
assist you in assessing the credibility of the study in the:
a) Literature review
b) Discussion of analysis of the data
c) Methodology
d) Philosophical integration
65. The final paper of a critical review of literature contains:
a) A summary of each author's work you have read
b) A description of the findings in each piece of research
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c) A synthesis of the analysis of the information in the reviewed papers
d) Your analysis of each piece of literature
66.In making a decision about which appraisal tool to use when undertaking a critical review
of six phenomenological studies, the best action is to:
a) Select a generic tool that will cover general aspects
b) Use the steps of the research process as your guideline
c) Follow the example of a previously written critique of qualitative research
d) Select a specific tool for the study design you are critiquing
67.A representative sample is used so that the results of a study are:
a) Reliable
b) Generalisable
c) Convenient
d) Limited
68. A sample can be defined as a:
a) Population of interest to a researcher
b) Quota from within the whole population
c) Subset of a population representative of the population of interest to the researcher
d) Criterion used to define eligibility for the research study
69.The type of sampling approach where each person in the sampling frame has an equal
chance of being selected is best described as:
a) Systematic sampling
b) Stratified random sampling
c) Simple random sampling
d) Non-probability sampling
70. Random sampling is used to ensure that:
a) Only those persons available are included in the study
b) The research design is adequate for the specific study
c) The size of the sample is appropriate for the study
d) The sample is representative of the study population
71.The population from which the study sample is selected is called the:
a) Accessible population
b) Target population
c) Total population
d) Universal population
72. Which one of the following types of samples is least representative of the population?
a) Stratified random sample
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b) Convenience sample
c) Quota sample
d) Cluster sample
73. A random sample is expected to approximate a normal distribution because:
a) A small sample size is not an issue
b) There are equal numbers of below and above average cases
c) The sample will contain mainly average cases
d) The goal is to maximise the sampling error
74. You are approached by a person in the street who asks you to participate in a study on life
insurance by answering a number of questions. The method of sampling which has been used
to select you is:
a) Random sampling
b) Convenience sampling
c) Stratified random sampling
d) Network sampling
75.Random assignment is the:
a) Selection of subjects into the sampling frame
b) Selection of a subset of subjects using random numbers
c) Allocation of subjects into a specific intervention group
d) Allocation of subjects into the accessible group
76. Purposive samples contain participants who:
a) Meet the criteria of being available to the researcher
b) Meet specific purposes or criteria related to the aims of the study
c) Are in the study field when something unexpected occurs during data collection
d) Represent each group within the accessible sample
78.To calculate the required sample size for a quantitative study the researcher needs to
consider:
a) Maximum effect size
b) Level of significance
c) Measurement error
d) Population homogeneity
79. A larger sample size is required when:
a) The population of interest for a study is less diverse
b) A low level of precision is required
c) The population of interest is easily recruited to the study
d) A high level of precision is required
80. Quantitative research uses:
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a) Reductionist reasoning
b) Holistic reasoning
c) Deductive reasoning
d) Inductive reasoning
81. When participants with similar characteristics are included in the sample for a
quantitative study this is known as:
a) Randomisation
b) Association
c) Causality
d) Homogeneity
82. The degree to which the findings of a study reflect reality is dependent on:
a) Analysis validity
b) Internal validity
c) External validity
d) Precision validity
83. The degree to which the findings of the study can be generalised to a wider population is
known as:
a) Analysis validity
b) Construct validity
c) Internal validity
d) External validity
84.A researcher wishes to use a rating scale that has been tested and validated for collecting
data in a quantitative study. Using such a rating scale will help them to avoid which one of
the following threats to internal validity?
a) Maturation
b) Selection bias
c) Instrumentation
d) Testing
85.During a pre-test-post-test study of a weight control intervention there is heightened media
attention to weight control measures. The researchers are worried that the validity of the
study will be affected due to:
a) Maturation
b) History
c) Reactive effects
d) Interaction effect
86. A study aims to determine the difference in rates of pressure ulcers following introduction
of a new skin care schedule. The researchers examine the records of reported pressure ulcers
before and after the introduction of the new intervention. The study design used is a(n):
a) Experimental design
b) Non-experimental design
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c) Cross-sectional design
d) Cross-over design
87. A high level of control is the hallmark of:
a) Descriptive design
b) Correlational design
c) Epidemiological design
d) Experimental design
88. A quasi-experimental design is characterised by manipulation of the independent variable
and:
a) Random assignment of subjects into control and intervention groups
b) No randomisation of groups
c) Random assignment of subjects into the control group
d) Control of extraneous variables
89.A researcher is interested in finding out if there is a difference in behaviour change
between three different interventions for anxiety. The researcher plans to give people in each
intervention group a questionnaire and presents the results in the form of percentages for each
variable measured. The research design used in this study is a:
a) Correlational design
b) Quasi-experimental design
c) Cohort study design
d) Descriptive design
90.In selecting a quasi-experimental design in preference to an experimental design the
researchers are aware that the study will have less:
a) Bias
b) Data available
c) Control
d) Testing
91. To estimate the mean of the population from sample information, we need to calculate the
standard deviation of the distribution of the sample means around the population mean. This
is done by dividing the standard deviation of our sample by the square root of N, and is called
the:
A. central limit
B. integral calculus
C. standard error
D. Z score
92. Suppose a researcher hypothesizes that a person who favors national health insurance is
more likely to vote for President Obama. In this case, the dependent variable is:
A. attitude toward national health insurance
B. attitude toward Bill Clinton
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C. Bill Clinton's support for national health insurance
D. presidential vote
93. It is hypothesized that among the elderly, there is a relationship between marital status
and happiness. In this hypothesis, happiness is a(n) __________ variable and marital status is
a(n) ___________ variable while age is a(n) ________ variable.
A. independent, dependent, control
B. independent, control, dependent
C. dependent, independent, control
D. dependent, control, independent
94. A research proposal is best described as a(n):
e) Description of how the researcher plans to maintain an ethical perspective during
the study
f) Framework for data collection and analysis
g) Description of the research process for a research project
h) Argument for the merit of the study
95. A correlation coefficient of .90 between learning time and GPA indicates:
A. a weak association
B. a strong association
C. a statistically significant association
D. both b and c
96. The purpose of a literature review is to:
e) Use the literature to identify present knowledge and what is unknown
f) Assist in defining the problem and operational definition
g) Identify strengths and weaknesses of previous studies
h) All of the above
97. The statement 'To identify the relationship between the time the patient spends on the
operating table and the development of pressure ulcers' is best described as a research:
e) Objective
f) Aim
g) Question
h) Hypothesis
98. A statement of the expected relationship between two or more variables is known as
the:
e) Concept definition
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f) Hypothesis
g) Problem statement
h) Research question
99. In a qualitative research proposal you would not expect to see a:
e) Research question
f) Research aim
g) Hypothesis
h) Operational definition
100. Relaxation therapy is more effective than standard patient education alone in decreasing
pre-operative anxiety' is an example of a:
e) Null hypothesis
f) Non-directional hypothesis
g) Complex hypothesis
h) Directional hypothesis
101. Ethnographic research design is used when a researcher wishes to study:
e) Psychological processes of individual human interaction
f) Experience of social change within individuals
g) Life, patterns and meanings of human behaviour in groups or individuals
h) The effect of social structures on individuals' lives
102. A group of clinicians discover that they have similar concerns about a practice issue and
decide to carry out a study to determine factors affecting the issue. From the results they
developed, implemented and evaluated a new practice approach. This study used a(n):
e) Experimental design
f) Ethnographic design
g) Action research design
h) Critical social theory design
103. A representative sample is used so that the results of a study are:
e) Reliable
f) Generalisable
g) Convenient
h) Limited
104. A sample can be defined as a:
e) Population of interest to a researcher
f) Quota from within the whole population
g) Subset of a population representative of the population of interest to the researcher
Examiner: Robert Abebreseh Page 16
h) Criterion used to define eligibility for the research study
105. The type of sampling approach where each person in the sampling frame has an equal
chance of being selected is best described as:
e) Systematic sampling
f) Stratified random sampling
g) Simple random sampling
h) Non-probability sampling
106. Random assignment is the:
e) Selection of subjects into the sampling frame
f) Selection of a subset of subjects using random numbers
g) Allocation of subjects into a specific intervention group
h) Allocation of subjects into the accessible group
107. Purposive samples contain participants who:
e) Meet the criteria of being available to the researcher
f) Meet specific purposes or criteria related to the aims of the study
g) Are in the study field when something unexpected occurs during data collection
h) Represent each group within the accessible sample
108. To calculate the required sample size for a quantitative study the researcher needs to
consider:
e) Maximum effect size
f) Level of significance
g) Measurement error
h) Population homogeneity
109. A larger sample size is required when:
e) The population of interest for a study is less diverse
f) A low level of precision is required
g) The population of interest is easily recruited to the study
h) A high level of precision is required
110. Study participants are asked to indicate their ethnic background from a given list (e.g.
Caucasian). This type of variable is classified as:
e) Continuous
f) Ordinal
g) Nominal
h) Discrete
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111. A report states that the results are statistically significant. This means that:
e) The null hypothesis is true
f) The alternate hypothesis is true
g) The p-value is larger than the level of significance
h) The p-value is less than the significance level
112. Reporting that there is no difference between treatment groups when differences exist is
called a(n):
e) Error of confidence
f) gamma
g) Beta
h) Alpha
113. The relationship between blood pressure and cholesterol levels is best described by
using a:
e) Correlation test
f) Chi-square test
g) t-test
h) Wilcoxon test
114. If a researcher wanted to predict with 99% accuracy they would set the level of
significance at:
e) .05
f) .95
g) .01
h) .10
115. The risk of making a beta (type II) error is:
e) Less if the level of significance is set at 0.01
f) Greater if the level of significance is set at 0.05
g) Not affected by the p-value
h) Increased by the confidence interval
116. When participants with similar characteristics are included in the sample for a
quantitative study this is known as:
e) Randomisation
f) Association
g) Causality
h) Homogeneity
117. The degree to which the findings of a study reflect reality is dependent on:
e) Analysis validity
f) Internal validity
g) External validity
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h) Precision validity
118. The degree to which the findings of the study can be generalised to a wider population is
known as:
e) Analysis validity
f) Construct validity
g) Internal validity
h) External validity
119. The primary function of business research is to
a) provide information to assist managers in making decisions
b) provide solution to a business problem
c) attempt to predict future behavior
d) identify personal needs
120. The goal of defining the problem is
a) to state the research question clearly
b) to have a single hypothesis
c) to translate a research problem into a managerial problem
d) to initiate exploratory research
121. Which of the following is the best example of an operational definition?
A. group solidarity: the strength of positive interpersonal relations within a group
B. political participation: voluntary taking part in choosing political leaders
C. delinquency: any person between the ages of 7 and 18 who admits to a crime
D. anomie: a state of normlessness in which social control has become ineffective
122. A variable's level of measurement indicates the:
A. number of questions used to measure the variable
B. number of categories which can be used to group scores on the variable
C. kinds of comparisons that can be made between cases in different categories
D. correspondence between conceptual and operational definitions
123. Which of the following is correct if a participant wish to withdraw from a study?
e) Participation is voluntary and they can withdraw at any time
f) They must continue to participate as they have signed the consent form
g) Withdrawal from the study has to occur through the ethics committee
h) They may be able to withdraw if they negotiate with the researcher.
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