Chapter 2

Question 1

In academic research, at University level, a verb best avoided in the research question is:

Answer 1

To describe.

Question 2

What is the main advantage of producing a written research proposal?

Answer 2

Informs all interested parties.

Question 3

Idea generation by two or more people thinking as freely as possible is formally known as:

Answer 3

Brainstorming.

Question 4

A symmetry of potential outcomes means that the project:

Answer 4

Will be valuable whatever the outcome.

Question 5

What is the difference between research questions and research objectives?

Answer 5

The wording of one is likely to be more specific than the other.

Question 6

These research tasks are slightly out of order. Which one should be moved? The study asked 2000 people about Christmas shopping.

Answer 6

Tables produced.

Question 7

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

Answer 7

The proposal.

Question 8

All of these may appear in a research proposal, but which one will always appear?

Answer 8

Research objective.

Question 9

Which word fills all the blanks in this extract: We talk about generating __________, testing _______, rejecting ________.

Answer 9

Hypotheses.

Question 10

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?

Answer 10

Setting a clear objective.

Question 11

Projects do go wrong. In one case a student’s conclusion was not acceptable. She jumped to that conclusion because it seemed to her to be the right answer. Which ONE of the following would have been realistic and would have helped the most with this problem?

Answer 11

Working closely with the information collected.

Question 12

Projects do go wrong. In one case a student could not analyse the data collected; he was not capable. Which ONE of the following would have been realistic and would have helped the most with this problem?

Answer 12

Regular meetings with the supervisor.

Question 13

A student plans a research project; it is called A description of IBM. On the limited information we have (the title), which ONE of these best applies to the idea?

Answer 13

It is wide.

Question 14

What is ‘a possible explanation that we may or may not agree with’?

Answer 14

The hypothesis.

Question 15

The timing section of a report will NOT include:

Answer 15

Guidelines on ethics.