Graduate Research Methods
Exam Materials
Course Introduction
Graduate Research Methods provides an in-depth exploration of the fundamental principles and techniques employed in academic research across disciplines. The course covers the formulation of research questions, design of qualitative and quantitative studies, data collection and analysis strategies, literature review methodologies, ethical considerations, and the interpretation and dissemination of research findings. Students will develop the skills necessary to critically evaluate existing research and to design and implement their own scholarly projects, preparing them for advanced academic inquiry and professional research roles.
Recommended Textbook
Educational Research Competencies for Analysis and Applications Global Edition 11th Edition by
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Educational Research
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Sample Questions
Q1) Case Study is a method employed by
A) quantitative researchers.
B) qualitative researchers.
C) experimental researchers.
D) empirical researchers.
Answer: B
Q2) Which of the following, by law, is a required characteristic of Institutional Review Board (IRB) membership composition?
A) a minimum of seven members
B) both qualitative and quantitative researchers
C) gender diversity
D) cultural diversity
Answer: C
Q3) One of the reasons why ethical concerns for qualitative researchers are enhanced is because
A) the researcher is engaged in the research context.
B) the research generally addresses sensitive topics.
C) qualitative researchers do not obtain informed consent.
D) qualitative researchers generally employ deception.
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: Selecting and Defining a Research Topic
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Q1) Of the following which is NOT a characteristic of a good hypothesis statement?
A) It is testable within a reasonable time frame.
B) It is supported by everyday experiences and intuition.
C) It provides a reasonable explanation for the predicted outcome.
D) It clearly states the expected relationship between the defined variables.
Answer: B
Q2) According to your text the first step in applying the scientific method is
A) searching the existing literature.
B) generating and testing a hypothesis.
C) selecting and defining a research problem.
D) drawing conclusions from data.
Answer: C
Q3) The following are characteristic of a good research problem EXCEPT
A) The problem has theoretical or practical significance.
B) The problem can be investigated through the collection and analysis of data.
C) The problem can be investigated within a set period of time.
D) The problem is investigates what individuals should do.
Answer: D
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Chapter 3: Reviewing the Literature
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Q1) The review of the literature includes
A) the participants included in the study.
B) the procedures for data collection.
C) the research problem of the study.
D) the discussion of the data analysis conducted.
Answer: C
Q2) What is the most important advantage of using a database (e.g., ERIC) over an internet search (e.g., Google)?
A) A database is likely to return more hits.
B) A database is organized by humans using subject headings.
C) A database will only return primary sources.
D) A database will have the full text of the article.
Answer: B
Q3) Of the following, which is likely a peer-reviewed source for an instructional design study?
A) a class textbook.
B) a chapter from an edited book.
C) a magazine article.
D) an article in a scholarly journal.
Answer: D
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Chapter 4: Preparing and Evaluating a Research Plan
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Sample Questions
Q1) Often researchers field-test their instruments and research plan procedures prior to conducting research. This strategy is referred to as a(n)
A) a priori testing.
B) reliability test.
C) validity test.
D) pilot test.
Q2) Peggy is planning to conduct a study in a small rural school. She recognizes it is important to include the setting information in her study. Where should Peggy place this information?
A) Introduction
B) Method
C) Data Analysis
D) Discussion
Q3) The data analysis strategies subsection in a qualitative research plan typically includes
A) the procedures for storing the data.
B) the procedures to collate and categorize the data.
C) the interview or survey questions.
D) the procedures to ensure validity and reliability.
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Chapter 5: Selecting a Sample
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Q1) Jane is conducting a study at a small liberal arts school on the East Coast that addresses the reasons why male college students are less likely to graduate within a four-year time frame than are female students. She would like her study to generalize to all of the college student population in the United States. Given Jane's study which of the following is the accessible population?
A) The participants in Jane's study
B) The students at small liberal arts schools on the East Coast
C) All college students in the United States
D) The students at the school from which the participants were sampled
Q2) Participants identified as those from whom to seek information is the definition of A) a sample.
B) a population.
C) a target population.
D) an accessible population.
Q3) One benefit of cluster sampling is that it
A) is effective for use in school research.
B) assures limited sampling error.
C) is more generalizable than simple random sampling.
D) assures all members of the population can be in a treatment condition.
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Chapter 6: Selecting Measurement Instruments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Gender is considered a(n) ___________ level variable.
A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio
Q2) Which of the following is the best example of a standardized test?
A) A classroom-based teacher developed test
B) An attitude measure developed by a researcher
C) The national achievement test
D) The outcome measures of amount learned in an experimental study
Q3) The relationship between reliability and SE<sub>m</sub> is that
A) if reliability increases SE<sub>m</sub> increases.
B) if reliability increases SE<sub>m</sub> decreases.
C) if reliability is positive SE<sub>m</sub> is positive.
D) if reliability is positive SE<sub>m</sub> is negative.
Q4) Assessments include all of the following EXCEPT
A) measurements.
B) tests.
C) observations.
D) interviews.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Survey Research
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Sample Questions
Q1) Chuck administered a web-based survey and received a low response rate. What would be the best initial strategy to address the low response rate?
A) Draw a new sample from the population
B) Resend the initial cover letter
C) Send a reminder email
D) Mail a copy of the initial cover letter
Q2) Don studies high school seniors' concerns about world events during their post-secondary experiences. He surveys the entire senior class state-wide. Every year, for eight years, he surveys the senior class that year. Don is using a ___________ type of survey.
A) cross-sectional
B) trend
C) cohort
D) panel
Q3) A census survey is
A) a large scale cohort survey.
B) a survey of the full population.
C) a combination of a panel survey and a trend survey.
D) a follow-up survey of all potential participants.
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Chapter 8: Correlational Research
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Q1) Yeung reported a correlation of .70 between hours of exercise and self-reported stress-level in graduate students. Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding this result?
A) The two variables were unrelated in her study.
B) As hours of exercise increased, stress generally increased.
C) Her finding represents a moderate effect.
D) Her results represent significant differences.
Q2) A Pearson r correlation is best used for data that is expressed as
A) ordinal and continuous.
B) only rank.
C) only ordinal.
D) only continuous.
Q3) Attenuation refers to
A) stating there is not a relationship between two variables when there is one B) lowered accuracy in a prediction equation when it is applied to a new sample.
C) combining many variables in order to predict the most amount of variance.
D) reduction of correlation coefficients when measures have low reliability.
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Chapter 9: Causal-Comparative Research
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Q1) Stan's study examined the differences in self-concept between children enrolled in a summer outdoor adventure program and those who were not. The adventure group children had slightly higher self-concept prior to the program than the comparison group, so Stan took individual's initial self-concept score into consideration when he examined his data. Which of the following strategies for controlling extraneous variables did Stan employ?
A) Matching
B) Comparing homogeneous subgroups
C) Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA)
D) Manipulation of independent variable
Q2) Of the following, which likely describes a causal-comparative study?
A) The hygiene procedures followed during a day in a high school alternative schooling environment
B) The differences between mathematics learning outcomes in traditional and alternative schooling
C) The relationship between alternative schooling and later youth criminal offenses in urban youth offenders
D) The qualifications or credentials of teachers in a typical alternative school located in the southwest United States
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Chapter 10: Experimental Research
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Q1) Kari wants to make sure that all students in her study receive both of the treatments she is testing. To ensure all subjects receive both interventions, which of the following designs should Kari consider?
A) Time-series design
B) Solomon four-group design
C) Counterbalanced design
D) Nonequivalent groups control group design
Q2) In experimental studies, but NOT in other studies,
A) the researcher manipulates the dependent variables.
B) the researcher manipulates the independent variables.
C) the researcher tries to eliminate the effects of extraneous variables.
D) the researcher examines a priori differences between groups.
Q3) Which of the following is a drawback of the Solomon Four group design?
A) Lack of control for threats to internal validity
B) The large number of participants needed
C) Systematic desensitization
D) Increased experimenter effects
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Chapter 11: Single-Subject Experimental Research
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Q1) Frank observes and tracks Garrett's behavior for four days to determine how often he actually does leave his materials behind. He then introduces a required assignment book strategy to increase his ability to keep track of his class materials. Frank continues to observe Garrett's behavior. However, under the assignment book strategy, Garrett's behavior does not change. Frank decides that he will also require that Garrett obtain signatures from his teachers and parents in his assignment book and observes improved behavior. After four weeks, Frank removes the required assignment book and signature and observes and records Garrett's behavior for a week. In Frank's study, the signed assignment book represents which of the following?
A) A
B) B
C) S
D) T
Q2) Which of the following represents the type of replication that includes a different researcher, different behaviors, and different setting?
A) Systematic
B) Direct
C) Clinical
D) Generalized
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Chapter 12: Narrative Research
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Q1) As identified in your text, which of the following is a trend that has influenced the development of narrative research?
A) Increased emphasis on teacher accountability
B) Increased emphasis on student learning
C) Increased emphasis on teacher reflection
D) Increased emphasis on student self-regulation
Q2) As a narrative researcher you have established a relationship with Saud to better understand the experiences of a father from Saudi Arabia with children growing up in the US. What is your next step?
A) Develop initial narrative research questions.
B) Describe the researcher's role.
C) Describe data collection methods.
D) Complete the writing of the narrative account.
Q3) Which of the following is NOT a specific method discussed in your text as a narrative data source?
A) Oral History
B) Biographical Writing
C) Letter writing
D) Census findings
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Ethnographic Research
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Q1) Xavier is an ethnographer studying doctor/patient relations. As a certified Physician's Assistant, he agrees to donate some of his skills in the weekend clinic in return for the opportunity to conduct his study. By agreeing to donate hours in the weekend clinic to gain access for his study, Xavier is best illustrating
A) reciprocity.
B) tolerance for ambiguity.
C) triangulation.
D) maintaining rapport.
Q2) Which of the following is a characteristic of ethnographic research?
A) Data are primarily collected through fieldwork experiences.
B) Ethnographic research is most often completed by research teams.
C) Ethnographic research requires little training but instead relies on intuition.
D) Ethnographic research is objective and devoid of political context.
Q3) According to your text, the first step in ethnographic research is to
A) describe the site
B) select the sample
C) identify the purpose of the study
D) seek permissions to study the setting.
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Chapter 14: Case Study Research
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Q1) Of the following, which is the most accurate statement regarding sample selection in case study research?
A) The available sample defines the unit of analysis.
B) The researcher selects the unit of analysis.
C) The client defines the unit of analysis.
D) The unit of analysis is determined by the context.
Q2) To state that a case study is heuristic means that
A) it represents a strategy employed by scholars.
B) it relies on participant knowledge.
C) it shares something new about the phenomenon.
D) it supports a priori hypotheses.
Q3) Which of the following is the most common form of sampling in case study research?
A) Random
B) Convenience
C) Purposive
D) Cluster
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Chapter 15: Mixed Methods Research
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Q1) Of the following, which best illustrates an example of a mixed methods study that addresses students' selection of a major at a large land-grant university?
A) Karen uses high school grades, university grades, and scores on a career placement survey to predict students' major.
B) Jonna uses high school grades, SAT scores, and university placement exam scores to classify likely success in a given major.
C) Bonnie interviews high school students about their career aspirations and follows them through their second year of university collecting interview data every 3 months..
D) Pui-wa collects career placement survey data and conducts follow-up interviews with a portion of the respondents selected based upon their major.
Q2) Which one of the following is the best justification for why you might use mixed methods research as your design? There is need to
A) converge two forms of qualitative data to better understand a trait.
B) converge quantitative and qualitative data to better understand a problem.
C) keep quantitative and qualitative data separate within a study.
D) test the quantitative interpretations using qualitative data.
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17
Chapter 16: Action Research
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Q1) Two main types of action research, as presented in your text, are
A) professional stance and theory-based action research.
B) critical action research and practical action research
C) practical action research and applied action research
D) dialectic action research and critical action research
Q2) Marcus, a new coach, is concerned with the ways in which summer football camp is conducted. Although he is very cautious about the amount of water breaks and rests he employs, he is concerned the athletes may become seriously injured during football camp. Marcus decides to conduct an action research study on the issue. Marcus starts to look into the history of football camp at the school and how the camp developed over time. Of the following, which is the next process Marcus will likely employ?
A) Marcus will next engage in fully describing the football camp situation he would like to change.
B) Marcus will collect data to make decisions about changes to football camp.
C) Marcus will carry out his action planning and share his findings with school administrators and parents.
D) Marcus will take action, and change football camp to protect the health of his athletes.
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Chapter 17: Descriptive Statistics
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Q1) Given a mean of 15 and a median of 22 what can we say about the distribution of scores?
A) It is negatively skewed distribution.
B) It is positively skewed distribution.
C) We cannot determine its distribution.
D) It is normally distributed.
Q2) In a distribution with a mean of 28 and a standard deviation of 2 almost all the scores fall between
A) 22-34.
B) 24-32.
C) 22-30.
D) 26-30.
Q3) Anne has two ordinal-level variables in a data set. Which of the following should she use to calculate a correlation between these two variables?
A) Spearman rho
B) Pearson r
C) Alpha coefficient
D) Kappa tau
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19
Chapter 18: Inferential Statistics
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Q1) Molly has conducted a study that examines whether exposure to computers increases eyestrain in children. She randomly assigns children to one of four treatment conditions dependent upon computer exposure levels. The children's eyestrain is then tested. Which of the following tests of significance is Molly likely to use?
A) t test
B) Chi square
C) ANOVA
D) Analysis of gain scores
Q2) In a recent study that tested differences in metacognition between those with high ability and those with low ability, Teo concluded that there were not differences between these groups. In fact, however, the low ability students were actually significantly better at monitoring their learning. Teo's conclusion represents
A) a Type I error.
B) a Type II error.
C) both a Type I and a Type II error.
D) a correct decision.
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Chapter 19: Qualitative Data Collection
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Q1) Myles is conducting a qualitative research study of middle management engineers enrolled in an executive MBA program. If Myles' study is consistent with practice, which of the following represents his primary data source?
A) Records from the school that show the program requirements
B) Observations of the students while engaged in coursework
C) Opinion surveys regarding participants purposes for enrollment
D) Students' academic transcripts
Q2) Interviews generally used to gather basic information at the start of a study are referred to as
A) structured.
B) informal.
C) unstructured.
D) spontaneous.
Q3) The researcher's belief that everything is context-bound refers to which of the following validity criteria for qualitative research?
A) Dependability
B) Transferability
C) Credibility
D) Confirmability
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Page 21
Chapter 20: Qualitative Data Analysis and Interpretation
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Q1) Joel is interpreting his qualitative data regarding students' perceptions of the role of faith-based groups on public university campuses. Which of the following is a technique that your text suggests that Joel should use during this phase of his data analysis?
A) Extend the analysis and suggest potential implications.
B) Recode all of his data to assure reliability.
C) Assess the validity of his codes through content analysis.
D) Determine the generalizability of his codes in a new data set.
Q2) Karobi wants to assure he has credible qualitative data for his study on violent and aggressive student behaviors during lunch sessions. Which of the following questions might he ask himself regarding the data?
A) Does my study lend itself to generalization?
B) Do the findings inform policy?
C) What biases might have influenced my observation?
D) What competing hypothesis might I test?
Q3) Of the following which is a popular qualitative data analysis software package?
A) MYSTAT
B) SPSS
C) NVivo
D) SAS end user
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Page 22
Chapter 21: Preparing a Research Report
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Q1) Ankur is writing his report on his recent research that examined the relationship between Lego use and problem-solving ability. He needs to be very clear about the type of follow-up procedure he did to address differences found between groups on his inferential statistics test. Ankur will report the follow-up procedure in which section of his report?
A) Introduction
B) Methodology
C) Results
D) Discussion
Q2) In a research report a condensed version of the study is generally found in the A) hypothesis section.
B) literature review.
C) abstract.
D) results section.
Q3) One benefit of Zotero over other reference management systems is that Zotero A) can be used with references that are not in English and other systems cannot. B) has the ability to handle more citations than does any other system.
C) can be used for both Mac and any other computer systems.
D) is free while other management systems are commercially available.
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Page 23
Chapter 22: Evaluating a Research Report
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Q1) Jackie wants to examine teachers' efficacy for her dissertation project. She has consulted with her committee and they have suggested that Jackie must make it clear how her qualitative and quantitative data relate. Which of the following types of research study does Jackie propose?
A) Ethnographic
B) Mixed methods
C) Experimental
D) Correlational
Q2) Ron is reviewing a qualitative study. Which of the following should be of concern to his review?
A) Is the inductive logic applied to the data to produce results stated in detail?
B) Is the rationale for variable selection described?
C) Were any control procedures used to equate the groups on extraneous variables?
D) Are sources of invalidity associated with the design identified and discussed?
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