Research Methodology Tutorial Questions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

Module 1: History and Nature of Scientific Research

1. Which of the followings is the dominant philosophy underlying contemporary epidemiology?

A. Paradigm
B. Positivism
C. Interpretative approach
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

2. The scientific approach to epidemiological investigation has been described as:

A. Systematic
B. Rigorous
C. Reproducible
D. Repeatable
E. All of the above

Module 2: Ethics in Research

3. Which of these is NOT a principle of ethics in research?

A. Beneficence
B. Justice
C. Autonomy
D. Induction
E. Right to privacy

4. To obtain informed consent, researchers tell the participants which of the followings?
A. The general purpose of the research
B. What the potential benefit(s) to them and others might be
C. What the potential for harm to them might be
D. The fact that they may withdraw at any time without penalty even midstream
E. All of the above

Module 3: Quantitative Versus Qualitative Research

5. Which of the followings is correct about quantitative and qualitative research?

A. Quantitative researchers are more likely than qualitative researchers to select a purposive
sample
B. The sampling process is key to the credibility of the study of quantitative research
C. Qualitative researchers often strive to select large samples
D. Qualitative researchers tend to generalize the results to one or more population(s)
E. Quantitative researchers tend to limit their conclusions to only the individuals who were
directly studied.

6. Which of the followings is NOT correct about quantitative and qualitative research?
A. Quantitative research results are presented as numbers
B. Qualitative research results are presented primarily through words
C. Qualitative researchers often approach planning inductively
D. Quantitative researchers often plan their research deductively
E. None of the above

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7. In which of the followings is thematic analysis carried out?
A. Qualitative research
B. Quantitative research
C. Positivist approach
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

Module 5: Research Problems, Questions and Hypotheses

8. Which of the following hypotheses indicates an experimental study design?

A. Under-5 children in the urban areas have better nutritional status than those in the rural
areas of FCT, Abuja.
B. Children who benefit from feeding programmes have better nutritional status than those
who do not benefit from feeding grogrammes.
C. Under-5 children in the urban areas have different nutritional status from those in the rural
areas of FCT, Abuja.
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

9. Which of the following hypotheses is non-directional?

A. Under-5 children in the urban areas have better nutritional status than those in the rural
areas of FCT, Abuja.
B. Children who benefit from feeding programmes have better nutritional status than those
who do not benefit from feeding grogrammes.
C. Under-5 children in the urban areas have different nutritional status from those in the rural
areas of FCT, Abuja.
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

10. Which of the followings is NOT true?

A. A research purpose or a research question is a suitable substitute for a non-directional
hypothesis.
B. A research purpose or a research question is a suitable substitute for a directional
hypothesis.
C. When using a research question as the basis for research, researchers usually do not state it
as a question that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”.
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

11. Which of these is correct about null hypothesis?

A. The true difference between the two groups is zero
B. There is no true difference between the two groups
C. The observed difference was created by random error
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

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Module 6: Literature Review

12. Which of the followings is a Boolean operator that can be used to search for online articles?
A. AND
B. OR
C. NOT
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

Module 7: Study Designs

Use the diagram below to answer the next THREE questions

Epidemiological Study

A Observational

Randomized Non-Randomized
Descriptive B
Controlled Trial Controlled Trial

Independent
Repeated-Measures
(Between-Groups or Repeated Cross-
(Within-subjects) Case Report Case Series Report Comparative
Between-Subjects) sectional
Design
Design

Cross-over Design Factorial Design Surveillance C Cohort Case-Control

Correlational
(Ecological)

13. What does letter “A” in the diagram represent?

A. Analytical
B. Nested Case-Control
C. Prospective
D. Experimental
E. Retrospective

14. What does letter “B” in the diagram represent?

A. Experimental
B. Quasi-Experimental
C. Analytical
D. Retrospective cohort
E. Historical cohort

15. What does letter “C” in the diagram represent?

A. Cross-Sectional
B. Quasi-experimental
C. Analytical
D. Retrospective cohort
E. Historical cohort

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Module 8: Sample Size Determination

16. Which of these is considered when determining sample size for a study?
A. Minimum Expected Difference
B. Estimated Measurement Variability
C. Statistical Power and Significance Criterion
D. One- or Two-tailed Statistical Analysis
E. All of the above

17. Minimum expected difference can be set up using any of the followings except?
A. Clinical judgment
B. Experience with the problem
C. Results of pilot study
D. Pre-test
E. Literature review

18. Which of the factors considered in calculating sample size is illustrated in the diagram below?

A. Statistical power
B. Significance criterion
C. Estimated measurement variability
D. Level of precision
E. Minimum expected difference

19. The followings are sources of estimated measurement variability except?

A. Clinical judgment
B. Preliminary data collected from similar study population
C. Literature review
D. Subjective experience
E. Assumption

20. Which of these is true about power of a study?

A. As power is increased, sample size increases
B. Customarily set at 0.8 (80%)
C. Standard normal deviate (Zβ) corresponding to selected statistical powers
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

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21. Which of these is NOT true about the significance criterion?
A. It is the maximum p-value for which a difference is to be considered statistically significant
B. It is customarily set at 0.05
C. It is represented by the corresponding standard normal deviate (Zα)
D. It corresponds with the confidence level
E. Its value is determined from previous study through literature review

22. Which of these is true about one- versus two-tailed statistical analysis?
A. In few cases, it may be known before the study that any difference between comparison
groups is possible in only one direction.
B. One-tailed statistical analysis requires a smaller sample size to detect the minimum
difference than would a two-tailed analysis
C. The sample size of a one-tailed design with a given significance criterion - for example, α - is
equal to the sample size of a two-tailed design with a significance criterion of 2α.
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

23. Which of these is NOT correct?

A. Minimum expected difference (Treatment effect) ↑ ⇒ sample size ↓
B. Measurement variability ↑ ⇒ sample size ↓
C. Stringency of statistical test ↑ ⇒ sample size ↑
D. Desired power ↑ ⇒ sample size ↑
E. Sample size for two-tail analysis > Sample size for on-tail analysis

24. Calculating sample size depends on which of the followings?

A. Study design
B. Number of groups being studied
C. Outcome variable (categorical versus numerical)
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

25. Which of the items in the formula below represents the maximum error of estimate?

n = Z2pq
d2

A. Z
B. p
C. q
D. d
E. Z2

26. What does s2 in the formula below represent?

n = Z2s2
e2
A. Minimum sample size
B. Standard normal deviate corresponding with the level of significance
C. Variance of the attribute present in the population
D. Standard deviation of the attribute present in the population
E. Acceptable error or change in the mean

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27. What does “A” in the equation below represents?

A = Standard deviation x 100

Mean

A. Coefficient of variation
B. Standard error
C. Mean deviation
D. Variance
E. None of the above

28. In which of the following situations is adjustment made on sample size using the formula below
appropriate?

nf = n .
1+ n
N

A. Prevalence of Obesity and The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Health Related
Quality of Life Among Adults in Mushin Local Government, Lagos State, Nigeria
B. A Cross-sectional Study of Health-Related Quality of Life among PLWHA attending Lagos
University Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
C. Adherence to Antiretroviral Medication in Secondary and Tertiary Hospitals in FCT, Abuja: A
Comparative Study
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

29. What does “N” in the formula below represent?

nf = n .
1+ n
N

A. Minimum sample size when population ≥10,000

B. Minimum sample size when study population is < 10,000
C. Prevalence or proportion of the attribute present in the population
D. Study population
E. Level of precision

30. Provided the Zα and Zβ remain constant, the sample increases using the formula below:

n = (Zα+ Zβ)2(p1q1+p2q2)
(p1-p2)2

A. If the difference between p1 and p2 increases

B. If the difference between p1 and p2 decreases
C. If the difference between p1 and p2 remains unchanged
D. A and B
E. All of the above

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31. Which of the following formulae for sample size calculation is appropriate for a study titled:
“Adherence to Antiretroviral Medication in Secondary and Tertiary Hospitals in FCT, Abuja: A
Comparative Study”?

A. n = Z2pq
d2

B. n = Z2s2
e2

C. n = N * Z2pq .
N – 1 * d2 + Z2pq

D. n = N * s2pq .
N – 1 * e2 + Z2pq

E. n = (Zα+ Zβ)2(p1q1+p2q2)
(p1-p2)2

32. A minimum sample size of 300 was calculated for a study, what is the required sample size if we
are to give room for 15% non-response?

A. 353
B. 345
C. 330
D. 333
E. None of the above

Module 9: Population, Sample and Sampling Techniques

33. The entire set of units for which the data are to be used to make inferences is known as the:
A. Sample
B. Target population
C. Study population
D. Sample frame
E. None of the above

34. Which of these is odd among others?

A. Quota sampling
B. Purposive sampling
C. Cluster sampling
D. Convenience sampling
E. Snowball sampling

35. What type of sampling technique is illustrated in the figure below?

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 A. Systematic random sampling
B. Multi-phase sampling
C. Snowball sampling
D. Cluster sampling
E. Simple random sampling

36. Which of these is a type of probability sampling technique?

A. Simple random sampling
B. Systematic random sampling
C. Stratified sampling
D. Cluster sampling
E. All of the above

37. What type of sampling technique is illustrated in the figure below?

A. Systematic random sampling

B. Multi-phase sampling
C. Snowball sampling
D. Cluster sampling
E. Simple random sampling

38. A sampling technique where every element of the population has an equal probability of being
selected is known as:
A. Probability sampling
B. Quota sampling
C. Simple random sampling
D. Systematic random sampling
E. Non-probability sampling

39. Which of the following sampling techniques is most appropriate for a study titled “Prevalence of
Obesity and the Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Health Related Quality of Life Among
Adults in Mushin Local Government, Lagos State, Nigeria?
A. Si Simple random
B. Systematic random
C. Stratified
D. Multi-stage
E. Cluster

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40. In which of the sampling techniques does the researcher ask participants to find other people
who would like to participate in the study?
A. Convenience
B. Purposive
C. Snowball
D. Multi-phase
E. Voluntary

Module 10: Potential Errors in Measurement

41. Which of these is a major source of random error?

A. Individual biologic variation
B. Sampling error
C. Measurement error
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

42. Which of these is a cause of bias?

A. Individual biologic variation
B. Confounding
C. Sampling error
D. Measurement error
E. None of the above

43. Which of the followings is the confounding variable in the diagram bellow?

Coffee drinking heart disease

Tobacco use
A. Coffee drinking
B. Heart disease
C. Tobacco use
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

44. The followings are methods of controlling for confounders except

A. Randomization
B. Restriction
C. Matching
D. Statistical modelling
E. None of the above

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45. Which of these is a method of controlling for confounding at the level of analysis?
A. Stratification
B. Randomization
C. Restriction
D. Matching
E. All of the above

Module 13: Validity and Reliability

46. The success of a method in probing and/or assessing what it sets to probe or assess is known as:
A. Reliability
B. Sensitivity
C. Specificity
D. Validity
E. Reproducibility

47. Which of the followings is a type of reliability?

A. Test-Retest
B. Parallel form
C. Inter-Rater/Intra-Rater
D. Internal Consistency
E. All of the above

48. Which of these is used to measure of how consistently each item measures the same underlying
construct?
A. Correlation coefficient
B. Cohen’s Kappa
C. Cronbach’s alpha
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

Module 11: Construction of a Research Proposal

49. The followings are synonymous to independent variables except?

A. Outcome variable
B. Predictor
C. Determinant
D. Factor
E. Explanatory variable

50. Explained variable is the same as

A. Random variable
B. Risk factor
C. Dependent variable
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

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