Deck 3: Identifying a Research Problem

Question 1

How do dependent variables relate to the rest of the study?

A) They occur or are measured first.
B) They are changed by other variables.
C) They multiply.
D) They are marked.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Traits that do not differ are known as ______.

A) dependent variables
B) independent variables
C) constants
D) constance

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Hypotheses stating that there are no relationships/differences are ______.

A) alternative
B) null
C) irrelevant
D) directional

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Failure to clarify the focus of a research project may lead to ______.

A) prolonged amount of time in the data collection phase
B) misguided researchers
C) an unsuccessful research study
D) a lack of significant results

Question 5

Which hypothesis is typically symbolized as H₀?

A) directional
B) null
C) alternative
D) nondirectional

Question 6

A research hypothesis is also known as a(n) ______ hypothesis.

A) directional
B) null
C) alternative
D) problem

Question 7

Research questions in qualitative studies should be ______.

A) focused
B) open-ended
C) reiterative
D) discrete

Question 8

One component of evaluating a topic's potential for study is ______.

A) the time commitment required
B) the researcher's age
C) the potential for later funding
D) the potential assistance from others

Question 9

Research questions in quantitative studies should be ______.

A) focused
B) open-ended
C) reiterative
D) discrete

Question 10

A variable of school size measured as "small, medium, or large" would be ______.

A) discrete
B) continuous
C) categorical
D) confounding

Question 11

Ideally, how should educators approach their research studies?

A) organize thoughts and data before and after the study
B) take personal interest in the study
C) be the sole leaders of the educational research studies they conduct
D) not be too personally interested in their topics

Question 12

When beginning a study, research questions are often ______.

A) too complex
B) too difficult
C) too easy
D) too confusing

Question 13

How do independent variables relate to the rest of the study?

A) They occur or are measured first.
B) They are changed by other variables.
C) They multiply.
D) They are marked.

Question 14

How should researchers approach their topics?

A) clarify the focus of the project
B) leave the topic open
C) narrow the topic as much as possible
D) broaden the topic as much as possible

Question 15

A study's research question(s) is/are transferred into ______.

A) the problem statement
B) the purpose of the study
C) the variables
D) the outcomes

Question 16

It is best to think of ______ variables as ones that could be measured along a number line or ruler.

A) discrete
B) continuous
C) categorical
D) confounding

Question 17

Regarding monetary concerns, research studies ______.

A) typically cost very little
B) may be quite costly
C) are unrelated to monetary funds
D) are always free

Question 18

______ variables measure gradational differences.

A) Continuous
B) Independent
C) Dependent
D) Confounding

Question 19

Ethical concerns in research studies ______.

A) are of primary concern
B) are of no concern
C) are of minimal concern
D) are not illegal

Question 20

Variables that are not controlled/measured by the researcher are ______.

A) independent
B) dependent
C) categorical
D) confounding

Question 21

Height, weight, and age are examples of ______ data.

A) continuous
B) discrete
C) dichotomous
D) confounding

Question 22

Once a researcher has narrowed down a research topic, the next step is to ______.

A) develop research questions or hypotheses to guide the study
B) identify appropriate variables
C) analyze the statistics
D) formally state the results

Question 23

Handedness and sex are examples of ______ data.

A) continuous
B) discrete
C) dichotomous
D) confounding

Question 24

The fundamental question inherent in the research topic and, in particular, in the research study at hand is known as the ______.

A) foremost question
B) primary question
C) operative question
D) research question

Question 25

A(n) ______ ranks individuals in order of the degree to which they possess a certain characteristic.

A) nominal scale
B) ordinal scale
C) continuous scale
D) confounding scale

Question 26

The ______ is essentially a reiteration of the research problem as a complete sentence (or sometimes as several sentences, making up a complete paragraph).

A) comprehensive statement
B) data analysis statement
C) hypothesis(es) statement(s)
D) problem statement

Question 27

From a research perspective, researchers' general hope is that by conducting research they are ______.

A) satisfying their own personal curiosity
B) meeting the demands of their employer
C) answering questions that have never been answered
D) making the educational process better for someone or some group involved in that process

Question 28

The purpose behind a restatement of the problem is ______.

A) to add clarity
B) to convince others
C) to demonstrate your knowledge of the topic
D) to add complexity

Question 29

Socioeconomic status and ethnicity are examples of ______ data.

A) continuous
B) discrete
C) dichotomous
D) confounding

Question 30

Brief statements that parallel the research questions and predict the findings of a study are known as ______.

A) primary predictions
B) hypotheses
C) result statements
D) research comments

Question 31

If a research topic is too ______, the researcher may become overwhelmed with too many possibilities.

A) broad
B) narrow
C) objective
D) lengthy

Question 32

______ scales involve the assignment of a label or name to a category, but do not necessarily have equal intervals between categories.

A) Ratio
B) Interval
C) Nominal
D) Ordinal

Question 33

Which of the following are not recognized as scales of measurement by which variables are measured?

A) nominal scale
B) ordinal scale
C) continuous scale
D) confounding scale

Question 34

Any sort of trait or characteristic that differs from one individual, object, procedure, or setting to another is known as a(n) ______.

A) constant
B) element
C) variable
D) factor

Question 35

______ research has the potential to shed new light on a research topic.

A) Subjective
B) Influential
C) Original
D) Objective

Question 36

If a research topic is too ______, it may not be possible to collect adequate data to answer the research questions or solve the research problem.

A) broad
B) narrow
C) objective
D) lengthy

Question 37

Which of the following is a directional hypotheses?

A) High school students who receive performance-based assessments, integrated across the curriculum, will score lower on a test of problem-solving skills than those who do not receive performance-based assessments.
B) High school students who receive performance-based assessments, integrated across the curriculum, will score differently on a test of problem-solving skills than those who do not receive performance-based assessments.
C) There will be no difference in scores on a test of problem-solving skills between high school students who receive performance-based assessments integrated across the math, science, and language arts curricula and those who do not receive performance-based assessments.
D) High school students who receive performance-based assessments, integrated across the curriculum, will score differently on a test of problem-solving skills than those who do not receive performance-based assessments.

Question 38

A(n) ______ does not have a true zero point, but has values that represent equal intervals.

A) nominal scale
B) ordinal scale
C) interval scale
D) ratio scale

Question 39

A researcher cannot have a research study with an independent variable without also having a(n) ______.

A) confounding variable
B) dependent variable
C) additional independent variable
D) discrete variable

Question 40

Variables can be ______.

A) continuous only
B) discrete only
C) continuous and discrete
D) open and closed

Question 41

A variable may be measured as discrete or continuous.

Question 42

The results of an educational research study should make, or have the potential to make, some sort of difference in a given aspect of education.

Question 43

Variables can be continuous, discrete, or dichotomous.

Question 44

Dichotomous variables are measured on a scale, such as from 0 to 5.

Question 45

The researcher may define cutoff points for data.

Question 46

Why should consideration be given to the monetary costs of the study?

Question 47

Which of the following is true about the nature of research questions?

A) They should be stated in a manner that assumes an answer even before data have been collected.
B) They should be based in the body of literature related to the topic.
C) They should require a simple yes/no answer.
D) They cannot be answerable through the collection of available data.

Question 48

Choose any of the preliminary considerations in selecting a topic and justify its importance.

Question 49

Yes/no responses are dichotomous.

Question 50

There is a clear limit when it comes to identifying possible topics for educational research.

Question 51

The research problem is essentially a research topic that has been appropriately refined.

Question 52

Careful identification of a research topic is one of the most important steps in the overall process of conducting a study.

Question 53

Continuous variables are categorical in nature.

Question 54

Research topics must be "refined" before they can be effectively and efficiently researched.

Question 55

Scores on a high school geometry test are dichotomous.

Question 56

Adjusting the amount of time it will take to conduct a research study should never be a means for broadening or narrowing the focus of a study.

Question 57

The field of education offers very limited possibilities for educational research topics.

Question 58

Categorical variables include an infinite array of numbers, such as those on a continuum.

Question 59

Having a personal interest in a research topic is unimportant to conducting a study.

Question 60

Categorical data are more precise than continuous data.

Question 61

The text discusses preliminary considerations that should be kept in mind when selecting a research topic. Identify at least four of these considerations.

Question 62

How can the newness or uniqueness of a research topic can impact the study?

Question 63

Define research question and discuss its purpose in conducting research.

Question 64

Describe how hypotheses are unique from research questions.

Question 65

Discuss the differences between a null hypothesis and a research/alternative hypothesis.

Question 66

Explain why you need to give consideration to the amount of time a research study will require.

Question 67

Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative approaches to research questions.

Question 68

What are the differences between discrete and continuous variables?

Question 69

Discuss why, regardless of methodology, research questions should not require a simple yes/no answer. Also, provide an example of when a simple yes/no answer might be acceptable.

Question 70

Summarize the importance of narrowing a research topic.

Question 71

Demonstrate how to evaluate a research topic's level of appropriateness for becoming a study.

Question 72

Identify two reasons why all educational researchers should be familiar with research-related terminology.

Question 73

Provide at least three sources that may help a researcher identify possible research topics.

Question 74

Explain why you need to consider the potential difficulty of a given research topic.

Question 75

What is the difference between a directional and nondirectional research hypothesis?