Question 1

What is the overall purpose of research design?

Accepted Answer

A)  To determine sample size 
B)  To identify the problem statement 
C)  To aid in the solution of a research question 
D)  To assist the researcher in identifying gaps in knowledge 
A)  To determine sample size 
B)  To identify the problem statement 
C)  To aid in the solution of a research question 
D)  To assist the researcher in identifying gaps in knowledge C

Question 2

Why is the administration of a pretest a cause for concern in a research study?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is a threat to internal validity, as it may affect the post-test results. 
B)  It is a threat to external validity, as it may affect the post-test results. 
C)  It is a form of selection bias that contributes to the problem of maturation. 
D)  It is a form of maturation that contributes to the problem of selection bias. 
A)  It is a threat to internal validity, as it may affect the post-test results. 
B)  It is a threat to external validity, as it may affect the post-test results. 
C)  It is a form of selection bias that contributes to the problem of maturation. 
D)  It is a form of maturation that contributes to the problem of selection bias. A

Question 3

Which of the following situations represents a threat to internal validity in an experimental study measuring the effect of audio-taped instructions to patients being discharged home after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both men and women were included as subjects in the study. 
B)  Two new surgeons recently began performing the coronary artery bypass graft surgeries. 
C)  Patients in the experimental group passed their tapes on to those in the control group receiving usual care. 
D)  Data collection took 1 year. 
A)  Both men and women were included as subjects in the study. 
B)  Two new surgeons recently began performing the coronary artery bypass graft surgeries. 
C)  Patients in the experimental group passed their tapes on to those in the control group receiving usual care. 
D)  Data collection took 1 year. C

Question 4

For which type of quantitative study is the issue of control less important?

Accepted Answer

A)  Paper-and-pencil 
B)  Exploratory 
C)  Experimental 
D)  Correlational 
A)  Paper-and-pencil 
B)  Exploratory 
C)  Experimental 
D)  Correlational

Question 5

Which of the following is the area of concern with regard to external validity?

Accepted Answer

A)  The relationship between the independent variable and the study outcomes 
B)  Whether a specific event influenced the dependent variable 
C)  The degree to which extraneous or mediating variables interfered with the study outcomes 
D)  The degree to which the findings are generalizable to populations beyond those studied 
A)  The relationship between the independent variable and the study outcomes 
B)  Whether a specific event influenced the dependent variable 
C)  The degree to which extraneous or mediating variables interfered with the study outcomes 
D)  The degree to which the findings are generalizable to populations beyond those studied

Question 6

Why are extraneous variables limited or eliminated in a well-designed study?

Accepted Answer

A)  More research questions would be required to define the extraneous variable. 
B)  Extraneous variables compete with the dependent variable as an explanation of the study's outcome. 
C)  Extraneous variables compete with the independent variable as an explanation of the study's outcome. 
D)  Manipulation of extraneous variables increases the risk for researcher bias in the study's outcome. 
A)  More research questions would be required to define the extraneous variable. 
B)  Extraneous variables compete with the dependent variable as an explanation of the study's outcome. 
C)  Extraneous variables compete with the independent variable as an explanation of the study's outcome. 
D)  Manipulation of extraneous variables increases the risk for researcher bias in the study's outcome.

Question 7

Which of the following actions in a quantitative research study represents a measure to eliminate bias on the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

A)  Establishing strict eligibility criteria for the study participants 
B)  Ensuring that all data are collected by a single researcher 
C)  Formulating at least two hypotheses for each research question 
D)  Testing a theoretical framework 
A)  Establishing strict eligibility criteria for the study participants 
B)  Ensuring that all data are collected by a single researcher 
C)  Formulating at least two hypotheses for each research question 
D)  Testing a theoretical framework

Question 8

Which of the following factors is considered a measure to keep the conditions of a quantitative study uniform?

Accepted Answer

A)  Accuracy 
B)  Methods 
C)  Control 
D)  Validity 
A)  Accuracy 
B)  Methods 
C)  Control 
D)  Validity

Question 9

When should an extraneous variable be included as part of the study's design?

Accepted Answer

A)  When it is nonmodifiable, such as age or gender 
B)  When it is an important consideration for the outcome 
C)  When the researcher is limited by time and monetary issues 
D)  When it would not make a difference to the overall study outcome 
A)  When it is nonmodifiable, such as age or gender 
B)  When it is an important consideration for the outcome 
C)  When the researcher is limited by time and monetary issues 
D)  When it would not make a difference to the overall study outcome

Question 10

Which of the following factors would be considered a mediating variable among potential subjects in a study to determine whether high doses of vitamin C are helpful in reducing susceptibility to influenza?

Accepted Answer

A)  Gender and religion of the potential subjects 
B)  The subjects' previous experience with influenza 
C)  The subjects having received influenza vaccination 
D)  The educational level and marital status of the potential subjects 
A)  Gender and religion of the potential subjects 
B)  The subjects' previous experience with influenza 
C)  The subjects having received influenza vaccination 
D)  The educational level and marital status of the potential subjects

Question 11

In what way could a homogeneous population of subjects in a study weaken the study?

Accepted Answer

A)  By decreasing the reliability of the findings 
B)  By decreasing the generalizability of the findings 
C)  By increasing the number of subjects needed to reach statistical significance 
D)  By increasing the risk of the findings being the result of chance alone 
A)  By decreasing the reliability of the findings 
B)  By decreasing the generalizability of the findings 
C)  By increasing the number of subjects needed to reach statistical significance 
D)  By increasing the risk of the findings being the result of chance alone

Question 12

Which of the following conditions is met when all aspects of a study systematically and logically follow from the research problem?

Accepted Answer

A)  Internal validity 
B)  External validity 
C)  Accuracy 
D)  Legitimacy 
A)  Internal validity 
B)  External validity 
C)  Accuracy 
D)  Legitimacy

Question 13

In what way does literature review assist a researcher in selecting the appropriate design for a quantitative study?

Accepted Answer

A)  By enlarging the scope of hypotheses 
B)  By ensuring that the researcher remains faithful to the study purpose 
C)  By allowing the researcher to compare current findings with previous findings 
D)  By providing the opportunity to determine the objectivity of the problem area 
A)  By enlarging the scope of hypotheses 
B)  By ensuring that the researcher remains faithful to the study purpose 
C)  By allowing the researcher to compare current findings with previous findings 
D)  By providing the opportunity to determine the objectivity of the problem area

Question 14

Which of the following techniques or actions represents constancy in data collection for control of extraneous variables in a study examining the effect of hormone replacement therapy on bone density loss in postmenopausal women?

Accepted Answer

A)  Drawing blood from all subjects at the same time of day 
B)  Always having the same nurse or phlebotomist always draw blood from all subjects 
C)  Using the same room for drawing blood from all subjects 
D)  Ensuring that all subjects are postmenopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy 
A)  Drawing blood from all subjects at the same time of day 
B)  Always having the same nurse or phlebotomist always draw blood from all subjects 
C)  Using the same room for drawing blood from all subjects 
D)  Ensuring that all subjects are postmenopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy

Question 15

What is the purpose of randomization,or random assignment of subjects,in a study?

Accepted Answer

A)  To ensure that all groups within a study are representative of the larger population. 
B)  To increase the chances that the study groups will be different from each other with regard to extraneous variables 
C)  To ensure that current events do not influence the outcomes of the study 
D)  To eliminate the need for establishing specific study criteria and subject eligibility 
A)  To ensure that all groups within a study are representative of the larger population. 
B)  To increase the chances that the study groups will be different from each other with regard to extraneous variables 
C)  To ensure that current events do not influence the outcomes of the study 
D)  To eliminate the need for establishing specific study criteria and subject eligibility

Question 16

Which of the following actions would best control for mediating variables when designing a study to determine whether a videotape or a pamphlet is most effective in educating young women about breast self-examination (BSE)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Randomly assigning subjects to the two groups 
B)  Excluding subjects who already perform BSE on a regular basis 
C)  Selecting only heterosexual women as study subjects 
D)  Determining what breast cancer means to individual participants 
A)  Randomly assigning subjects to the two groups 
B)  Excluding subjects who already perform BSE on a regular basis 
C)  Selecting only heterosexual women as study subjects 
D)  Determining what breast cancer means to individual participants

Question 17

A researcher wants to study the effects of head injury in children under the age of 5 years on mothers' decisions to work outside of the home.Which of the following factors negatively affects the feasibility of this study?

Accepted Answer

A)  The local region has a high percentage of single-parent families. 
B)  Head injuries in children under age 5 represented less than 1% of hospital admissions during the year previous to the study. 
C)  Children under the age of 5 years are not able to read, write, or give direct informed consent to participate in this study. 
D)  A comprehensive review of the literature shows no studies that examined this question were conducted during the past 15 years. 
A)  The local region has a high percentage of single-parent families. 
B)  Head injuries in children under age 5 represented less than 1% of hospital admissions during the year previous to the study. 
C)  Children under the age of 5 years are not able to read, write, or give direct informed consent to participate in this study. 
D)  A comprehensive review of the literature shows no studies that examined this question were conducted during the past 15 years.

Question 18

What does assigning half a study sample to an experimental group and the other half to a control group represent in controlling for mediating variables?

Accepted Answer

A)  Data collection constancy 
B)  Manipulation of a mediating variable 
C)  Elimination of mediating variables 
D)  Manipulation of an independent variable 
A)  Data collection constancy 
B)  Manipulation of a mediating variable 
C)  Elimination of mediating variables 
D)  Manipulation of an independent variable

Question 19

How would an investigator ensure that a sample is homogeneous?

Accepted Answer

A)  By restricting eligibility criteria to control for extraneous variables relevant to the study. 
B)  By randomly assigning subjects to either the experimental group or the control group. 
C)  By assigning one research assistant to collect all data. 
D)  By collecting all the data at the same time of day. 
A)  By restricting eligibility criteria to control for extraneous variables relevant to the study. 
B)  By randomly assigning subjects to either the experimental group or the control group. 
C)  By assigning one research assistant to collect all data. 
D)  By collecting all the data at the same time of day.

What is the overall purpose of research design?

Why is the administration of a pretest a cause for concern in a research study?

Which of the following situations represents a threat to internal validity in an experimental study measuring the effect of audio-taped instructions to patients being discharged home after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?

For which type of quantitative study is the issue of control less important?

Which of the following is the area of concern with regard to external validity?

Why are extraneous variables limited or eliminated in a well-designed study?

Which of the following actions in a quantitative research study represents a measure to eliminate bias on the dependent variable?

Which of the following factors is considered a measure to keep the conditions of a quantitative study uniform?

When should an extraneous variable be included as part of the study's design?

Which of the following factors would be considered a mediating variable among potential subjects in a study to determine whether high doses of vitamin C are helpful in reducing susceptibility to influenza?

In what way could a homogeneous population of subjects in a study weaken the study?

Which of the following conditions is met when all aspects of a study systematically and logically follow from the research problem?

In what way does literature review assist a researcher in selecting the appropriate design for a quantitative study?

Which of the following techniques or actions represents constancy in data collection for control of extraneous variables in a study examining the effect of hormone replacement therapy on bone density loss in postmenopausal women?

What is the purpose of randomization,or random assignment of subjects,in a study?

Which of the following actions would best control for mediating variables when designing a study to determine whether a videotape or a pamphlet is most effective in educating young women about breast self-examination (BSE)?

A researcher wants to study the effects of head injury in children under the age of 5 years on mothers' decisions to work outside of the home.Which of the following factors negatively affects the feasibility of this study?

What does assigning half a study sample to an experimental group and the other half to a control group represent in controlling for mediating variables?

How would an investigator ensure that a sample is homogeneous?

The Role of Research in Nursing

Theoretical Framework

Critical Reading Strategies: Overview of the Research Process

Developing Research Questions, hypotheses, and Clinical Questions

Finding and Appraising the Literature

Legal and Ethical Issues

Introduction to Qualitative Research

Qualitative Approaches to Research

Experimental and Quasiexperimental Designs

Nonexperimental Designs

Sampling

Data-Collection Methods

Rigour in Research

Qualitative Data Analysis

Quantitative Data Analysis

Presenting the Findings

Critiquing Qualitative Research

Critiquing Quantitative Research

Developing an Evidence-Informed Practice

Filters

Exam 9: Introduction to Quantitative Research

What is the overall purpose of research design?

Why is the administration of a pretest a cause for concern in a research study?

Which of the following situations represents a threat to internal validity in an experimental study measuring the effect of audio-taped instructions to patients being discharged home after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?

For which type of quantitative study is the issue of control less important?

Which of the following is the area of concern with regard to external validity?

Why are extraneous variables limited or eliminated in a well-designed study?

Which of the following actions in a quantitative research study represents a measure to eliminate bias on the dependent variable?

Which of the following factors is considered a measure to keep the conditions of a quantitative study uniform?

When should an extraneous variable be included as part of the study's design?

Which of the following factors would be considered a mediating variable among potential subjects in a study to determine whether high doses of vitamin C are helpful in reducing susceptibility to influenza?

In what way could a homogeneous population of subjects in a study weaken the study?

Which of the following conditions is met when all aspects of a study systematically and logically follow from the research problem?

In what way does literature review assist a researcher in selecting the appropriate design for a quantitative study?

Which of the following techniques or actions represents constancy in data collection for control of extraneous variables in a study examining the effect of hormone replacement therapy on bone density loss in postmenopausal women?

What is the purpose of randomization,or random assignment of subjects,in a study?

Which of the following actions would best control for mediating variables when designing a study to determine whether a videotape or a pamphlet is most effective in educating young women about breast self-examination (BSE)?

A researcher wants to study the effects of head injury in children under the age of 5 years on mothers' decisions to work outside of the home.Which of the following factors negatively affects the feasibility of this study?

What does assigning half a study sample to an experimental group and the other half to a control group represent in controlling for mediating variables?

How would an investigator ensure that a sample is homogeneous?

The Role of Research in Nursing

Theoretical Framework

Critical Reading Strategies: Overview of the Research Process

Developing Research Questions, hypotheses, and Clinical Questions

Finding and Appraising the Literature

Legal and Ethical Issues

Introduction to Qualitative Research

Qualitative Approaches to Research

Experimental and Quasiexperimental Designs

Nonexperimental Designs

Sampling

Data-Collection Methods

Rigour in Research

Qualitative Data Analysis

Quantitative Data Analysis

Presenting the Findings

Critiquing Qualitative Research

Critiquing Quantitative Research

Developing an Evidence-Informed Practice

Filters