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UNIT 10 – Research Methods & Materials in English
High-Quality, NET-Level MCQs
1. Which of the following best defines a hypothesis in research?
(1) A proven scientific fact
(2) A tentative statement that can be tested
(3) A summary of findings
(4) A methodological assumption
✔ Answer: (2)
Explanation: A hypothesis proposes a testable relationship between variables. It is neither proven nor assumed, but tentative.
2. A primary source for a researcher studying Shakespeare’s Hamlet would be:
(1) A scholarly article on Hamlet
(2) A modern commentary
(3) The 1604 Second Quarto text
(4) A biography of Shakespeare
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Primary sources include original texts, manuscripts, or editions from the author’s period.
3. A work that provides alphabetical listings of words with their occurrences in an author’s corpus is:
(1) An encyclopedia
(2) A handbook
(3) A concordance
(4) A glossary
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Concordances allow researchers to locate every instance of a word, crucial for stylistic or philological study.
4. Which of the following is a characteristic of qualitative research?
(1) Statistical generalization
(2) Large sample sizes
(3) Subjective interpretation of data
(4) Controlled experiments
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Qualitative research focuses on meaning, interpretation, and textual analysis rather than numerical data.
5. In MLA style, the correct in-text citation for a direct quotation from page 52 of a book by Jonathan Culler is:
(1) (Culler: 52)
(2) (Jonathan Culler, p.52)
(3) (52 Culler)
(4) (Culler 52)
✔ Answer: (4)
Explanation: MLA uses author + page number without punctuation.
6. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a good research question?
(1) Clear
(2) Researchable
(3) Feasible
(4) Vague and exploratory
✔ Answer: (4)
Explanation: A good research question must be precise and focused.
7. “Emendation” in textual criticism refers to:
(1) Identifying the author of a work
(2) Creating a glossary of difficult terms
(3) Correcting a corrupt reading in a text
(4) Listing all variant editions
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Emendation restores or corrects the text using scholarly judgment.
8. A bibliography that includes brief evaluative descriptions of each source is known as:
(1) Systematic bibliography
(2) Annotated bibliography
(3) Analytical bibliography
(4) Enumerative bibliography
✔ Answer: (2)
Explanation: An annotated bibliography summarizes and evaluates each entry.
9. In research, “reliability” refers to:
(1) Measuring what it claims to measure
(2) Consistency of results across trials
(3) Appropriateness of research methods
(4) Ethical accuracy
✔ Answer: (2)
Explanation: Reliability = reproducibility. Validity = accuracy.
10. A scholarly apparatus in a critical edition typically includes:
(1) Author’s biography
(2) Plot summary
(3) Footnotes on textual variants
(4) Sales information
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Apparatus criticus documents variant readings and editorial decisions.
11. A dissertation chapter summarizing major scholarship on a topic is called:
(1) Critical edition
(2) Literature review
(3) Abstract
(4) Conclusion
✔ Answer: (2)
12. Which tool is most appropriate for large-scale linguistic pattern analysis?
(1) Glossary
(2) Bibliography
(3) Corpus
(4) Index
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: A linguistic corpus allows computational analysis of word frequency, collocation, syntax, etc.
13. In textual criticism, the term stemma refers to:
(1) A glossary of rare words
(2) A family tree of manuscript relationships
(3) A list of sources
(4) An emended edition
✔ Answer: (2)
14. APA referencing differs from MLA by:
(1) Using footnotes only
(2) Using numbering in citations
(3) Using year of publication in in-text citation
(4) Omitting the reference list
✔ Answer: (3)
15. Which of the following is a secondary source for researching Milton?
(1) Paradise Lost 1667 edition
(2) Milton’s letters
(3) Cambridge MS of Milton’s draft
(4) A modern critical article on Milton’s epic
✔ Answer: (4)
16. A “working bibliography” is:
(1) The final reference list
(2) A preliminary list of sources compiled during research
(3) A glossary
(4) A concordance
✔ Answer: (2)
17. A scholarly monograph is:
(1) A multi-volume encyclopedia
(2) A reference dictionary
(3) A book-length study on a single subject
(4) A compiled anthology
✔ Answer: (3)
18. The process of identifying plagiarism primarily involves:
(1) Grammar correction
(2) Checking for unattributed borrowing
(3) Word count reduction
(4) Online publication
✔ Answer: (2)
19. “Sampling” in research refers to:
(1) Observing the entire population
(2) Choosing a subset to represent the whole
(3) Data hypothesis testing
(4) Arranging bibliography
✔ Answer: (2)
20. A synoptic edition aims to:
(1) Modernize spelling
(2) Present multiple versions of a text side by side
(3) Eliminate textual variants
(4) Provide only one authoritative text
✔ Answer: (2)
21. The term “ISBN” stands for:
(1) Index of Standard Book Names
(2) Indian Standard Book Number
(3) International Standard Book Number
(4) Institutional Scholarly Book Number
✔ Answer: (3)
22. Which type of research involves numeric data?
(1) Hermeneutic research
(2) Phenomenological research
(3) Quantitative research
(4) Interpretive research
✔ Answer: (3)
23. A style sheet in research is:
(1) A sample bibliography
(2) A list of keywords
(3) A guide specifying formatting and referencing rules
(4) A concordance
✔ Answer: (3)
24. The Dewey Decimal System classifies literature under:
(1) 500
(2) 800
(3) 900
(4) 400
✔ Answer: (2)
Explanation: 800 = Literature; 400 = Language.
25. Which is a characteristic of mixed methods research?
(1) Only statistical data
(2) Only textual interpretation
(3) Combination of qualitative and quantitative methods
(4) No theoretical framework
✔ Answer: (3)
26. The term “incipit” in manuscript studies means:
(1) Final page
(2) Opening words of a text
(3) Marginal notes
(4) Editorial corrections
✔ Answer: (2)
27. In MLA Works Cited, titles of books are:
(1) Quoted
(2) Written in all caps
(3) Italicized
(4) Underlined only
✔ Answer: (3)
28. A research design functions as:
(1) A bibliography
(2) A hypothesis
(3) A blueprint outlining how research will be conducted
(4) A theoretical framework
✔ Answer: (3)
29. “Collation” in editing means:
(1) Numbering pages
(2) Comparing different manuscript or printed versions
(3) Adding commentary
(4) Updating spelling
✔ Answer: (2)
30. The best source for checking word origins is:
(1) Thesaurus
(2) Glossary
(3) Etymological dictionary
(4) Encyclopaedia
✔ Answer: (3)
31. Which of the following best defines a hypothesis in research?
(1) A proven scientific fact
(2) A tentative statement that can be tested
(3) A summary of findings
(4) A methodological assumption
✔ Answer: (2)
Explanation: A hypothesis proposes a testable relationship between variables. It is neither proven nor assumed, but tentative.
32. A primary source for a researcher studying Shakespeare’s Hamlet would be:
(1) A scholarly article on Hamlet
(2) A modern commentary
(3) The 1604 Second Quarto text
(4) A biography of Shakespeare
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Primary sources include original texts, manuscripts, or editions from the author’s period.
33. A work that provides alphabetical listings of words with their occurrences in an author’s corpus is:
(1) An encyclopedia
(2) A handbook
(3) A concordance
(4) A glossary
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Concordances allow researchers to locate every instance of a word, crucial for stylistic or philological study.
34. Which of the following is a characteristic of qualitative research?
(1) Statistical generalization
(2) Large sample sizes
(3) Subjective interpretation of data
(4) Controlled experiments
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Qualitative research focuses on meaning, interpretation, and textual analysis rather than numerical data.
35. In MLA style, the correct in-text citation for a direct quotation from page 52 of a book by Jonathan Culler is:
(1) (Culler: 52)
(2) (Jonathan Culler, p.52)
(3) (52 Culler)
(4) (Culler 52)
✔ Answer: (4)
Explanation: MLA uses author + page number without punctuation.
36. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a good research question?
(1) Clear
(2) Researchable
(3) Feasible
(4) Vague and exploratory
✔ Answer: (4)
Explanation: A good research question must be precise and focused.
37. “Emendation” in textual criticism refers to:
(1) Identifying the author of a work
(2) Creating a glossary of difficult terms
(3) Correcting a corrupt reading in a text
(4) Listing all variant editions
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Emendation restores or corrects the text using scholarly judgment.
38. A bibliography that includes brief evaluative descriptions of each source is known as:
(1) Systematic bibliography
(2) Annotated bibliography
(3) Analytical bibliography
(4) Enumerative bibliography
✔ Answer: (2)
Explanation: An annotated bibliography summarizes and evaluates each entry.
39. In research, “reliability” refers to:
(1) Measuring what it claims to measure
(2) Consistency of results across trials
(3) Appropriateness of research methods
(4) Ethical accuracy
✔ Answer: (2)
Explanation: Reliability = reproducibility. Validity = accuracy.
40. A scholarly apparatus in a critical edition typically includes:
(1) Author’s biography
(2) Plot summary
(3) Footnotes on textual variants
(4) Sales information
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: Apparatus criticus documents variant readings and editorial decisions.
41. A dissertation chapter summarizing major scholarship on a topic is called:
(1) Critical edition
(2) Literature review
(3) Abstract
(4) Conclusion
✔ Answer: (2)
42. Which tool is most appropriate for large-scale linguistic pattern analysis?
(1) Glossary
(2) Bibliography
(3) Corpus
(4) Index
✔ Answer: (3)
Explanation: A linguistic corpus allows computational analysis of word frequency, collocation, syntax, etc.
43. In textual criticism, the term stemma refers to:
(1) A glossary of rare words
(2) A family tree of manuscript relationships
(3) A list of sources
(4) An emended edition
✔ Answer: (2)
44. APA referencing differs from MLA by:
(1) Using footnotes only
(2) Using numbering in citations
(3) Using year of publication in in-text citation
(4) Omitting the reference list
✔ Answer: (3)
45. Which of the following is a secondary source for researching Milton?
(1) Paradise Lost 1667 edition
(2) Milton’s letters
(3) Cambridge MS of Milton’s draft
(4) A modern critical article on Milton’s epic
✔ Answer: (4)
46. A “working bibliography” is:
(1) The final reference list
(2) A preliminary list of sources compiled during research
(3) A glossary
(4) A concordance
✔ Answer: (2)
47. A scholarly monograph is:
(1) A multi-volume encyclopedia
(2) A reference dictionary
(3) A book-length study on a single subject
(4) A compiled anthology
✔ Answer: (3)
48. The process of identifying plagiarism primarily involves:
(1) Grammar correction
(2) Checking for unattributed borrowing
(3) Word count reduction
(4) Online publication
✔ Answer: (2)
49. “Sampling” in research refers to:
(1) Observing the entire population
(2) Choosing a subset to represent the whole
(3) Data hypothesis testing
(4) Arranging bibliography
✔ Answer: (2)
50. A synoptic edition aims to:
(1) Modernize spelling
(2) Present multiple versions of a text side by side
(3) Eliminate textual variants
(4) Provide only one authoritative text
✔ Answer: (2)
51. The term “ISBN” stands for:
(1) Index of Standard Book Names
(2) Indian Standard Book Number
(3) International Standard Book Number
(4) Institutional Scholarly Book Number
✔ Answer: (3)
52. Which type of research involves numeric data?
(1) Hermeneutic research
(2) Phenomenological research
(3) Quantitative research
(4) Interpretive research
✔ Answer: (3)
53. A style sheet in research is:
(1) A sample bibliography
(2) A list of keywords
(3) A guide specifying formatting and referencing rules
(4) A concordance
✔ Answer: (3)
54. The Dewey Decimal System classifies literature under:
(1) 500
(2) 800
(3) 900
(4) 400
✔ Answer: (2)
Explanation: 800 = Literature; 400 = Language.
55. Which is a characteristic of mixed methods research?
(1) Only statistical data
(2) Only textual interpretation
(3) Combination of qualitative and quantitative methods
(4) No theoretical framework
✔ Answer: (3)
56. The term “incipit” in manuscript studies means:
(1) Final page
(2) Opening words of a text
(3) Marginal notes
(4) Editorial corrections
✔ Answer: (2)
57. In MLA Works Cited, titles of books are:
(1) Quoted
(2) Written in all caps
(3) Italicized
(4) Underlined only
✔ Answer: (3)
58. A research design functions as:
(1) A bibliography
(2) A hypothesis
(3) A blueprint outlining how research will be conducted
(4) A theoretical framework
✔ Answer: (3)
59. “Collation” in editing means:
(1) Numbering pages
(2) Comparing different manuscript or printed versions
(3) Adding commentary
(4) Updating spelling
✔ Answer: (2)
60. The best source for checking word origins is:
(1) Thesaurus
(2) Glossary
(3) Etymological dictionary
(4) Encyclopaedia
✔ Answer: (3)