Chapter 3: Ethical Data Gathering Quiz
Test your understanding of data collection methods, bias recognition, research ethics, and data quality assessment.
1. What is sampling bias?
- Using a sample size that is too large
- When the sample doesn't accurately represent the population being studied
- Collecting too much qualitative data
- Using only government data sources
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Sampling bias occurs when the sample doesn't accurately represent the population being studied. If you survey only social media users about technology, you'll miss perspectives of people who don't use social media, skewing your results.
Concept Tested: Sampling Bias
2. What is informed consent in research ethics?
- Telling participants only what they want to hear
- Ensuring participants understand what the research involves and voluntarily agree to participate
- Getting consent after the research is completed
- Only required for medical research
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Informed consent ensures that research participants understand what the research involves, any risks or benefits, how their data will be used, and that they voluntarily agree to participate. It's a fundamental principle protecting participant autonomy.
Concept Tested: Informed Consent
3. What distinguishes primary data from secondary data?
- Primary data is always more accurate than secondary data
- Primary data is collected directly for your specific research question
- Secondary data is always from government sources
- There is no meaningful difference between them
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Primary data is collected directly for your specific research question through surveys, interviews, experiments, or observations you conduct. Secondary data comes from sources that collected data for other purposes, like government statistics or existing research studies.
Concept Tested: Primary vs Secondary Data
4. What is response bias in survey research?
- When respondents give answers they think the researcher wants to hear or that are socially acceptable
- When too many people respond to the survey
- When the survey response rate is too low
- When respondents answer too quickly
Show Answer
The correct answer is A. Response bias occurs when respondents give answers they think the researcher wants to hear or that are socially acceptable rather than their true opinions. People may underreport harmful behaviors or overreport positive ones.
Concept Tested: Response Bias
5. What is methodological transparency in data collection?
- Hiding your research methods from competitors
- Fully documenting and disclosing how data was collected and analyzed
- Using only one research method
- Making all data publicly available
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Methodological transparency means fully documenting and disclosing how data was collected, what the sample was, how analysis was conducted, and what limitations exist. This allows others to evaluate the credibility of your findings.
Concept Tested: Methodological Transparency
6. Why might industry-funded research be viewed with skepticism?
- Industry researchers are always incompetent
- Funding sources create potential conflicts of interest that may influence findings
- Industry data is never accurate
- Academic researchers are always unbiased
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Industry-funded research creates potential conflicts of interest because funders may have financial stakes in specific outcomes. While such research isn't automatically wrong, the funding relationship may influence research design, interpretation, or publication decisions.
Concept Tested: Conflict of Interest
7. What is the purpose of a literature review in research?
- To copy the methodology of previous researchers
- To understand what's already known, identify gaps, and build on existing knowledge
- To prove that your research is completely original
- To find sources that agree with your hypothesis
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. A literature review helps you understand what's already known about your topic, identify gaps in existing knowledge, learn from others' methodologies, and build your research on a foundation of prior work rather than starting from scratch.
Concept Tested: Literature Review
8. What is selection bias in research studies?
- When researchers select the best data points
- When participants who complete a study differ systematically from those who drop out
- When researchers select only quantitative methods
- When selection is done randomly
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Selection bias occurs when participants who complete a study differ systematically from those who drop out or never participate. For example, if studying workplace harm, workers who've left dangerous jobs won't be in your sample, potentially underestimating harm.
Concept Tested: Selection Bias
9. What is the ethical principle of "do no harm" (non-maleficence) in research?
- Research should never study harmful industries
- Research should minimize risks and avoid causing physical, psychological, or social harm to participants
- Researchers should not publish negative findings
- Participants should never experience any discomfort
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Non-maleficence means research should minimize risks and avoid causing physical, psychological, or social harm to participants. Researchers must weigh potential benefits against potential harms and design studies to protect participants.
Concept Tested: Research Ethics
10. When evaluating data quality, what does "reproducibility" mean?
- Data can only be used once
- Another researcher following the same methods would get similar results
- The research can be published in multiple journals
- The data has been copied to multiple databases
Show Answer
The correct answer is B. Reproducibility means that another researcher following the same methods would get similar results. This is a key indicator of data quality and research validity, distinguishing robust findings from chance results or methodological artifacts.
Concept Tested: Data Quality Assessment