UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Ethical communication involves honesty,fairness,respect and responsibility in conveying messages. A teacher who openly discusses limitations of a study is being transparent and truthful. This builds credibility and trust,which are central to ethics. Thus the behaviour reflects the ethical aspect of communication.

Option A:
Aesthetic aspects concern beauty of expression and style,not moral responsibility.

Option B:
Ethical considerations guide what should or should not be communicated and how,making this option correct.

Option C:
Mechanical aspects focus on technology rather than values.

Option D:
Ritual aspects highlight symbolic ceremonies,not truth telling.

Triangulation involves combining different methods, investigators, theories or data sources to study the same phenomenon. When these independent strands of evidence converge on similar conclusions, confidence in the findings increases, enhancing credibility and trustworthiness.

Option A:
Option A suggests reducing data, whereas triangulation often increases data because more than one method or source is used.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it emphasizes corroboration of findings across methods or sources. This cross-checking helps to offset the limitations of any single approach.

Option C:
Option C restricts analysis to numerical data, which is contrary to the qualitative aspects often central to triangulation.

Option D:
Option D proposes avoiding comparison, while triangulation explicitly involves comparing evidence from different angles.

Statements A, B, C and D correctly summarise the main dimensions of trustworthiness in qualitative research. Credibility parallels internal validity, transferability addresses applicability to other contexts, dependability focuses on consistency and confirmability stresses grounding findings in data. Statement E is false because reflexivity helps demonstrate that findings arise from participants’ perspectives rather than unexamined researcher bias. Therefore, the combination that includes A, B, C and D but excludes E is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it leaves out D, failing to mention the role of audit trails in demonstrating confirmability. Without D, one important dimension of trustworthiness is missing.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it omits A, not explicitly acknowledging credibility as an analogue of internal validity, which is central to evaluating qualitative work.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it assembles all four positive criteria for judging trustworthiness and rejects the idea that researcher reflexivity is irrelevant. It reflects widely accepted qualitative standards.

Option D:
Option D is wrong because it includes E, the statement that denies the importance of reflexivity, and omits B, downgrading the significance of transferability. This mixture makes the combination invalid.

Effective communication requires consistency between verbal and non verbal messages. When words and body language match,receivers are more likely to trust and understand the message. This harmony is called congruence. Therefore,the teacher’s words and body language should be congruent with each other.

Option A:
Ambiguous messages are unclear or open to several interpretations,which increases confusion rather than effectiveness. A teacher’s body language should reduce ambiguity,not create it.

Option B:
Contradictory cues,for example praising a student verbally while showing a bored expression,undermine credibility and cause misunderstanding. Thus this option clashes with the idea of effectiveness.

Option C:
Neutral body language may hide the teacher’s real feelings and make messages seem cold or distant. While sometimes appropriate,it does not express the strong alignment suggested in the stem.

Option D:
Congruent messages allow students to focus on content instead of trying to guess the teacher’s real attitude,making option D the best answer.

Triangulation involves combining different methods, sources, investigators or theoretical perspectives to cross-check findings. When similar results emerge from diverse lines of evidence, confidence in the conclusions increases. This strategy is especially valued in qualitative research but can be used in mixed methods as well. Thus, the practice described in the stem is called triangulation.

Option A:
Standardisation refers to applying consistent procedures and instructions across participants, which reduces variability but does not necessarily involve multiple sources of evidence.

Option B:
Randomisation is a technique for assigning participants to groups or selecting samples by chance to control bias; it is distinct from corroborating results with multiple approaches.

Option C:
Triangulation might include, for example, combining interviews, observations and document analysis to study classroom interaction. If all three sources point to similar themes, the findings are considered more credible. This multi-angle confirmation is exactly what the stem highlights, making this option correct.

Option D:
Stratification refers to dividing a population into subgroups for sampling and does not inherently involve using multiple methods to study the same phenomenon.

Statements A, B, C and E provide a correct understanding of triangulation and mixed-methods research, whereas statement D is wrong. Statement A is true because triangulation involves using multiple methods, sources, investigators or theories to study the same phenomenon. Statement B is correct as triangulation is often used to enhance credibility and validity by cross-checking findings, and statement C accurately defines mixed-methods research as combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Statement E is also true because mixed-methods designs may implement qualitative and quantitative phases either sequentially or concurrently, while statement D is false since triangulation is not restricted to quantitative experiments and is widely used in qualitative and mixed-methods studies as well.

Option A:
Option A groups A, B and C, all of which are correct, but leaves out E. By omitting E, it does not fully reflect how mixed-methods studies can organise qualitative and quantitative phases over time. Since E is also a true statement, this combination is incomplete and cannot be the correct answer.

Option B:
Option B includes B, C and E but omits A. Although B, C and E are true, leaving out A ignores the general definitional statement that triangulation uses multiple methods, sources or investigators. Because the complete set of correct statements must contain A as well, this option is inadequate.

Option C:
Option C correctly lists A, B, C and E and excludes D, which is false. It captures the meaning and purpose of triangulation, the nature of mixed-methods research and the possible sequencing of qualitative and quantitative components. Since it contains all and only the true statements, this option is the best answer.

Option D:
Option D combines A, C, D and E and thereby includes D, which incorrectly restricts triangulation to quantitative experimental designs. Triangulation is widely used outside experimental settings, particularly in qualitative and mixed-methods studies. The inclusion of a false statement invalidates this combination.