UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

A well formulated research problem is specific enough to guide the study yet important enough to contribute meaningfully to knowledge or practice. It must be clearly worded so that objectives and hypotheses can be developed. At the same time, it should be manageable within the researcher’s time, financial and technical limitations.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it combines clarity, significance and feasibility, which are widely accepted criteria for a good problem.

Option B:
Option B suggests an overly broad and vague problem, which makes it difficult to design appropriate methods or interpret findings.

Option C:
Option C bases selection purely on fashion, which may ignore academic value and feasibility.

Option D:
Option D describes a problem that cannot be investigated under given constraints, which is impractical for a student researcher.

Statement A is correct because the proposed action must respond directly to the issue described. Statement C is also true since realistic feasibility and reasonableness are central to judging whether a course of action is strong. Statement E is correct as some questions intentionally include more than one acceptable course, and candidates must recognise all that are reasonable. Statement B is false because emotional appeal alone does not outweigh impracticality. Statement D is false since polite language cannot make an impractical or irrelevant action strong. Hence the combination A, C and E only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it collects the three statements that reflect how course of action questions are supposed to be analysed and excludes B and D, both of which downplay logic and feasibility.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it includes B, which suggests that emotional but impractical steps might be considered strong, contradicting the logical focus of such items.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it includes D, which is clearly false as politeness does not guarantee acceptability, and it omits A, which is essential.

Option D:
Option D is also incorrect because it retains D while omitting C, losing the explicit feasibility criterion and keeping a faulty one.

Statements A, B and D together describe core qualities of a good research problem. Clarity and lack of ambiguity help readers and the researcher understand exactly what is being studied, feasibility ensures that the problem can realistically be investigated and significance justifies why the study matters. Statement C is false because trivial problems contribute little to knowledge, and E is false because overly broad and unrelated issues reduce focus and coherence. Thus the correct combination must include only A, B and D.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits D, even though the significance of a problem is a crucial criterion for deciding whether research is worthwhile. Without D, the option does not fully represent what makes a problem “good” in research terms.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it includes the three statements that simultaneously emphasise clarity, feasibility and significance. It excludes C and E, both of which misrepresent desirable qualities by calling for trivial or overly broad problems. This combination therefore reflects standard guidance on problem formulation.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as it incorporates C, which wrongly suggests that triviality is desirable. Although B and D are true, including C corrupts the set of statements and makes the option unacceptable.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it brings in E, which proposes an excessively broad and unfocused problem, and omits B, which focuses on feasibility. A correct option cannot mix such a false requirement with true ones.

Option E is also wrong because it retains C, the triviality statement, within an otherwise partly correct set. The presence of C means the option no longer represents an acceptable description of a good research problem.