UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

A mailed questionnaire allows the researcher to send standardised questions to many respondents spread over wide geographic areas without needing to meet them face-to-face. Respondents can complete the instrument at their convenience and return it by post or electronically, making it relatively economical in terms of time and travel costs. This tool is particularly suitable for large-scale surveys where personal contact with each participant is difficult. Therefore, in the situation described in the stem, a mailed questionnaire is the most appropriate tool.

Option A:
A structured interview involves direct, often face-to-face interaction in which an interviewer asks a fixed set of questions and records responses. While it can yield rich data and permit clarification of doubts, it becomes time-consuming and expensive when the population is large and dispersed. Thus, it does not meet the requirement of low cost for a geographically scattered group.

Option B:
Focus group discussion brings a small group of participants together for guided discussion under the direction of a moderator. It is useful for exploratory, qualitative insights but is not an efficient method for collecting standardised written responses from large, scattered samples. Hence, it is not suited to the specific needs mentioned in the question.

Option C:
Participant observation requires the researcher to be physically present in the setting and engage with participants while observing their behaviour. This method is intensive and location-bound, making it impractical for large, widely dispersed populations. As a result, it does not satisfy the conditions described in the stem.

Option D:
A mailed questionnaire can be duplicated and distributed widely, and responses can be quantified for statistical analysis. Although limitations such as low response rates exist, it remains the best match among the options for collecting written input from a large, geographically scattered group at low cost.