UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B and C correctly describe major data collection tools, and E adds the important idea of triangulation. Questionnaires, structured interviews and participant observation are standard methods in educational and social research. Statement D is false because no single tool is guaranteed to answer all research questions in every study. Using multiple methods, as in E, can help corroborate results and increase credibility. Therefore the correct combination includes A, B, C and E but excludes D.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it omits E, even though triangulation through multiple methods is a recognised strategy for enhancing the robustness of research findings. A correct option must include this important point along with the basic tool descriptions.

Option B:
Option B includes D, which wrongly suggests that a single tool always suffices, contradicting the idea of methodological flexibility and triangulation. Including such an absolute claim makes the option conceptually unsound.

Option C:
Option C lists B, C and E but leaves out A, thereby ignoring the role of questionnaires as a major tool in many research designs. Since A is clearly a correct statement, its omission renders the combination incomplete.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it groups the three accurate descriptions of individual tools with the accurate statement about using multiple methods. It properly excludes D, which unjustifiably elevates a single tool as universally sufficient, and thus contains all and only the correct statements.

Option E is incorrect because it includes D, the false assertion about a single tool being always sufficient, and simultaneously omits B, which is a true statement about structured interviews. This mixture of omission and error invalidates the option.

An interview schedule is a structured list of questions and response categories that guides the interviewer during data collection. It ensures that each respondent is asked the same questions in the same order, thereby enhancing comparability and reducing interviewer bias. The schedule may be used in face-to-face or telephone interviews. Thus, the list of standardised questions described in the stem is appropriately called an interview schedule.

Option A:
A frame usually refers to the sampling frame, which is the list of population elements from which a sample is drawn, and is not specific to interviewing. It does not guide question asking during the interview itself.

Option B:
A sample is the subset of the population selected for study, not the instrument used for questioning them. While a sample is necessary, it does not maintain consistency in questioning.

Option C:
The interview schedule spells out exact wording and sequence, allowing multiple interviewers to follow the same protocol. This structure ensures uniform coverage of topics and aligns exactly with the stem’s description, making this option correct.

Option D:
A pilot refers to a preliminary test of instruments or procedures, not the list of questions itself. Although an interview schedule might be piloted, that does not change the name of the list of questions.