UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Convenience sampling chooses individuals who are easiest to reach, such as nearby students or colleagues. It does not follow random selection principles and often leads to samples that are not representative of the population. This method is quick and inexpensive but prone to bias. Therefore, selecting respondents because they are easily available is best described as convenience sampling.

Option A:
Systematic sampling selects every kth unit from an ordered list after a random start, which is a probability method. It does not simply pick whoever is easiest to access. So it is not the option described in the stem.

Option B:
Simple random sampling gives each population member an equal and known chance of selection, often using random numbers. It requires a sampling frame and is more rigorous than just asking whoever is nearby. Hence, it is not the correct answer.

Option C:
Stratified sampling divides the population into homogeneous strata and randomly samples from each. It aims at representativeness, not convenience. Therefore, it does not match the description.

Option D:
Option D, convenience sampling, exactly captures the practice of selecting participants because they are readily available, such as sampling friends, colleagues or students in one’s own class. This matches the question, so this option is correct.

An interview schedule is a structured or semi-structured list of questions that the interviewer uses while interacting directly with respondents, either face-to-face or by phone. It ensures that similar information is obtained from all participants while still allowing for clarification when needed. The interviewer records responses during the interaction. Because the stem refers to a set of questions administered by the researcher in personal contact, it is describing an interview schedule.

Option A:
A mailed questionnaire is a self-administered instrument sent to respondents, who complete it on their own without an interviewer present. While it also consists of a set of questions, it does not involve face-to-face or telephone administration. Thus, mailed questionnaire does not match the description in the stem.

Option B:
An interview schedule provides a framework for the interviewer to follow, helping maintain consistency across interviews and reducing the chance of omitting key topics. It is specifically designed for situations in which the researcher directly asks questions and records answers. This is exactly the situation described in the question, so interview schedule is the correct answer.

Option C:
A checklist is a list of behaviours, attributes or items on which the observer records the presence or absence of each element, often in observational studies. It is not primarily a set of questions to be asked verbally to respondents. Therefore, checklist is not the best completion here.

Option D:
An observation schedule contains categories and guidelines for systematically recording behaviours or events as they occur in natural or controlled settings. It is used when the researcher observes rather than questions participants. Since the stem focuses on asking questions face-to-face or by phone, observation schedule is not appropriate.

Descriptive research is designed to portray accurately the characteristics or conditions of a situation at a particular point in time. It does not involve deliberate manipulation of variables but rather observes and records what exists. Surveys, opinion polls and observational studies are common descriptive designs. Since the stem refers to describing current status without manipulating variables, the correct classification is descriptive research.

Option A:
Experimental research deliberately manipulates one or more independent variables and observes the resulting changes in dependent variables, usually under controlled conditions. Its main purpose is to establish cause–effect relationships. Because the stem explicitly mentions no manipulation of variables, experimental research is not appropriate here.

Option B:
Historical research deals with past events and processes, relying on documents, records and other sources to reconstruct what happened and why. It does not focus on current status, so it cannot be the correct answer to a question about present conditions.

Option C:
Action research is conducted by practitioners such as teachers to solve immediate problems in their own settings through cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting. Although it may describe conditions, its primary aim is change and improvement rather than neutral description. Therefore, it does not fully match the stem.

Option D:
Descriptive research provides detailed information about “what is” in a given context, serving as a foundation for explanation and prediction. It respects the existing conditions and seeks to summarise them systematically. This aligns precisely with the scenario presented in the question, making descriptive research the correct choice.

A schedule is generally administered by a trained enumerator who asks questions face to face or over the phone and records respondents’ answers, making it suitable even for illiterate respondents and allowing clarification of doubts. In contrast, questionnaires are usually self-administered written instruments.

Option A:
This option incorrectly describes the self-administered, mailed or online tool typical of questionnaires; schedules are not usually filled by respondents on their own.

Option B:
This option is correct because it identifies the interviewer-administered nature of schedules, which is the main practical distinction from questionnaires and has implications for cost, coverage and data quality.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because both schedules and questionnaires can contain a mix of open- and closed-ended questions; the difference lies in how they are administered, not in question format.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as well; both instruments can be printed or delivered online. Again, the key distinction is whether an interviewer is involved, not the medium of administration.

Closed-ended questions present respondents with a limited set of predefined response options, such as yes/no, multiple-choice categories or rating scales. This format simplifies coding, tabulation and statistical analysis because responses can be easily quantified. It also reduces ambiguity and helps ensure that all respondents interpret options in a similar way. Hence, items with fixed responses like ‘yes’ or ‘no’ are accurately described as closed-ended questions.

Option A:
Open-ended questions allow respondents to answer in their own words without being constrained to predefined categories. They yield rich qualitative data but are harder to code and analyse quantitatively. Since the stem explicitly mentions a fixed set of responses, open-ended questions are not the correct type.

Option B:
Closed-ended questions restrict answers to specified alternatives, which enhances comparability across respondents and increases reliability of measurement. This structure fits the description of yes/no items given in the question.

Option C:
Projective questions use ambiguous stimuli or tasks, such as sentence completion or story-telling, to uncover underlying attitudes or motives. They do not typically employ simple fixed categories like yes/no, so projective questions are not appropriate here.

Option D:
Leading questions are worded in a way that suggests a preferred answer or biases respondents, which is a problem of wording rather than of response format. They may be open or closed, but the stem is focused on fixed response sets, making leading questions an incorrect completion.

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.