UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Research questions express the core curiosities of the study in the form of questions that can be answered through systematic investigation. They help to sharpen the focus of the research and indicate the information that needs to be collected. Well-phrased research questions are clear, concise and aligned with the overall problem. Hence, interrogative statements specifying what the researcher wants to know are rightly termed research questions.

Option A:
Option A refers to questions, which are naturally expressed in interrogative form such as “What is…?” or “How does…?”. They function as the guiding inquiries that the study seeks to address through data collection and analysis. Because the stem emphasises interrogative statements about the problem, this option fits exactly.

Option B:
Objectives are declarative, not interrogative, and describe what the researcher will do rather than the question being asked. Although closely related, they are conceptually distinct from research questions. Therefore, objectives are not the best completion here.

Option C:
Variables are characteristics that can take different values and are measured or manipulated in the study. They do not, by themselves, specify what the researcher wants to know in interrogative form. Hence, variables do not match the stem.

Option D:
Limitations refer to constraints or weaknesses in the study’s design or execution, such as time or access restrictions. They are reported for transparency but do not state the central inquiries of the research, so they are not appropriate here.