UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statement D is wrong because a systematic review must aim to include all relevant studies that meet the criteria, not just those that support the researcher's preferred position; selective inclusion would bias the review. Statements A, B, C and E are correct: systematic reviews follow explicit procedures, define criteria in advance, may use meta-analysis or narrative synthesis and rely on transparent reporting for credibility. Thus, D alone is the incorrect statement.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect as it treats both A and D as wrong, despite A correctly describing the structured procedures that characterise a systematic review. Rejecting A would undermine the definition of systematic work.

Option B:
Option B is wrong because it pairs B with D, although B accurately states that inclusion and exclusion criteria are set beforehand. Without pre-specified criteria, a review would not be truly systematic.

Option C:
Option C is also incorrect since it includes C with D, even though C correctly explains that both quantitative meta-analysis and qualitative narrative synthesis can be used to integrate findings.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it isolates D as the only misleading statement, implicitly affirming that A, B, C and E reflect the rigorous and transparent nature of systematic reviews.

Statements D and E are wrong because they encourage hiding or rejecting studies with limitations, which is contrary to ethical and scholarly norms. All empirical studies have some limitations, and acknowledging them improves transparency and helps readers interpret results appropriately. In contrast, A, B and C correctly describe what delimitations and limitations are and why they should be reported. Thus, only the combination containing D and E as wrong statements is correct for this question.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it identifies only D as wrong and ignores E, which falsely suggests that studies with limitations should not be conducted or reported. Both D and E misrepresent how scholarly work is evaluated.

Option B:
Option B is wrong because it treats only E as incorrect, overlooking the harmful recommendation in D to avoid mentioning limitations. In reality, concealing limitations weakens rather than strengthens research.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it also labels C as wrong, even though reporting delimitations and limitations is central to helping readers judge the scope of findings. Misclassifying C undermines good reporting practice.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it groups D and E, the only two statements that contradict responsible research practice, and implicitly affirms that A, B and C are accurate descriptions.