BYU SFL 290 Midterm 1 Question and
answers correctly solved 2025/2026
Research Process Steps(1-4) - correct answer ✔(1) come up with an idea (2) develop testable research
question, propose hypothesis (3) decide on what to observe/assess (4) choose your participants aka the
sample
Explanation of Steps/Why are they important - correct answer ✔
Research Process Steps (5-8) - correct answer ✔(5) Choose research design (6) conduct the study aka
gather the data (7) clean, enter, analyze, and interpret the data (8) Report the results in a paper or
professional presentation
Sections of a Research Paper - correct answer ✔Introduction, Methodology (Design, sample,
procedures, measures), Results, Discussion
What makes good research, good research - correct answer ✔Repeatable, reliable, `
Primary - correct answer ✔ORIGINAL study report; enough details to recreate study (ex. Journal
articles, scholarly books)
Secondary - correct answer ✔Usually some kind of peer review, info "once removed" (textbooks,
REVIEW articles in journals, books on specific topics)
General - correct answer ✔Not peer reviewed, leads to more info (ex. Magazines and newspapers)
Types of Research, Applied - correct answer ✔addresses practical problems and addresses specific
solutions (example: program evaluation: evaluating a program like Head Start to see the impact it's
actually having on children)
, Types of Research, Basic - correct answer ✔extends knowledge base, no current application (example:
study how sleep impacts weight)
Quantitative Inquiry - correct answer ✔Begin with specific theory and research question; larger
samples; data is usually collected with questionnaires (forced response) or observation of present
behaviors; data is recorded numerically; analyzed with inferential and descriptive statistics
Qualitative Inquiry - correct answer ✔Begin with broad research question and no analytical (a-priori)
hypotheses; smaller samples (so not generalizable to the population); some type of text is analyzed to
identify major themes that emerge from the data; data are described in a narrative fashion (drawing on
quotes for evidence) and are often based off free response questions
Conceptualization - correct answer ✔Conceptual definition = similar to a dictionary definition; typically
found in the beginning of a research article; (ex: theory - religiosity meaning your devotion to God)
Operationalization - correct answer ✔Links the abstract concept to an actual measurement for
research purposes; measurement (Ex: how often do you go to church, do you believe in god?)
Variable - correct answer ✔a concept or its empirical measure that can take on more than one value
Independent - correct answer ✔Variable that influences the dependent variable (the cause)
Dependent - correct answer ✔the variable that is influenced (the "effect)
Control - correct answer ✔variables that need to be accounted for because they could also effect the
dependent variable
Categorical (discrete) variables - correct answer ✔Nominal Scale (ex. Gender)
answers correctly solved 2025/2026
Research Process Steps(1-4) - correct answer ✔(1) come up with an idea (2) develop testable research
question, propose hypothesis (3) decide on what to observe/assess (4) choose your participants aka the
sample
Explanation of Steps/Why are they important - correct answer ✔
Research Process Steps (5-8) - correct answer ✔(5) Choose research design (6) conduct the study aka
gather the data (7) clean, enter, analyze, and interpret the data (8) Report the results in a paper or
professional presentation
Sections of a Research Paper - correct answer ✔Introduction, Methodology (Design, sample,
procedures, measures), Results, Discussion
What makes good research, good research - correct answer ✔Repeatable, reliable, `
Primary - correct answer ✔ORIGINAL study report; enough details to recreate study (ex. Journal
articles, scholarly books)
Secondary - correct answer ✔Usually some kind of peer review, info "once removed" (textbooks,
REVIEW articles in journals, books on specific topics)
General - correct answer ✔Not peer reviewed, leads to more info (ex. Magazines and newspapers)
Types of Research, Applied - correct answer ✔addresses practical problems and addresses specific
solutions (example: program evaluation: evaluating a program like Head Start to see the impact it's
actually having on children)
, Types of Research, Basic - correct answer ✔extends knowledge base, no current application (example:
study how sleep impacts weight)
Quantitative Inquiry - correct answer ✔Begin with specific theory and research question; larger
samples; data is usually collected with questionnaires (forced response) or observation of present
behaviors; data is recorded numerically; analyzed with inferential and descriptive statistics
Qualitative Inquiry - correct answer ✔Begin with broad research question and no analytical (a-priori)
hypotheses; smaller samples (so not generalizable to the population); some type of text is analyzed to
identify major themes that emerge from the data; data are described in a narrative fashion (drawing on
quotes for evidence) and are often based off free response questions
Conceptualization - correct answer ✔Conceptual definition = similar to a dictionary definition; typically
found in the beginning of a research article; (ex: theory - religiosity meaning your devotion to God)
Operationalization - correct answer ✔Links the abstract concept to an actual measurement for
research purposes; measurement (Ex: how often do you go to church, do you believe in god?)
Variable - correct answer ✔a concept or its empirical measure that can take on more than one value
Independent - correct answer ✔Variable that influences the dependent variable (the cause)
Dependent - correct answer ✔the variable that is influenced (the "effect)
Control - correct answer ✔variables that need to be accounted for because they could also effect the
dependent variable
Categorical (discrete) variables - correct answer ✔Nominal Scale (ex. Gender)
