MSN Graduate Research & Scholarly Writing Quiz - Galen College of
Nursing
1. In a PICOT question, what does the ‘T’ represent?
A. Testing method
B. Timeframe
C. Treatment type
D. Theoretical framework
Answer: B
Rationale: In the PICOT framework used for developing clinical research questions, T
stands for Time, indicating the period over which the intervention or observation occurs.
2. According to APA 7th edition, how should a work with three or more authors
be cited in-text from the first mention?
A. List all authors’ last names
B. Use the first author’s last name followed by ‘and others’
C. Use the first author’s last name followed by ‘et al.’
D. List only the first two authors
Answer: C
Rationale: APA 7th edition simplifies in-text citations for three or more authors by using
the first author’s last name and ‘et al.’ starting from the very first citation.
3. What is the primary goal of qualitative research?
A. To test hypotheses and determine cause and effect
B. To generalize findings to a large population
C. To explore and understand the meaning of human experiences
D. To perform statistical analysis on numerical data
Answer: C
,Rationale: Qualitative research focuses on exploring phenomena and understanding the
subjective ‘lived experience’ of participants rather than numerical measurement.
4. Which level of evidence is considered the highest in the evidence-based
practice hierarchy?
A. Systematic reviews or meta-analyses of RCTs
B. Expert opinion
C. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
D. Case-control studies
Answer: A
Rationale: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are at the top of the hierarchy because
they synthesize findings from multiple high-quality studies.
5. What is the role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To format papers according to APA standards
B. To publish scholarly articles in nursing journals
C. To provide funding for graduate student research
D. To ensure the ethical protection of human subjects in research
Answer: D
Rationale: The IRB is a committee that reviews research proposals to ensure they meet
ethical standards and protect the rights and welfare of participants.
6. Which Boolean operator is used to narrow a search by requiring all terms to
be present?
A. OR
B. BUT
C. NOT
D. AND
Answer: D
, Rationale: Using ‘AND’ between search terms narrows the results because the database
only returns records that contain all specified keywords.
7. What is a primary source in scholarly research?
A. A textbook summarizing research findings
B. An original research study written by the researchers who conducted it
C. A review article analyzing several different studies
D. A newspaper article reporting on a medical breakthrough
Answer: B
Rationale: A primary source is an original report of a study, providing direct evidence or
first-hand accounts of the research conducted.
8. Which term describes the consistency or stability of a measurement tool?
A. Validity
B. Generalizability
C. Reliability
D. Credibility
Answer: C
Rationale: Reliability refers to the extent to which a research instrument consistently
produces the same results over repeated trials.
9. In a research study, what is the ‘independent variable’?
A. The outcome being measured
B. The variable that is manipulated or the intervention being tested
C. A variable that is kept constant to avoid bias
D. The statistical software used for data analysis
Answer: B
Rationale: The independent variable is the intervention, treatment, or attribute that is
believed to influence the dependent variable (the outcome).
Nursing
1. In a PICOT question, what does the ‘T’ represent?
A. Testing method
B. Timeframe
C. Treatment type
D. Theoretical framework
Answer: B
Rationale: In the PICOT framework used for developing clinical research questions, T
stands for Time, indicating the period over which the intervention or observation occurs.
2. According to APA 7th edition, how should a work with three or more authors
be cited in-text from the first mention?
A. List all authors’ last names
B. Use the first author’s last name followed by ‘and others’
C. Use the first author’s last name followed by ‘et al.’
D. List only the first two authors
Answer: C
Rationale: APA 7th edition simplifies in-text citations for three or more authors by using
the first author’s last name and ‘et al.’ starting from the very first citation.
3. What is the primary goal of qualitative research?
A. To test hypotheses and determine cause and effect
B. To generalize findings to a large population
C. To explore and understand the meaning of human experiences
D. To perform statistical analysis on numerical data
Answer: C
,Rationale: Qualitative research focuses on exploring phenomena and understanding the
subjective ‘lived experience’ of participants rather than numerical measurement.
4. Which level of evidence is considered the highest in the evidence-based
practice hierarchy?
A. Systematic reviews or meta-analyses of RCTs
B. Expert opinion
C. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
D. Case-control studies
Answer: A
Rationale: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are at the top of the hierarchy because
they synthesize findings from multiple high-quality studies.
5. What is the role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To format papers according to APA standards
B. To publish scholarly articles in nursing journals
C. To provide funding for graduate student research
D. To ensure the ethical protection of human subjects in research
Answer: D
Rationale: The IRB is a committee that reviews research proposals to ensure they meet
ethical standards and protect the rights and welfare of participants.
6. Which Boolean operator is used to narrow a search by requiring all terms to
be present?
A. OR
B. BUT
C. NOT
D. AND
Answer: D
, Rationale: Using ‘AND’ between search terms narrows the results because the database
only returns records that contain all specified keywords.
7. What is a primary source in scholarly research?
A. A textbook summarizing research findings
B. An original research study written by the researchers who conducted it
C. A review article analyzing several different studies
D. A newspaper article reporting on a medical breakthrough
Answer: B
Rationale: A primary source is an original report of a study, providing direct evidence or
first-hand accounts of the research conducted.
8. Which term describes the consistency or stability of a measurement tool?
A. Validity
B. Generalizability
C. Reliability
D. Credibility
Answer: C
Rationale: Reliability refers to the extent to which a research instrument consistently
produces the same results over repeated trials.
9. In a research study, what is the ‘independent variable’?
A. The outcome being measured
B. The variable that is manipulated or the intervention being tested
C. A variable that is kept constant to avoid bias
D. The statistical software used for data analysis
Answer: B
Rationale: The independent variable is the intervention, treatment, or attribute that is
believed to influence the dependent variable (the outcome).
