,NR 505 Exam 2 Advanced Research Methods I Questions And
Answers 2026/2027 Chamberlain
1. A nurse researcher is designing a study to evaluate a new fall prevention
protocol. The researcher plans to use a randomized controlled trial (RCT)
design. Which of the following is the most important characteristic of an RCT
for establishing causality?
A) Use of a large sample size
B) Random assignment of participants to groups
C) Use of validated measurement tools
D) Blinding of the data analysts
**Correct Answer:** B) Random assignment of participants to groups
**Rationale:** Random assignment is the hallmark of an RCT and is essential
for establishing causality because it minimizes selection bias and ensures
that the intervention and control groups are comparable at baseline. While
large sample sizes, valid tools, and blinding are important, they do not define
an RCT.
2. A nurse practitioner is reading a research article and notes that the study
used a quasi-experimental design. A quasi-experimental design differs from a
true experimental design primarily because it:
A) Does not include a control group
B) Does not use random assignment
C) Does not measure outcomes
D) Does not include an intervention
**Correct Answer:** B) Does not use random assignment
,**Rationale:** Quasi-experimental designs lack random assignment to
groups. While they include an intervention and a comparison group, the lack
of random assignment increases the risk of confounding and limits the ability
to establish causality. The other options are incorrect.
3. A researcher is developing a study to evaluate a new patient education
program. The researcher plans to collect data from participants before and
after the intervention. This study design is best described as a:
A) Cross-sectional study
B) Pre-test/post-test (pre-post) study
C) Case-control study
D) Cohort study
**Correct Answer:** B) Pre-test/post-test (pre-post) study
**Rationale:** A pre-post study measures outcomes in the same participants
before and after an intervention. While simple to conduct, this design is
susceptible to threats to internal validity, such as history, maturation, and
regression to the mean, and lacks a control group for comparison.
4. A nurse researcher is conducting a study to determine the association
between a new risk factor and a rare disease. Which study design is most
efficient for studying rare diseases?
A) Cohort study
B) Case-control study
C) Randomized controlled trial
D) Cross-sectional study
**Correct Answer:** B) Case-control study
, **Rationale:** Case-control studies are efficient for studying rare diseases
because they start with individuals who already have the disease (cases) and
compare them to individuals without the disease (controls). This design
requires a smaller sample size than cohort studies for rare conditions.
5. A cohort study follows a group of individuals over time to determine who
develops a disease. Which measure of association can be calculated from a
cohort study?
A) Odds ratio
B) Relative risk
C) Prevalence
D) Sensitivity
**Correct Answer:** B) Relative risk
**Rationale:** Relative risk (RR) is the ratio of the probability of an event
occurring in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group. It is
calculated from cohort studies because incidence rates can be compared
between exposed and unexposed groups. Odds ratios are typically calculated
from case-control studies.
6. A case-control study reports an odds ratio (OR) of 3.0 for the association
between smoking and lung cancer. This means:
A) Smokers have a 3-fold higher risk of lung cancer
B) Smokers have a 3-fold higher odds of lung cancer
C) Smoking causes lung cancer
D) There is no association between smoking and lung cancer
**Correct Answer:** B) Smokers have a 3-fold higher odds of lung cancer
Answers 2026/2027 Chamberlain
1. A nurse researcher is designing a study to evaluate a new fall prevention
protocol. The researcher plans to use a randomized controlled trial (RCT)
design. Which of the following is the most important characteristic of an RCT
for establishing causality?
A) Use of a large sample size
B) Random assignment of participants to groups
C) Use of validated measurement tools
D) Blinding of the data analysts
**Correct Answer:** B) Random assignment of participants to groups
**Rationale:** Random assignment is the hallmark of an RCT and is essential
for establishing causality because it minimizes selection bias and ensures
that the intervention and control groups are comparable at baseline. While
large sample sizes, valid tools, and blinding are important, they do not define
an RCT.
2. A nurse practitioner is reading a research article and notes that the study
used a quasi-experimental design. A quasi-experimental design differs from a
true experimental design primarily because it:
A) Does not include a control group
B) Does not use random assignment
C) Does not measure outcomes
D) Does not include an intervention
**Correct Answer:** B) Does not use random assignment
,**Rationale:** Quasi-experimental designs lack random assignment to
groups. While they include an intervention and a comparison group, the lack
of random assignment increases the risk of confounding and limits the ability
to establish causality. The other options are incorrect.
3. A researcher is developing a study to evaluate a new patient education
program. The researcher plans to collect data from participants before and
after the intervention. This study design is best described as a:
A) Cross-sectional study
B) Pre-test/post-test (pre-post) study
C) Case-control study
D) Cohort study
**Correct Answer:** B) Pre-test/post-test (pre-post) study
**Rationale:** A pre-post study measures outcomes in the same participants
before and after an intervention. While simple to conduct, this design is
susceptible to threats to internal validity, such as history, maturation, and
regression to the mean, and lacks a control group for comparison.
4. A nurse researcher is conducting a study to determine the association
between a new risk factor and a rare disease. Which study design is most
efficient for studying rare diseases?
A) Cohort study
B) Case-control study
C) Randomized controlled trial
D) Cross-sectional study
**Correct Answer:** B) Case-control study
, **Rationale:** Case-control studies are efficient for studying rare diseases
because they start with individuals who already have the disease (cases) and
compare them to individuals without the disease (controls). This design
requires a smaller sample size than cohort studies for rare conditions.
5. A cohort study follows a group of individuals over time to determine who
develops a disease. Which measure of association can be calculated from a
cohort study?
A) Odds ratio
B) Relative risk
C) Prevalence
D) Sensitivity
**Correct Answer:** B) Relative risk
**Rationale:** Relative risk (RR) is the ratio of the probability of an event
occurring in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group. It is
calculated from cohort studies because incidence rates can be compared
between exposed and unexposed groups. Odds ratios are typically calculated
from case-control studies.
6. A case-control study reports an odds ratio (OR) of 3.0 for the association
between smoking and lung cancer. This means:
A) Smokers have a 3-fold higher risk of lung cancer
B) Smokers have a 3-fold higher odds of lung cancer
C) Smoking causes lung cancer
D) There is no association between smoking and lung cancer
**Correct Answer:** B) Smokers have a 3-fold higher odds of lung cancer
