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Dicm 308: Research Methodology Question Paper
Dicm 308: Research Methodology
Course:Clinical Medicine
Institution: Kenya Methodist University question papers
Exam Year:2011
KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY
END OF 3''RD ''TRIMESTER 2011 EXAMINATIONS
FACULTY : SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT : CLINICAL MEDICINE,SURGERY
UNIT CODE : DICM 308
UNIT TITLE : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
TIME : 2 HOURS
Instructions:
For each the questions circle the single best answer
Each correct answer is 1 mark while a wrong answer is 1/2 (minus half) a mark
All textbooks, note books and all written materials must be kept away before the start of the exam
Mobile phones must be switched off
Cheating in examinations is a serious offence that could lead to expulsion from the university
1. Investigators examine data from police records to identify crash factors associated with a driver fatality vs. a driver non-fatality. The crash factors they consider are driver blood alcohol level, driver age and driver use of the seat belt. This is an example of a) case control study
b) Retrospective
c) Case series study
d) Prospective cohort study
e) Large case report study
2. Select the correct statement
A study result is more generalizable if it is statistically significant vs. not statistically significant
b. A study result is clinically important if it is statistically significant
c. Failure to blind subjects and investigators is a potential threat to external validity
d. Failure to consider the cost of treatment is a potential threat to internal validity
A study result with a p-value less than 0.0000001 might have no clinical
importance
3. The main benefit of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared to all other
epidemiology study designs is that the RCT:
a. is prospective thereby eliminating the need for historical data
b. has better external validity
c. guarantees that confounding bias will not occur
tends to equally distribute into the study arms characteristics which may be
independent risk factors for the outcome of interest
tends to avoid random misclassification of the outcome of interest
4. Researchers conduct a randomized controlled trial to determine ifMed A reduces post-
operative pain more than Med B. The primary purpose of double blinding-this trial is to
avoid:
a. recall bias
b. selection bias
c. surveillance bias
d. non-random (differential) misclassification of exposure status
e. non-random (differential) misclassification of outcome status
5. Attributable risk:
is the amount or proportion of the disease that can be attributed to a specific
exposure
can be used to calculate disease prevalence if the average duration of disease is
known
c. is a measurement of excess disease if the non-exposed remain non-exposed,
d. is the relative risk in the exposed minus the relative risk in the non-exposed
e. It occurs when subjects in a case control study differentially recall their disease outcome.
is the prevalence of disease in the exposed minus the prevalence of disease in the
non-exposed
6. Researchers are interested in assessing a possible association between living in the space
station for six months and a reduction of bone mineral density. The best study design to
assess this possible association is:
a. a randomized controlled trial
b. a case control study
c. a case senes
d. an ecological study
e. a prospective cohort study
7. Recall bias occurs when:
Researchers in a case control study ask more probing questions of cases than
controls.
Researchers are not blinded and they recall which subjects were cases and which
subjects were controls.
Subjects in one arm of a randomized controlled trial recall their treatment
compliance better than subjects in the other arm of the randomized controlled
trial.
Cases and controls in a case control study know their disease (outcome) status and
differentially report their exposure histories.
The exposed and non-exposed subjects in a cohort study know their" exposure
status and differentially recall their exposure histories.
8. Select the best statement concerning recall bias:
a. It’s a bias unique to retrospective cohort studies.
b. It occurs in RCTs when subjects do not recall their assigned protocols,
It occurs if the outcome assessment committee is not blinded such that they can
recall to which arm the subject was assigned.
It occurs when cases and controls know their outcome status and differentially
recall their exposure history in a case control study .
9. The following text is a definition of "the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states in specified populations, and the
application of this study to control health problems"
a. Health economics
b. Epidemiology
c. Health statistics
d. Epidemics
10. Vaccine efficacy trials are a good example of studies because investigators control who gets the vaccine and who doesn’t.
a. Experimental
b. Descriptive
c. Observational
d. Analytical
11. ______________Studies are often referred to as prospective studies because they follow the Study population forward in time, from suspected cause to effect.
a. Experimental
b. Descriptive
c. Observational
d. Cohort
12. A disease that is transmitted indirectly by a live carrier, usually an arthropod, such as Mosquitoes, fleas, or ticks is said to be
a. Vector borne
b. Airborne
c. Vehicle borne
d. Accidental
13. When investigating an outbreak speed is essential , but getting the right answer is essential, too. To satisfy both requirements, epidemiologists approach investigations
systematically, using 10 steps. Which of the following usually comes first?
a. Verify the diagnosis
b. Prepare for field work
c. Define and identify cases
d. Establish the existence of an outbreak
14. A ______________, is a standard set of criteria for deciding whether, in an investigation, a person should be classified as having the disease or health condition under study.
a. case study
b. confirmed case
c. possible case
d. case definition
15. The type of epidemiology where we try to answer "how" and "why" questions is referred to as________________ epidemiology.
a. Field
b. Descriptive
c. Applied
d. Analytical
16. Price of a book, measured in US dollars.
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio
17. Marital status, measured as "single," "married," "separated," "divorced," or "widowed."
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. interval
d. Ratio
. Interval
d. Ratio
18. Approval for a newly established library policy on Internet use, measured on a 5-point
Likert scale, where the anchors are "Strongly Approve" and "Strongly Disapprove."
NOTE: mark "real" level, not one used for data analysis.
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio
19. Which of the following descriptive statistics is most appropriate for describing nominal
data?
a. Mean
b. Mode
c. Standard Deviation
d. Maximum
20. Which of the following best describes the main purpose of sampling?
a. To enhance the reliability of measurements.
b. To enhance the validity of measurements.
c. To validate the theoretical concepts used in a study.
To select a set of people with the same characteristics as the population from which they are chosen.
PART II: SHCRT ANSWER, QUESTION (4mrks each)
1. List the steps in conducting a health survey
2. List and explain three benefits of conducting an outbreak investigation
3. Define screening and explain three criterion that qualify a particular disease for screening
4. Briefly explain the various issues to consider when reading a research article
5. Define sampling and state three types of sampling that you know
PART III: ESSAY QESTIONS: ANSWER ANY TWO QUESTIONS (15 marks each)
Question one
a) Explain the meaning of research and list at least four purposes for conducting research
b) Explain eight (8) characteristics of a good scientific research
c) Using appropriate examples, describe the main sources for obtaining data on a
community health problem which your organization has asked you to investigate.
Question Two
Distinguish the following concepts as used in research:
i) Applied and basic research
ii) Research objectives and hypotheses
iii) Independent and dependent variables
iv) Target population and accessible population
v) Closed and open ended questions
Use examples to illustrate your explanation
Question Three
a) Explain the purpose of literature review in a scientific research
b) Define plagiarism and describe three measures which you as a researcher would put in place to avoid it
c) Explain how you can write a good research report
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