RESEARCH METHODOLOGY • 2021

(Assignment) • 2022
• 2023
• 2024
1. The Artemis program will result in: Accepted Answers:
• The first man on the moon 2024
• The first woman on the moon
• People on the moon 7. The media is being invited to watch
• School kids on the moon • The astronauts in space
Accepted Answers: • Astronauts on earth
The first woman on the moon • Astronauts in a lab
People on the moon • Astronauts in a rocket
Accepted Answers:
Astronauts on earth
2. Media invited to watch the training is: Astronauts in a lab
• Only US Media
• Only International Media 8. Spacewalk training occurs in
• Both US as well as International Media • Anti-gravity lab
• Only television broadcasters • Zero buoyancy laboratory
Accepted Answers: • Neutral buoyancy laboratory
Both US as well as International Media • Centrifugally accelerated laboratory
Accepted Answers:
Neutral buoyancy laboratory
3. Applicants for the next class of astronauts should be:
• US citizens 9. Media is invited to
• Indian citizens • Also undergo spacewalk training
• STEM degree holders • Use simulators
• Fresh graduates • Try robotics training
Accepted Answers: • Create simulators
US citizens Accepted Answers:
STEM degree holders Use simulators
Try robotics training
4. Due to the distances and complexities involved, NASA
will 10. The application process for the Astronaut selection
• Send people to moon first and then later to mars process as on the date of the press release
• Send people to mars first and the later to the • Is past its deadline
moon • Is yet to open
• Send people to orbit and then to the moon • Is not indicated
• Send people to moon and then to orbit • Will not be happening
Accepted Answers: Accepted Answers:
Send people to moon first and then later to mars Is yet to open
Send people to orbit and then to the moon

11. Which of the following is generally acceptable while

5. The number of active astronauts that NAA has are publishing an article in a journal?
• 48
• 350 • Replicating relevant figures from another article
• Enough for the missions planned • Replicating own published text from another article
• Insufficient for the missions planned • Replicating relevant equations from another article
Accepted Answers: • Replicating relevant tables from own published
48 articles
Insufficient for the missions planned
Accepted Answers:
Replicating relevant equations from another article
6. NASA moon missions are planned for
 16. Which of the following strategies of search fetches you
the latest article based on a particular research topic?
12. Which of the following is always true for an open
access journal? • Keyword search
• Citation based search
• Such journals are not peer reviewed
• Back reference based search
• Articles in such a journal are freely available for
• Affiliation based search
download
• Such journals charge for publication of an Accepted Answers:
article
Citation based search
• Such journals are of dubious reputation
Accepted Answers:
17. Which of the following is NOT an free / open source
Articles in such a journal are freely available for
for scholarly articles?
download
• [Link]
• [Link]
13. Which of the following is the most reliable source to • [Link]
identify original research in a particular topic? • [Link]
• Articles in archival peer reviewed journals Accepted Answers:
• Reviews in encyclopedia
• Compilations in handbooks [Link]
• Abstracting services
Accepted Answers: 18. What kind of tools are the following: Mendeley, Zotero,
EndNote and RefWorks ?
Articles in archival peer reviewed journals
• Word processing tools for scientific articles
• Search engines for scholarly articles
14. Which of the following can be used to redirect the • File management tools
browser to the web page associated with the article? • Citation management tools
• International Standard Book Number Accepted Answers:
• International Standard Serial Number
• Universal Decimal Classification Citation management tools
• Digital Object Identifier number
Accepted Answers: 19. Which of the following is NOT a recommended
practice to identify publications that need to be listed under
Digital Object Identifier number
references of an article?

• Relevant publications actually referred to

15. Which of the following indices convey the • Latest publications by the editor of the journal
reputation of an author with regard to publication of • Original publications in the topic of the article
articles? • Own publications referred in the article for further
• h-index details
• h5-index Accepted Answers:
• Journal impact factor
• SJR ranking Latest publications by the editor of the journal

Accepted Answers:
20. Which of the following is NOT a necessary feature to
h-index
be considered while listing the bibliogaphic details of a
reference?
 • Bibliographic details are in the format • For a given data from a random process, there
prescribed by the journal exists at least one observation less than the mean
• The reference is cited in the article of observations in that data set.
• Referred article is freely available on the • The population mean of a random variable is also
internet necessarily random.
• Bibliographic details have redundacy to help
Accepted Answers:
locate the reference
Temperature of atmosphere 10 m. above ground can be
Accepted Answers:
treated as random.
Referred article is freely available on the internet
For a given data from a random process, there exists at
least one observation less than the mean of observations in
that data set.
21. Which of the following statements is true?

• Deterministic phenomena produce outcomes

that can be predicted accurately. 24. An estimator is said to be most efficient when
• Random processes occur randomly.
• The parameters can be estimated in the least
• A process can produce a mix of deterministic possible time.
and stochastic effects. • The estimator provides accurate estimates with the
• Signals that are random can never take negative smallest number of observations.
values. • Standard error in the parameter estimates is lowest
Accepted Answers: when compared to that of all other estimators.
• It estimates parameters accurately even in
Deterministic phenomena produce outcomes that can be presence of outliers.
predicted accurately.
Accepted Answers:
A process can produce a mix of deterministic and
stochastic effects. Standard error in the parameter estimates is lowest when
compared to that of all other estimators.

22. What is / are the feature(s) of a deterministic signal?

25. Identify the correct statement(s) among the following.
• It is always periodic.
• Repeated experiments under controlled and • Sample and ensemble averages are identical when
identical conditions produce same values. the data obtained contains all possible outcomes.
• At any instant in time, there exists only one • A statistic and estimator are both mathematical
possible known outcome. functions of the observed data.
• Initial value is zero. • An estimate can have a large bias but low
variability and vice versa.
Accepted Answers: • Accuracy is guaranteed when the estimation error
Repeated experiments under controlled and identical vanishes by averaging across all possible data sets
conditions produce same values. of fixed sample size.

At any instant in time, there exists only one possible Accepted Answers:
known outcome. Sample and ensemble averages are identical when the data
obtained contains all possible outcomes.

23. Identify the correct statement(s) among the A statistic and estimator are both mathematical functions of
following. the observed data.

• Temperature of atmosphere 10 m. above ground An estimate can have a large bias but low variability and
can be treated as random. vice versa.
• Measurement of body temperature is
deterministic.
Accuracy is guaranteed when the estimation error Accepted Answers:
vanishes by averaging across all possible data sets of
Performing hypothesis test of zero correlation is an
fixed sample size.
example of confirmatory analysis.

26. Identify the correct statement among the following:

29. Identify the incorrect statement(s) among the following:
• Visualization of data is useful because it gives
• Estimating the mean of a signal is based on the
us an idea of any anomalies and trends in the
same procedure regardless of whether the signal is
data.
determinstic or stochastic.
• Robust methods of estimation are meant to
• Sample mean is the only means of estimating the
handle large amounts of missing values in the
mean of a stochastic signal.
data set.
• Expectation of a random variable and its sample
• Estimates of parameters less than 10−4 can be
average are identical.
neglected in any estimation exercise.
• Transforming the data into another domain can be
• Correlation between the pairs of variables in all
useful in visualizing the features of data.
four data sets given by Anscombe are identical.
Accepted Answers:
Accepted Answers:
Estimating the mean of a signal is based on the same
Visualization of data is useful because it gives us an
procedure regardless of whether the signal is determinstic
idea of any anomalies and trends in the data.
or stochastic.
Correlation between the pairs of variables in all four
Sample mean is the only means of estimating the mean of a
data sets given by Anscombe are identical.
stochastic signal.
Expectation of a random variable and its sample average
27. Which of the following is true concerning variance are identical.
of a parameter estimate?

• It is how the estimate varies from one method to

30. Which of the following is true concerning a parameter
another.
estimate?
• Smaller values of parameter estimates have
lower variance. • It can be quite often equal to the true value.
• Precision of an estimate is inversely • When averaged across a thousand data sets, the
proportional to its variance. estimate can have lower error than that from a
• Accurate estimators result in the lowest single record.
variability estimates. • The maximum value is obtained when the sample
size is very large.
Accepted Answers:
• The most efficient estimate is not necessarily the
Precision of an estimate is inversely proportional to its most accurate.
variance.
Accepted Answers:
When averaged across a thousand data sets, the estimate
28. Which of the following is true in data-driven can have lower error than that from a single record.
analysis?
The most efficient estimate is not necessarily the most
• Estimating mean of a random variable is an accurate.
example of predictive analysis.
• Exploratory analysis always deals with
exploring which variable to measure. 31. The title of a paper is ‘Battery design and its impact’.
• Performing hypothesis test of zero correlation is This title
an example of confirmatory analysis.
• Identifies the area of research clearly
• Prescriptive analytics involves prescribing a
particular method of data analysis. • Indicates what is unique about the research
 • Does not identify the area of the research An audience that has not yet read the paper
clearly
Enabling a short overview of the work
• Does not indicate what is unique about the
research
Accepted Answers: 35. Tables are preferred over graphs
Does not identify the area of the research clearly • Always
• Never
Does not indicate what is unique about the research
• Only when exact values need to be indicated
• Only when trends in data need to be indicated
32. “The furnace demonstrated low heating rate and Accepted Answers:
uniform temperature. This is good for making cookies”
Use of the word ‘this’ in the previous sentence is: Only when exact values need to be indicated

• Ambiguous
• Unambiguous 36. A reasonable pace for presentation is
• Arrogant
• Illegal • 1 slide every 10 minutes
• 1 slide a minute
Accepted Answers: • 5 slides a minute
Ambiguous • 10 slides a minute
Accepted Answers:

33. Which of the following statements is true regarding 1 slide a minute

the writing style of scientific documents and science
fiction?
37. In an article, the image of a car engine must
• Both have the same writing style since they
discuss science and aim to engage the audience • Show the level of detail required for the discussion
• Scientific documents use a formal, precise, and in the article
evidence-based writing style, whereas science • Have a marker bar indicating scale
fiction is imaginative and narrative-driven • Be in colour and not in black and white
• Science fiction is written using scientific • Be in black and white and not in colour
terminology and follows the same structure as
Accepted Answers:
research papers
• Scientific writing often includes fictional Show the level of detail required for the discussion in the
elements to make complex concepts more article
entertaining and engaging for readers
Have a marker bar indicating scale
Accepted Answers:
Scientific documents use a formal, precise, and
evidence-based writing style, whereas science fiction is 38. The length of sentences in an article should be such
imaginative and narrative-driven that:

• Readers don’t have to read it twice to understand

• Reader must read it twice to understand
34. Abstract of a scientific document is aimed at • Readers must not forget how it started by the time
the readers reach the end of the sentence
• General public
• Readers must forget how it started by the time the
• An audience that has not yet read the paper
readers reach the end of the sentence
• An audience that has read the paper
• Enabling a short overview of the work Accepted Answers:
Accepted Answers: Readers don’t have to read it twice to understand
Readers must not forget how it started by the time the • There is greater width in the topics you have
readers reach the end of the sentence learned, but less depth
• You know more and more of less and less
• You gain broad knowledge in an area
39. The length of a document
Accepted Answers:
• Indicates how much you know
There is greater width in the topics you have learned, but
• Indicates how little you know
less depth
• Does not indicate anything about your
knowledge You gain broad knowledge in an area
• Does not indicate anything about the reader’s
knowledge
43. The measure of a successful researcher is that the work
Accepted Answers:
of the researcher should be
Does not indicate anything about your knowledge
• Recognized by peers at an international level
Does not indicate anything about the reader’s • Typically published in peer reviewed Journals
knowledge • Mentioned in the campus magazine of the college
• Must be discussed in the Department meeting of
the researcher’s department
40. Strategies one can use in the middle of a document
Accepted Answers:
include
Recognized by peers at an international level
• Chronological strategy
• Spatial strategy Typically published in peer reviewed Journals
• Following a variable
• Suspense strategy
44. According to Malcolm Gladwell, based on work by
Accepted Answers:
Herbert Simon, the key to success in any field is to work in
Chronological strategy that field for

Spatial strategy • 1000 hours

• 2000 hours
Following a variable
• 5000 hours
• 10,000 hours
41. Creativity can be seen in Accepted Answers:

• Theatre 10,000 hours

• Story books
• Paintings
• Engineering 45. Creative people are

Accepted Answers: • More likely to follow societal restrictions

• Less likely to follow societal restrictions
Theatre
• More likely to think within the limits of previous
Story books work in the area
• More likely to come up with a surprisingly new
Paintings
solution to a problem
Engineering
Accepted Answers:
Less likely to follow societal restrictions
42. A bachelor’s degree typically means
More likely to come up with a surprisingly new solution to
• You are specialist in one research area a problem
 • It is necessary that all four authors know about the
submission and agree with it.
46. A PhD usually makes you
• It will be disqualified because one must not publish
• A specialist in one narrow area papers with four authors
• A person who conducts experiments fast
Accepted Answers:
• A person who has a wide knowledge in a wide
range of topics It is necessary that all four authors know about the
• A person who makes excellent sketches submission and agree with it.

Accepted Answers:
A specialist in one narrow area 50. To become a good researcher, one must usually

• Have good communication skills

• Have mastery over specific techniques
47. Good research
• Have a line of investigation
• Will definitely result in awards • Be aware of recent advances in the field
• Will usually stand the test of time
Accepted Answers:
• Will never be superseded in that area
• Can be independently repeated by other Have good communication skills
researchers
Have mastery over specific techniques
Accepted Answers:
Have a line of investigation
Will usually stand the test of time
Be aware of recent advances in the field
Can be independently repeated by other researchers

51. Patent law provides the owner of the patent the right to
48. While testing patients with a new medicine against a ______
virus,
• Use only
• It is important to do the test without their • Make, sell, use, offer for sale or export
knowledge so that the results are reliable • Make, use, sell offer for sale or import
• Informed consent has to be obtained before the • Only to make and offer for sale
trial
Accepted Answers:
• The data of the patients can always be freely
shared since they are members of the public. Make, use, sell offer for sale or import
• Privacy of the patient must be protected
Accepted Answers:
52. In India, a computer programme’s codes can be
Informed consent has to be obtained before the trial protected by way of _____
Privacy of the patient must be protected • Patents
• Copyrights
• Trade Marks
49. While submitting a paper with four authors for • Trade Secrets
publication
Accepted Answers:
• It is sufficient if only the first author knows
about it, since it will be a pleasant surprise to Copyrights
the other authors
• It is sufficient if a simple majority of the authors
know and agree about the publication 53. What is the full form of TRIPS?
submission • Tariff Related Aspects of Intellectual Properties
 • Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Accepted Answers:
Science
Trade Marks
• The Registration of Intellectual Property
• Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property
Rights
58. Sandeep invents a new process for recording music, he
Accepted Answers: will most likely apply for ____
Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights • Copyrights
• Trade Marks
• Patents
54. The Nike swoosh mark and Audi rings are protected • Trade Secret
by _____
Accepted Answers:
• Trade Marks
Patents
• Trade dress
• Patents
• Geographical Indications
59. What is the term of a Patent in India?
Accepted Answers:
• 20 years
Trade Marks • 25 years
• 10 years
• 15 years
55. Which of the following is NOT a remedy for
infringement of Intellectual Property? Accepted Answers:

• Accounts for profits 20 years

• Damages
• Injunction
• Specific performance 60. Which of the following statements is false?

Accepted Answers: • IP rights can be protected by maintaining secrecy

• IP rights can be protected by assignment
Specific performance • IP rights can be protected by using a
confidentiality clause
• IP rights can be protected by registration
56. Which of the following IP rights need not be
necessarily registered to seek protection? Accepted Answers:
IP rights can be protected by assignment
• Copyrights
• Patents
• Designs
61. pH of a solution is defined as a random
• Geographical Indications
variable (X)(X). It is
Accepted Answers:
• continuous
Copyrights • f(X=7)=0.5
• discrete
• f(X=7)=0
57. Zabivaka, the Football World Cup 2018 mascot can
be protected under ______ Accepted Answers:

• Trade Marks continuous

• Patents f(X=7)=0
• Trade Secret
• Geographical Indications
62. A continuous random variable is said to have • Based on n-1 independent deviations from the
an uniform probability distribution ff in the mean
interval [A,B][A,B] if • Generally equal to the population variance σ2
• f=B−A Accepted Answers:
• f=1/(B−A)
An unbiased estimator of the population variance σ2
• f=1f=1
• f=1/(B−A)2 Based on n-1 independent deviations from the mean
Accepted Answers:
f=1/(B−A) 66. If there are 5 independent standard normal variables
i.e. Z21,Z22,…,Z25, then the sum of these will correspond to a

• standard normal distribution with mean value of 5

63. In a normal distribution, the parameters
• F-distribution with 5 degrees of freedom in both
are μ=5μ=5 and σ=2σ=2. This means that
numerator and denominator
• the ratio of mean to standard deviation of the • Chi-square distribution with 4 degrees of freedom
distribution is 2.5 • Chi-square distribution with 5 degrees of freedom
• the variance of the distribution is 4
Accepted Answers:
• the area under the normal probability
distribution from x=2 to x=5 is the same as the Chi-square distribution with 5 degrees of freedom
area from x=5 to x=8
• ALL of the above
Accepted Answers: 67. In industries, unless there is heavy competition, the
managers would like to keep the existing process/operation
ALL of the above going, as the profits are coming. If a new process/operation
is suggested by a fresh recruit, the manager’s null
hypothesis will be
64. For the data given below, the trimmed mean is
• implement the new idea as it is going to be better
calculated by discarding 10% of the lowest data and
than the existing one
10% of the largest data. The 10% is based on the total
• existing process is good and process modification
number of data points before trimming. The trimmed
will not bring about a substantial improvement, so
mean value is
maintain status quo
24.46 25.61 26.25 26.42 26.66 27.15 27.31
27.54 27.7 27.94 • to reject the new idea outright without even testing
it
27.98 28.04 28.28 28.49 28.50 28.87 29.11 • to fire the fresh recruit
29.13 29.5 30.88
Accepted Answers:
• 27.793
existing process is good and process modification will not
• 27.838
bring about a substantial improvement, so maintain status
• 27.960
quo
• 28.041
Accepted Answers:
68. A river is suspected of pollution by a nearby chemical
27.838
plant. Studies on the water samples revealed that the mean
concentration is 10 ppm more than the stipulated limit. The
plant will be found guilty if
65. The sample variance s2 with n entities is
• If the null hypothesis is rejected
• An unbiased estimator of the population • If the null hypothesis is accepted
variance σ2
• A biased estimator of the population variance
 • If the p-value from the hypothesis testing using There are three binary i.e. two factor interaction terms
a suitable probability distribution and
The F-value is determined based on the ratio of mean
parameters is very low (<0.001)
square factors to mean square error
• If the occurrence of 10 ppm in excess is highly
improbable to be attributed to acceptable The denominator degrees of freedom used in the F-test is
variation from the true mean value equal to that for pure error
Accepted Answers:
If the null hypothesis is rejected 71. The primary competition for the A380 is
If the p-value from the hypothesis testing using a • Boeing 737
suitable probability distribution and parameters is very • Boeing 747
low (<0.001) • Airbus A320
If the occurrence of 10 ppm in excess is highly • Airbus A300
improbable to be attributed to acceptable variation from Accepted Answers:
the true mean value
Boeing 747

69. The weldability of a metal beam depends on the

composition of manganese in it. Five different 72. The production status of the A380 is as follows:
compositions are tested to find the effect on the
• It has not yet been produced, it is only in
weldability. For each composition, 3 repeats are
experimental stage of development
performed. Pick the correct statement(s).
• A few tens of A380s have been built
• The total number of runs is 15 • A few hundreds of A380 have been built
• The total number of degrees of freedom is 14 • A few thousands of A 380 have been built
• The degrees of freedom due to error is 10
Accepted Answers:
• The number of degrees of freedom due to
treatment is 4 A few hundreds of A380 have been built
Accepted Answers:
The total number of runs is 15 73. In terms of the money spent on developing A380
The total number of degrees of freedom is 14 • Profits from the aircraft have made up for the
development cost
The degrees of freedom due to error is 10
• No money has been spent on developing A380
The number of degrees of freedom due to treatment is 4 since it is based parts from other aircraft
• Billions of dollars have been spent developing the
aircraft
70. In Analysis of variance, the following is/are • The money spent on developing the aircraft is
applicable in a 23 factorial design experiment unlikely to be recovered from its sales

• There are three binary i.e. two factor Accepted Answers:

interaction terms
Billions of dollars have been spent developing the aircraft
• The mean square error is based on the
unrepeated four corner points of the factorial The money spent on developing the aircraft is unlikely to be
design recovered from its sales
• The F-value is determined based on the ratio of
mean square factors to mean square error
• The denominator degrees of freedom used in the 74. The typical seating capacity of A380 is
F-test is equal to that for pure error
• Less than 100
Accepted Answers: • Between 100 and 300
 • Between 500 and 800 Accepted Answers:
• Between 800 and 1000
Hub and spoke system
Accepted Answers:
A few large flights between main airports followed by many
Between 500 and 800 small flights to other destinations from there

75. The typical seating arrangement of A380 is 79. The materials used for building significant fractions of
the A380 are
• Single deck across the full length of the aircraft
• Single deck in the front half and double deck in • Aluminum alloys
the rear half • Composities
• Double deck in the front half and single deck in • Steel
the rear half • Wood
• Double deck across the full length of the
Accepted Answers:
aircraft
Aluminum alloys
Accepted Answers:
Composities
Double deck across the full length of the aircraft

80. In terms of interior, the A380, when compared to older

76. The A 380 development and build is
aircraft has:
• A joint US – European Union operation
• Lower noise
• Predominantly a US operation
• Higher pressure
• Predominantly a European Union operation
• Lower pressure
• Primarily Chinese
• Higher noise
Accepted Answers:
Accepted Answers:
Predominantly a European Union operation
Lower noise
Higher pressure
77. Recommended takeoff and landing separation for
A380, were initially

• Same as that for 747 Thank You!

• Higher than those for 747
• Lower than that for 747
• Set at zero
Accepted Answers:
Higher than those for 747

78. The A380 design was optimized for

• Hub and spoke system

• Point to point system
• Pedal and handle bar system
• A few large flights between main airports
followed by many small flights to other
destinations from there