JUNE 2013 EXAMINATION

GM07
Research Methodology
Time: Three Hours
Maximum Marks: 100
Note:
1.
2.
3.
4.

The paper is divided in three sections: Section-A,

Section-B and Section-C.
There are seven questions in Section-A. Students are
required to attempt any four.
Section-B has 5 questions, attempt any three.
All the questions of Section-C (Case Study) are
compulsory.

SECTION-A (10 Marks each)

1.
Distinguish between cross-sectional and longitudinal research
designs.
2.
Discuss the various conditions necessary for inferring causality
between two variables.
3.
Discuss the various ways in which the relevance of the secondary
data source can be evaluated.
4.
What are projective techniques? What are the different types of
techniques available to a researcher?
5.
Distinguish between Reliability and Validity of a data collection
instrument.
6.
Discuss the concept of Standard Error of sample means.
7.
Discuss the different ways in which data collected can be
summarized.
8.

9.

SECTION-B (15 Marks each)

Even though exploratory research designs are lowest in terms of
accuracy of findings, it is recommended that no research must
be carried out without them. Examine the above statement and
justify with why you agree/disagree with it.
Consider a telephone instrument manufacturing company
wanting to measure the influence of different colors by keeping
all the remaining features of the instrument same. Discuss the
various methods to control the effect of extraneous variables

GM07/June 2013

Page 1/2

while measuring the influence of colors on the sales. Your answer

should be specific and not general.
10.
Discuss with the help of examples the four key levels of
measurement. What mathematical operations /statistical
techniques are and are not permissible on data from each type of
scale?
11. Discuss the different threats to internal validity of an
experimental design.
12.

To determine the effectiveness of the advertising campaign for a

new DVD player, the management would like to know what
percentage of households is aware of the new brand. The
advertising agency thinks that this figure is as high as 70%. The
management would like a 95% confidence interval and a margin
of error not greater than plus or minus 2%.
a.
What sample size should be used for the study.
b.
Suppose the management wanted a 99% confident with an
error of 3%, how would the sample size change (Z value is
95% confidence 1.96 and for 99% 2.58).

SECTION-C (15 Marks)

Case Study (Compulsory)
The management of Outlook has made several changes to the
frequency of the publication in order to compete with its main
competitor India Today. Despite this it is still facing stiff competition.
Thus Outlook magazine wants to conduct a comparative survey with its
rival magazine India Today. The management has entrusted the task of
conducting the survey to an outside agency indicating that the sponsor
for this task be kept confidential at the time of conducting the survey.
This way they feel that true feelings of the customers will be available
to them. The management wants to understand the preferences for the
different magazines of similar type of Outlook with respect to
different income groups, age groups, gender, type of educational
background, type of occupation, and attitude with respect to reading of
the magazine.
Questions:
13.

Develop a suitable questionnaire for a sample of 500 from

different parts of a given city to obtain the above information.

GM07/June 2013

Page 2/2