Part 1 (MCQ 1–25)
1. Health research primarily aims to:
A. Manufacture medicines
B. Improve health and prevent disease
C. Increase hospital revenue
D. Promote pharmaceutical companies
Answer: B
2. Which of the following is NOT included in the scope of health research?
A. Disease prevention
B. Predicting disease progression
C. Community interventions
D. Manufacturing hospital equipment
Answer: D
3. Which type of research attempts to convert laboratory discoveries into patient care?
A. Bench research
B. Translational research
C. Qualitative research
D. Descriptive research
Answer: B
4. Which research focuses on understanding why a health programme succeeds or fails in real-life settings?
A. Basic research
B. Clinical research
C. Implementation research
D. Laboratory research
Answer: C
5. Which of the following is an example of bench-based research?
A. Clinical trial on a vaccine
B. Animal experiment studying gene expression
C. Survey of diabetic patients
D. Community awareness programme
Answer: B
6. Which review mainly evaluates participant safety and informed consent?
A. Scientific review
B. Technical review
C. Ethics review
D. Statistical review
Answer: C
7. Regulatory review mainly deals with:
A. Grammar of protocol
B. Shipment of samples, data transfer, and intellectual property
C. Statistical analysis only
D. Sample size calculation only
Answer: B
8. Which committee approval is mandatory before collecting primary data?
A. Scientific Committee
B. Technical Committee
C. Ethics Committee
D. Funding Agency
Answer: C
9. The major objective of a pilot study is to:
A. Publish research immediately
B. Estimate national prevalence
C. Test feasibility of the study
D. Increase sample size
Answer: C
10. Which statement about a pilot study is FALSE?
A. It evaluates research instruments.
B. It is conducted on a small scale.
C. It replaces the main study.
D. It assesses feasibility.
Answer: C
11. A representative sample mainly improves:
A. Internal validity
B. Generalizability
C. Randomization
D. Blinding
Answer: B
12. Adequate sample size mainly helps to:
A. Reduce publication bias
B. Improve study power
C. Eliminate confounding
D. Reduce ethical concerns
Answer: B
13. Which of the following is a systematic error?
A. Random error
B. Bias
C. Chance variation
D. Sampling fluctuation
Answer: B
14. Increasing sample size mainly reduces:
A. Bias
B. Confounding
C. Random error
D. Measurement error
Answer: C
15. Which statement regarding confounding is TRUE?
A. It affects only the exposure.
B. It affects only the outcome.
C. It is associated with both exposure and outcome.
D. It occurs only in clinical trials.
Answer: C
16. Which method is commonly used to control confounding during data analysis?
A. Blinding
B. Stratification
C. Random guessing
D. Matching laboratories
Answer: B
17. Effect modifiers are best identified through:
A. Intelligent guessing
B. Literature review
C. Coin toss
D. Financial review
Answer: B
18. Which of the following is NOT a study design?
A. Observational study
B. Experimental study
C. Pilot study
D. Qualitative study
Answer: C
19. A study evaluating the reduction in disease burden after introduction of a national vaccine programme is best described as:
A. Ecological study
B. Case report
C. Case series
D. Cross-sectional survey
Answer: A
20. Which research discipline contributes to health research?
A. Biomedical sciences
B. Biostatistics
C. Social sciences
D. All of the above
Answer: D
21. Which principle is MOST important during the planning stage of research?
A. Begin data collection immediately
B. Spend adequate time on planning
C. Skip protocol writing
D. Avoid literature review
Answer: B
22. Which of the following should be clearly defined before participant recruitment?
A. Investigator’s salary
B. Inclusion and exclusion criteria
C. Journal impact factor
D. Funding source only
Answer: B
23. Health research is best defined as:
A. Research conducted only in hospitals
B. Research limited to laboratory experiments
C. Systematic investigation to improve individual and community health
D. Research conducted only on patients
Answer: C
24. A researcher studies whether alcohol consumption changes the effect of hepatitis B infection on liver disease severity. Alcohol acts as:
A. Random error
B. Effect modifier
C. Selection bias
D. Information bias
Answer: B
25. Which sequence represents the most appropriate approach to conducting health research?
A. Data collection → Literature review → Research question
B. Research question → Study design → Ethics approval → Data collection
C. Publication → Analysis → Sampling
D. Funding → Publication → Data collection
Answer: B
Part 2 (MCQ 26–50)
26. Which of the following best describes translational research?
A. Research performed only in laboratories
B. Research that converts laboratory discoveries into clinical practice
C. Research involving only animal experiments
D. Research conducted only in hospitals
Answer: B
27. Which dimension of health research mainly focuses on developing practical solutions to health problems?
A. Basic research
B. Applied research
C. Exploratory research
D. Qualitative research
Answer: B
28. Which of the following is an example of preventive research?
A. Evaluating a new chemotherapy drug
B. Developing a new surgical technique
C. Assessing the effectiveness of HPV vaccination
D. Comparing two antibiotics for pneumonia
Answer: C
29. Which research primarily focuses on improving treatment outcomes in patients?
A. Preventive research
B. Therapeutic research
C. Exploratory research
D. Bench research
Answer: B
30. A scientist studies molecular pathways responsible for Alzheimer’s disease without testing any treatment. This is an example of:
A. Applied research
B. Therapeutic research
C. Theoretical (Basic) research
D. Implementation research
Answer: C
31. Which of the following is an essential characteristic of good health research?
A. Personal opinion
B. Bias
C. Scientific validity
D. Commercial benefit
Answer: C
32. Which principle ensures that research findings can be repeated by other investigators?
A. Generalizability
B. Reliability
C. Reproducibility
D. Randomization
Answer: C
33. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of high-quality research?
A. Systematic approach
B. Ethical conduct
C. Objective methodology
D. Personal beliefs influencing results
Answer: D
34. A study evaluating the effectiveness of a newly developed diagnostic kit in patients is an example of:
A. Bench research
B. Bedside research
C. Exploratory research
D. Ecological research
Answer: B
35. Which type of research is usually performed first when very little information exists about a disease?
A. Confirmatory research
B. Exploratory research
C. Clinical trial
D. Implementation research
Answer: B
36. Confirmatory research mainly aims to:
A. Generate hypotheses
B. Test existing hypotheses
C. Develop laboratory techniques
D. Explore unknown diseases
Answer: B
37. Which of the following best distinguishes exploratory research from confirmatory research?
A. Exploratory research tests hypotheses.
B. Confirmatory research generates hypotheses.
C. Exploratory research generates hypotheses, whereas confirmatory research tests them.
D. Both are identical.
Answer: C
38. Which stage immediately follows laboratory discovery in translational research?
A. Public health programme
B. Clinical implementation
C. Preclinical (animal) studies
D. Meta-analysis
Answer: C
39. Which review determines whether a research proposal has scientific merit?
A. Ethics review
B. Regulatory review
C. Scientific review
D. Administrative review
Answer: C
40. The primary purpose of scientific review is to evaluate:
A. Participant compensation
B. Novelty and scientific validity
C. Financial audit
D. Publication fees
Answer: B
41. Which ethical principle requires obtaining voluntary informed consent from participants?
A. Justice
B. Beneficence
C. Respect for autonomy
D. Scientific validity
Answer: C
42. Which of the following is NOT generally considered during ethics review?
A. Participant safety
B. Confidentiality
C. Informed consent
D. Patent ownership
Answer: D
43. Which of the following activities requires regulatory approval in addition to ethics approval?
A. Preparing PowerPoint slides
B. Sending biological samples outside the country
C. Writing a literature review
D. Calculating sample size
Answer: B
44. Which research approach requires collaboration between clinicians, laboratory scientists, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians?
A. Individual case report
B. Biomedical research
C. Editorial writing
D. Opinion survey
Answer: B
45. Why is teamwork important in biomedical research?
A. To increase publication fees
B. To reduce scientific validity
C. To integrate expertise from multiple disciplines
D. To eliminate ethics approval
Answer: C
46. Which of the following best describes the process of health research?
A. Collect data → Publish immediately
B. Collect data → Draw conclusions → Take evidence-based action
C. Publish → Collect data → Analyze
D. Develop hypothesis → Publish → Collect data
Answer: B
47. Which of the following is the final goal of evidence generated through health research?
A. Increasing laboratory workload
B. Improving population health
C. Increasing journal publications
D. Obtaining research grants
Answer: B
48. A researcher investigates whether a community nutrition programme has reduced childhood malnutrition over the last five years. This is primarily an example of:
A. Implementation research
B. Basic research
C. Bench research
D. Molecular research
Answer: A
49. Which of the following best represents the breadth of health research?
A. Human health only
B. Human health and disease only
C. Human health, environmental factors, healthcare delivery, and society
D. Laboratory research only
Answer: C
50. Which statement is MOST appropriate regarding health research?
A. It is limited to laboratory experiments.
B. It is restricted to clinical drug trials.
C. It integrates biomedical, clinical, public health, and social sciences to improve health.
D. It focuses only on discovering new medicines.
Answer: C
Part 3 (MCQ 51–75)
51. Which of the following is the best example of implementation research?
A. Developing a new antiviral drug
B. Studying gene expression in cancer cells
C. Evaluating why a national vaccination programme has low coverage despite vaccine availability
D. Testing a new biomarker in the laboratory
Answer: C
52. Which factor is MOST important while selecting a study design?
A. Researcher’s preference
B. Availability of journals
C. Nature of the research question
D. Cost of publication
Answer: C
53. A researcher wants to estimate the prevalence of hypertension in a city. Which study design is most appropriate?
A. Case-control study
B. Cohort study
C. Cross-sectional study
D. Randomized clinical trial
Answer: C
54. Which of the following represents an experimental study?
A. Case report
B. Cross-sectional survey
C. Randomized Controlled Trial
D. Ecological study
Answer: C
55. Which pair correctly represents observational study designs?
A. Cohort study and Case-control study
B. Clinical trial and Cohort study
C. Laboratory experiment and Animal study
D. Randomized trial and Field trial
Answer: A
56. Which study design generally provides the highest level of evidence for evaluating treatment effectiveness?
A. Cross-sectional study
B. Case report
C. Randomized Controlled Trial
D. Ecological study
Answer: C
57. Which of the following is NOT considered during planning of a health research study?
A. Defining objectives
B. Sample size estimation
C. Ethical approval
D. Journal impact factor
Answer: D
58. A well-defined research question helps researchers to:
A. Increase publication speed
B. Choose the most appropriate study design
C. Reduce laboratory expenses
D. Avoid statistical analysis
Answer: B
59. Which of the following should be standardized before starting data collection?
A. Investigator’s salary
B. Case definitions
C. Publication fees
D. Research title
Answer: B
60. Which of the following best describes external validity?
A. Accuracy of laboratory instruments
B. Ability to generalize study findings to the target population
C. Elimination of bias
D. Randomization of participants
Answer: B
61. Which characteristic of a sample mainly determines external validity?
A. Large sample size only
B. Representative sample
C. Equal number of males and females
D. Random error
Answer: B
62. Which of the following mainly affects statistical power?
A. Sample size
B. Journal impact factor
C. Ethics approval
D. Funding source
Answer: A
63. Random error occurs primarily because of:
A. Investigator bias
B. Chance variation
C. Poor protocol writing
D. Confounding
Answer: B
64. Which of the following is the best strategy to reduce random error?
A. Increase sample size
B. Ignore outliers
C. Change study objectives
D. Avoid statistical analysis
Answer: A
65. Bias differs from random error because bias:
A. Occurs due to chance
B. Can be reduced by increasing sample size
C. Produces a systematic deviation from the truth
D. Occurs only in laboratory research
Answer: C
66. Which of the following is an example of systematic error?
A. Random fluctuation
B. Sampling variation
C. Selection bias
D. Chance error
Answer: C
67. A confounder must be associated with:
A. Exposure only
B. Outcome only
C. Both exposure and outcome
D. Neither exposure nor outcome
Answer: C
68. Which study design feature helps minimize confounding during the design phase?
A. Randomization
B. Increasing publication speed
C. Writing a long protocol
D. Large number of objectives
Answer: A
69. During data analysis, confounding can be controlled by:
A. Stratification
B. Blinding
C. Pilot study
D. Literature review
Answer: A
70. Which statement about effect modification is TRUE?
A. It is always an error.
B. It should always be eliminated.
C. It represents a genuine difference in the effect of exposure across subgroups.
D. It occurs only in randomized trials.
Answer: C
71. A researcher observes that smoking increases the association between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. Smoking is acting as:
A. Random error
B. Effect modifier
C. Selection bias
D. Measurement error
Answer: B
72. Which source is most useful for identifying possible confounders and effect modifiers before starting a study?
A. Newspaper articles
B. Thorough literature review
C. Personal opinion
D. Social media
Answer: B
73. Which statement regarding research planning is CORRECT?
A. Statistical analysis should be planned after data collection.
B. Planning begins only after ethics approval.
C. Statistical analysis should be planned before starting the study.
D. Statistics is unnecessary for observational studies.
Answer: C
74. Which of the following best explains why planning is considered the most critical stage of research?
A. It determines journal selection.
B. It minimizes scientific errors and improves study quality.
C. It guarantees publication.
D. It eliminates random error completely.
Answer: B
75. A research study is scientifically sound, ethically approved, uses an appropriate sample size, standardized definitions, and a proper statistical plan. Which principle does this BEST illustrate?
A. Evidence-based and systematic research planning
B. Rapid publication strategy
C. Financial management
D. Commercialization of research
Answer: A
Part 4 (MCQ 76–100)
76. Which of the following is the most appropriate sequence in conducting a health research study?
A. Data collection → Literature review → Protocol writing → Analysis
B. Research question → Study design → Ethics approval → Data collection → Analysis → Conclusion
C. Protocol writing → Publication → Data collection
D. Analysis → Research question → Publication
Answer: B
77. Which of the following best represents evidence-based decision making?
A. Decisions based only on expert opinion
B. Decisions based only on previous experience
C. Decisions based on scientific research findings
D. Decisions based only on public demand
Answer: C
78. A researcher studies whether introducing telemedicine improves diabetes care in rural communities. This is an example of:
A. Basic research
B. Implementation research
C. Bench research
D. Laboratory research
Answer: B
79. Which of the following is an example of translational research?
A. Discovering a new cancer gene
B. Testing a newly developed drug in clinical trials after successful laboratory studies
C. Conducting a hospital survey
D. Measuring disease prevalence
Answer: B
80. Which of the following best explains the purpose of health research?
A. Generate scientific evidence to improve health
B. Increase pharmaceutical sales
C. Publish maximum papers
D. Improve hospital rankings
Answer: A
81. A study designed to understand why patients fail to complete tuberculosis treatment is primarily related to:
A. Clinical pharmacology
B. Health systems research
C. Molecular biology
D. Basic genetics
Answer: B
82. Which level of inquiry in health research focuses on factors like housing, sanitation, education, and socioeconomic conditions?
A. Molecular level
B. Community level
C. Cellular level
D. Organ level
Answer: B
83. Which of the following is included in the breadth of health research?
A. Human health only
B. Environmental and social determinants of health
C. Laboratory investigations only
D. Drug manufacturing only
Answer: B
84. Health research contributes to disease prevention mainly by:
A. Identifying effective preventive strategies
B. Increasing hospital admissions
C. Reducing laboratory work
D. Eliminating all infectious diseases immediately
Answer: A
85. Which of the following best illustrates multidisciplinary research?
A. A clinician working alone
B. A laboratory scientist working independently
C. Clinicians, epidemiologists, statisticians, and laboratory scientists working together
D. Only policymakers conducting research
Answer: C
86. Which of the following is NOT a component of planning a research study?
A. Sample size estimation
B. Selection of study design
C. Defining study objectives
D. Choosing the journal for publication before data collection
Answer: D
87. A researcher wants to determine whether air pollution increases the risk of asthma. Which type of research question is this?
A. Descriptive
B. Analytical
C. Qualitative
D. Exploratory only
Answer: B
88. Which factor primarily determines the quality of evidence generated by a research study?
A. Number of authors
B. Appropriate study design and methodology
C. Journal impact factor
D. Number of references
Answer: B
89. Which statement regarding biomedical research is TRUE?
A. It only involves laboratory experiments.
B. It integrates laboratory, clinical, and public health sciences.
C. It excludes social sciences.
D. It is limited to pharmaceutical companies.
Answer: B
90. Which of the following is the most important reason for conducting scientific review?
A. To check grammar
B. To evaluate scientific validity and feasibility
C. To approve publication
D. To determine authorship
Answer: B
91. Which review primarily ensures compliance with national regulations and legal requirements?
A. Scientific Review
B. Ethics Review
C. Regulatory Review
D. Peer Review
Answer: C
92. Which of the following is NOT an objective of health research?
A. Improving healthcare delivery
B. Preventing diseases
C. Developing evidence-based policies
D. Promoting commercial advertisements
Answer: D
93. A researcher develops a new laboratory biomarker and later validates it in patients before routine clinical use. This represents:
A. Exploratory research
B. Translational research
C. Descriptive research
D. Ecological research
Answer: B
94. Which statement about quality health research is CORRECT?
A. It should always produce positive results.
B. It should be scientifically sound and ethically conducted.
C. It should avoid statistical analysis.
D. It should focus only on rare diseases.
Answer: B
95. Which of the following is considered the strongest foundation of successful research?
A. Expensive laboratory equipment
B. Large research grants
C. Careful planning before initiation
D. Publication in high-impact journals
Answer: C
96. A research team includes a clinician, microbiologist, epidemiologist, statistician, and public health expert. This demonstrates:
A. Random sampling
B. Multidisciplinary collaboration
C. Pilot testing
D. Regulatory review
Answer: B
97. Which of the following is the best example of evidence generated through health research influencing public policy?
A. Developing a laboratory instrument
B. Revising national immunization guidelines based on research findings
C. Publishing an editorial
D. Organizing a medical conference
Answer: B
98. Which statement is TRUE regarding health research?
A. Research always proves the hypothesis correct.
B. Research findings should guide clinical and public health decisions.
C. Research is conducted only by medical doctors.
D. Research is limited to hospitals.
Answer: B
99. The ultimate outcome of high-quality health research is:
A. Increased publication count
B. Improved patient and community health
C. More laboratory investigations
D. Higher institutional ranking
Answer: B
100. Which of the following BEST summarizes the purpose of the Basic Course in Biomedical Research (BCBR)?
A. To teach laboratory techniques only
B. To develop the ability to design, conduct, analyze, interpret, and apply ethical biomedical research
C. To prepare students only for publication writing
D. To focus exclusively on statistical software
Answer: B
