Population Research and Programme Evaluation Questions and Answers

Answer: D

Simple random sampling is not a non-probability sampling method.

In simple random sampling every unit of the population has a known and equal chance of being chosen, so it is a probability method and the results can be generalised with a known margin of error.

Accidental (convenience) sampling takes whoever is easily available, purposive sampling lets the researcher choose the units by judgement, and quota sampling fills fixed quotas by the investigator's choice. None of these gives units a known chance of selection, so all three are non-probability methods.

Answer: C

The key matches (i) with 3, (ii) with 4, (iii) with 1 and (iv) with 2, option C. Kingsley Davis wrote The Population of India and Pakistan, Gunnar Myrdal wrote Asian Drama, the United Nations issued The Determinants and Consequences of Population Trends, and D.J. Bogue wrote Principles of Demography. Option A, serial order, gives Asian Drama to Bogue, option B gives it to Bogue as well, and option D swaps the United Nations and Bogue, so they do not fit the authors.

Answer: C

IASSH is not a professional body of population scientists. APA is the Asian Population Association, IASP is the Indian Association for the Study of Population, and IUSSP is the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population, and all three are bodies of professional demographers. IASSH is not an association of this kind. Option C is correct.

Answer: C

The desirable properties of a good estimate of a population parameter are that it be unbiased, consistent and of minimum variance. An unbiased estimator has an expected value equal to the parameter, a consistent one converges on the parameter as the sample grows, and one with minimum variance is the most precise of the unbiased estimators. The other options list only two of the three properties, or add efficiency in place of unbiasedness. Option C is correct.

Answer: B

The coefficient of variation is used to measure the degree of variation when the figures are in different units, such as rupees and dollars. It is the standard deviation divided by the mean and expressed as a percentage, so the units cancel and the two series can be compared. Correlation measures the association of two variables, covariance depends on the units of both, and dispersion in general, such as the standard deviation, is expressed in the units of the data. Option B is correct.

Answer: D

The type of graph that does not represent the size of a population is the line diagram, in the key. A histogram shows a frequency distribution, such as the population by age group, and a pie diagram shows the share of each part of a whole, while a bar chart shows sizes of the population for categories side by side. A line diagram is used for trends over time, such as the movement of a rate. Option D is correct.

Answer: C

When the universe from which the sample is to be taken is homogeneous, simple random sampling is the most appropriate technique, since every unit is alike, and chance selection is enough to give a representative sample. Stratified sampling and cluster sampling are used when the population is made up of different groups or natural clusters, and systematic sampling uses a fixed interval and can be misleading if the list has a pattern. Option C is correct.

Answer: B

The type of graph required to determine the percentile is the ogive curve, the cumulative frequency curve. The value that matches a cumulative percentage is read from the curve, so the median and other percentiles can be read off directly. A frequency curve and a histogram show the distribution of frequencies and not the cumulative totals, and a ratio chart is used to compare rates of change. Option B is correct.

Answer: B

The logical sequence of a survey is to decide the type of data and its source (4), then the study design and the method of data collection (2), then the units of measurement for data collection (1), and finally the analysis and conclusions (3). That is 4, 2, 1, 3, option B. The options that put the analysis before the design, or the choice of design before the choice of data, reverse the order in which the decisions have to be made.