LAISHA
Open Laisha

ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF Research Methodology, Scientific Writing & Ethics in Food Science: practice questions

ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) — Food Processing Technology, Food Safety & Quality, Processing and Food Engineering · India · ICAR through the National Testing Agency

Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papers
10worked here, free
99written to this exam in this subject
11syllabus units

What this subject covers

Planning and reporting research: framing a question, reviewing literature, designing experiments, managing data, writing papers and theses, peer review, research ethics including human sensory trials, and intellectual property.

In the exams: PG and PhD coursework; ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF research-orientation questions

Where the 99 questions fall

How our questions for ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF spread across the units of Research Methodology, Scientific Writing & Ethics in Food Science. Difficulty: 21 easy, 67 medium, 11 hard.

Experimental planning and replication10
Intellectual property and technology transfer10
Systematic literature search and review9
Data management and reproducibility9
Ethics of human studies: sensory and nutrition trials9
Animal ethics and alternatives9
Scientific writing: papers, theses and reviews9
Peer review and publication ethics9
Research funding and proposal writing9
Research questions and hypotheses8
Presenting research: posters and talks8

10 practice questions, worked

Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.

1 · Research questions and hypotheses · medium

A survey finds that people who eat more yoghurt have lower blood pressure, but they also exercise more. What is exercise here?

  1. A positive control
  2. The dependent variable
  3. The intervention under test
  4. A potential confounder
Answer and working

D. A potential confounder

Exercise is associated with both yoghurt intake and blood pressure and could explain the association, so it must be controlled or adjusted for.

Further reading: Kumar, Research Methodology; Montgomery, Design and Analysis of Experiments

2 · Systematic literature search and review · medium

In a database search, how should synonyms for one concept be combined?

  1. With NOT
  2. With OR
  3. With a comma only
  4. With AND
Answer and working

B. With OR

OR broadens within a concept; AND combines different concepts; NOT excludes.

Further reading: Cochrane Handbook; PRISMA 2020 statement

3 · Systematic literature search and review · medium

Why do systematic reviews search grey literature such as theses and reports?

  1. To avoid having to search the journal databases at all
  2. To reduce publication bias
  3. Because grey literature is always fully peer reviewed
  4. To increase the number of positive results included
Answer and working

B. To reduce publication bias

Studies with null results are less often published; grey literature helps find them.

Further reading: Cochrane Handbook; PRISMA 2020 statement

4 · Systematic literature search and review · easy

Why is a review protocol registered before the review is carried out?

  1. To avoid peer review of the final paper by a journal
  2. To guarantee that the review reaches positive findings
  3. To deter changes of method after the results are seen
  4. To make the final review shorter and quicker to read
Answer and working

C. To deter changes of method after the results are seen

Advance registration records planned methods, reducing selective reporting.

Further reading: Cochrane Handbook; PRISMA 2020 statement

5 · Animal ethics and alternatives · hard

Why is a sample-size calculation required in animal study proposals?

  1. It is only a formality with no real ethical role
  2. Too few or too many animals both waste animal lives
  3. It replaces the need for any statistical analysis later
  4. It allows unlimited numbers of animals to be used
Answer and working

B. Too few or too many animals both waste animal lives

Appropriate numbers are an ethical requirement: under-powered and over-sized studies both waste animals.

Further reading: Russell and Burch (1959); ARRIVE 2.0; INFOGEST protocol

6 · Scientific writing: papers, theses and reviews · easy

In IMRaD, what does the R stand for?

  1. Review
  2. References
  3. Results
  4. Recommendations
Answer and working

C. Results

IMRaD = introduction, methods, results and discussion.

Further reading: ICMJE Recommendations; COPE guidance

7 · Scientific writing: papers, theses and reviews · medium

What is a preprint?

  1. A draft that is kept secret from the co-authors
  2. A paper that has been rejected by every journal
  3. A manuscript posted publicly before peer review
  4. A printed copy of an already published paper
Answer and working

C. A manuscript posted publicly before peer review

Preprints speed dissemination but have not been peer reviewed.

Further reading: ICMJE Recommendations; COPE guidance

8 · Presenting research: posters and talks · medium

Where does exaggeration of research findings in the news often begin, according to studies of science reporting?

  1. In the peer-review reports
  2. In the data management plan
  3. Only in reader comments
  4. In the press release
Answer and working

D. In the press release

Studies found exaggeration often originates in press releases, so researchers should check them.

Further reading: Kumar, Research Methodology

9 · Intellectual property and technology transfer · medium

A researcher presents a new process at a conference before filing a patent. What is the likely effect in most jurisdictions?

  1. The disclosure destroys novelty
  2. The patent term is extended
  3. The patent becomes stronger
  4. Nothing, since talks are not publications
Answer and working

A. The disclosure destroys novelty

Public disclosure before filing usually prevents patenting; a few systems allow limited grace periods.

Further reading: WIPO introductory materials on IP

10 · Research funding and proposal writing · medium

What is a milestone in a research project?

  1. A budget category for travel
  2. A tangible output such as a dataset
  3. A control point marking key progress
  4. A type of statistical test
Answer and working

C. A control point marking key progress

Milestones mark decision or progress points; deliverables are outputs.

Further reading: Kumar, Research Methodology

Ten here, 99 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF in this subject, marked as you go, with timed papers, a jump-to-unanswered list and a certificate when you pass at 70 per cent.

Free for ten days, then one subscription of US$10 a month. We would rather say so here than have you find it later.

Practise the full set in Laisha →

Read the subject

Research Methodology, Scientific Writing & Ethics in Food ScienceThe full study manual, free ICAR AICE-JRF/SRFFormat, sections and how it has changed

More ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF practice

Food Plant Design, Hygienic Engineering, Utilities & AutomationAdvanced Analytical Techniques & FoodomicsAlternative Proteins & Future FoodsStatistics, Experimental Design & Chemometrics for Food ScienceFood Process Modelling, Simulation & OptimisationFunctional Foods, Nutraceuticals & Health ClaimsMeat, Poultry & Egg Products TechnologyFood Structure, Colloids, Encapsulation & NanotechnologyPhysical Properties, Rheology & Texture of FoodsFood Quality Assurance, Statistical Process Control & Laboratory AccreditationFood Packaging Science & TechnologyThermal Processing & Canning TechnologyShelf-life Science & Food StabilityNovel & Non-thermal Food Processing TechnologiesFood Chemistry I: Water, Carbohydrates, Proteins & LipidsFood Analysis: Proximate, Chemical & Instrumental MethodsEvaporation, Dehydration & Concentration of FoodsExtrusion & Texturisation TechnologyMechanical Unit Operations: Size Reduction, Mixing & SeparationChilling, Freezing & Frozen Food TechnologySpices, Herbs, Essential Oils & Flavour TechnologyTraditional, Ethnic & Indigenous Foods TechnologyFood Risk Analysis: Risk Assessment, Management & CommunicationTransport Phenomena in Food Processing: Fluid Flow, Heat & Mass Transfer

Research Methodology, Scientific Writing & Ethics in Food Science for other exams

UGC-NET · India

Ask Laisha about this

Opens Laisha's chat with your question ready to send. Sign in or start free.