A Graduate Student Is Almost Done with His Dissertation When

question 53

Multiple Choice

A graduate student is almost done with his dissertation when he is informed that twenty years ago someone did a very similar project and already demonstrated what he had hoped to be the first to discover.What basic step of the scientific method could have saved him from this problem?

• A) developing an operational definition
• B) selecting a research method
• C) analyzing data
• D) reviewing the literature

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Definitions:

Expected Value

The long-run average or mean value of random variables, indicating the anticipated outcome of an experiment if it were repeated many times.

Discrete Random Variable

A variable that assumes a finite number of unique values, typically signifying the results of a stochastic process.

Continuous Random Variable

A type of random variable that can take an infinite number of possible values within a given range, often associated with measurements.

Expected Value

The sum of all possible outcomes of a random process, each multiplied by its probability of occurrence.