OCPS Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A payroll manager wants to determine whether switching to a new payroll software reduces processing errors. Which research design is most appropriate for this purpose?
- Cross-sectional survey
- Pre-post quasi-experimental study (Correct answer)
- Case study of one employee
- Focus group discussion
Correct answer: Pre-post quasi-experimental study
A pre-post quasi-experimental design compares error rates before and after the software change, providing evidence of impact.
Question 2: In payroll research, what does 'construct validity' refer to?
- Whether the study was conducted on time
- Whether the measurement tool actually measures what it claims to measure (Correct answer)
- Whether results can be generalized to other companies
- Whether participants were selected randomly
Correct answer: Whether the measurement tool actually measures what it claims to measure
Construct validity ensures that the instrument (e.g., an error-rate metric) truly captures the concept it is intended to measure.
Question 3: A payroll analyst reviews five studies on overtime calculation accuracy and combines their findings into one overall conclusion. This process is called:
- Content analysis
- Meta-analysis (Correct answer)
- Grounded theory
- Ethnography
Correct answer: Meta-analysis
Meta-analysis statistically combines results from multiple studies to produce a stronger overall conclusion.
Question 4: Which sampling method would be most appropriate when a payroll department wants every employee record to have an equal chance of being selected for an audit?
- Purposive sampling
- Snowball sampling
- Simple random sampling (Correct answer)
- Convenience sampling
Correct answer: Simple random sampling
Simple random sampling gives every record an equal probability of selection, minimizing selection bias.
Question 5: When implementing evidence-based payroll practices, the 'best available evidence' hierarchy places which source at the highest level?
- Expert opinion
- Single observational study
- Systematic review or meta-analysis (Correct answer)
- Anecdotal case reports
Correct answer: Systematic review or meta-analysis
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses synthesize multiple high-quality studies and sit at the top of the evidence hierarchy.
Question 6: A payroll team collects data on the number of W-2 corrections issued each quarter over three years. This type of data collection approach is best described as:
- Retrospective cross-sectional
- Longitudinal time-series (Correct answer)
- Experimental randomized trial
- Phenomenological inquiry
Correct answer: Longitudinal time-series
Collecting repeated measurements over time constitutes a longitudinal time-series design.
Question 7: In research ethics for payroll data studies, 'data minimization' means:
- Collecting as much employee data as possible for future use
- Collecting only the data necessary for the stated research purpose (Correct answer)
- Deleting all data after one year regardless of need
- Sharing data with all stakeholders to maximize transparency
Correct answer: Collecting only the data necessary for the stated research purpose
Data minimization is a privacy principle requiring only the minimum data necessary for the specific research objective to be collected.
OCPS Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 2
A payroll manager wants to determine whether switching to a new payroll software reduces processing errors.
Which research design is most appropriate for this purpose?