FREE CBDA Identifying Research Questions Questions and Answers

Question 1

A business analyst is tasked with helping a retail company understand its declining sales. Which of the following represents the MOST effective initial research question?

Accepted Answer

What is the correlation between our marketing spend and monthly sales figures over the past two years?

Answer

A strong research question is specific, measurable, and focused. It guides the data analysis process effectively. 'What is the correlation between our marketing spend and monthly sales figures over the past two years?' is specific (marketing spend, sales figures), measurable (correlation), and time-bound (past two years), making it an actionable question for a data analyst. The other options are too broad, presumptive, or externally focused for an initial internal investigation.

Question 2

A stakeholder asks the data analyst to investigate 'customer churn.' Before proceeding, which of the following is the most critical first step for the analyst to take in refining this request into a research question?

Accepted Answer

Define 'customer churn' with specific, measurable criteria in collaboration with the stakeholder.

Answer

Before a research question can be properly formulated, key terms must be clearly defined. 'Customer churn' is a vague term. The analyst must work with stakeholders to establish a specific, measurable definition (e.g., 'a customer who has not made a purchase in the last 6 months') to create a focused and answerable research question. The other steps would be premature without a clear definition.

Question 3

A business data analyst is using a collaborative game to generate and group potential research questions with stakeholders. Participants write questions on sticky notes and then group them by theme on a whiteboard. Which collaborative technique is being used?

Accepted Answer

Affinity Map

Answer

An Affinity Map (or Affinity Diagram) is a technique used to organize a large number of ideas into their natural relationships. Participants write ideas (in this case, research questions) on sticky notes and then group them into clusters of related items, which helps in identifying common themes and priorities.

Question 4

Which of the following characteristics is LEAST essential for a good research question in a business data analytics context?

Accepted Answer

Original

Answer

While originality can be valuable, it is not the most critical aspect of a research question in a business context. Questions must be feasible (answerable with available data and resources), relevant to business objectives, and specific enough to guide analysis. A business may need to re-ask a question that has been answered before (e.g., quarterly performance analysis) to track changes over time, making originality less of a priority than direct business value.

Question 5

A restaurant chain wants to improve customer satisfaction. An initial research question is proposed: 'How can we improve the customer experience?' Why is this a weak research question for a data analytics project?

Accepted Answer

It is too broad and not directly measurable.

Answer

A strong research question needs to be focused and specific enough to be answered with data. 'How can we improve the customer experience?' is too broad and subjective. A better approach would be to break it down into more specific, measurable questions like, 'What is the relationship between wait times and customer satisfaction scores?' or 'Which menu items receive the lowest ratings from online reviews?'.

CBDA - Certified Business Data Analyst Practice Test

CBDA - Certified Business Data Analyst Practice Test

FREE CBDA Identifying Research Questions Questions and Answers