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Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2017/Paper I/Research Methods in Anthropology
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper I 2017 10 Marks Model Answer Available

Questionnaire — 2017 Paper I

Question · 2017 · Paper I · 10 Marks

Questionnaire

Model Answer

VAID ICS

Approach

  • Demand of Question:Define a questionnaire and assess its construction, uses, strengths and limitations in anthropological research.
  • Structuring the Response:Define the tool; outline question types and design principles; explain utility and limits; conclude with its place in mixed-method fieldwork.
  • Key Dimensions to Cover: Open/closed questions; sequencing; pre-testing; validity; reliability; standardisation; literacy and response bias; triangulation.

Model Answer

Introduction A questionnaire is a standardised data-collection instrument consisting of a series of questions designed to gather information from respondents. While sociology relies on it heavily, in anthropology, it is primarily used as an adjunct tool within broader fieldwork.

Body

Construction and Design:

  • Types of Questions: Can be closed-ended (multiple-choice, Likert scales for quantifiable data) or open-ended (allowing descriptive, qualitative answers).
  • Design Principles: Requires clear, culturally appropriate wording, non-leading phrasing, logical sequencing, and precise translation. Pre-testing (Pilot study) is mandatory in anthropology to detect ethnocentric biases or ambiguities in the questions.

Strengths and Anthropological Uses:

  • Efficiency and Scale: Highly effective for gathering baseline demographic data, household economic surveys, and mapping consumption or health patterns across a large sample.
  • Standardization: Ensures that all respondents are asked the same questions in the same way, improving data reliability and allowing for statistical/comparative analysis.
  • Reduces Bias: Minimizes interviewer-induced bias during the data collection phase.

Limitations in Anthropology:

  • Etic Bias: Fixed categories may impose the researcher's cultural assumptions (etic) onto the respondent, failing to capture the respondent's actual worldview (emic).
  • Literacy and Context: They perform poorly in pre-literate societies or areas with low education.
  • Superficiality: They struggle to capture complex realities like religious beliefs, secret rituals, or sensitive kinship taboos. Respondents may also provide "socially desirable" answers rather than truthful ones.

Conclusion Because of its limitations in uncovering deep cultural meanings, a questionnaire is rarely used in isolation in anthropology. Its true value is realized through triangulation—when combined with qualitative methods like participant observation and unstructured interviews to expose the cultural realities hidden behind numerical data.

2026 Ethics in anthropological fieldwork. 2026 Discuss the mixed method approach in anthropological research. 2025 Differentiate between pedigree and genealogical analyses. Discuss the history and application of these methods in anthropological studies. 2025 Multispecies, Multi-sited and Critical Ethnography.

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UPSC Anthropology Optional 2017 — Paper I

28 questions

5(d) Age at menarche

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 11.1 Relevance of menarche, menopause and other bio-events to fertility
2017Paper IHuman Genetics & Human BiologyModel answer available

5(e) Anthropology and designing of equipments

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 12. Applications of Anthropology > Anthropology in designing of defence and other equipments
2017Paper IApplied & Forensic AnthropologyModel answer available

5(c) Concept of race

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.5 Race and racism > Biological basis of racial classification
2017Paper IHuman Genetics & Human BiologyModel answer available

5(a) Hardy-Weinberg law

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.3 Mendelian population and Hardy-Weinberg law
2017Paper IHuman Genetics & Human BiologyModel answer available

1(d) Non-verbal communication

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 7. Culture, language and communication > Verbal and non-verbal communication
2017Paper ICulture & SocietyModel answer available

1(e) Questionnaire

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 8.3 Research Methods: Tools of data collection > Questionnaire
2017Paper IResearch Methods in AnthropologyModel answer available