Research methods that employ ethnographic approaches—including direct observation of participants or comprehensive interviews with patients and their ...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Research methods that employ ethnographic approaches—including direct observation of participants or comprehensive interviews with patients and their families—offer investigators detailed insights into healthcare experiences that questionnaire-based studies cannot provide. During Dr. Sarah Martinez's investigation into diabetes care within Latino populations, she dedicated several months to participating in community support sessions and interviewing patients within their residential settings. Such methodology enabled her to comprehend the cultural elements that affected patient compliance with treatment protocols.
Which option most accurately characterizes the role of the underlined sentence within the overall passage?
It illustrates how Dr. Martinez gained insights through her application of ethnographic research techniques.
It supplies statistical data regarding Latino populations and diabetes prevalence rates.
It establishes that Dr. Martinez possesses specialized knowledge in endocrinology and metabolic conditions.
It announces a significant medical discovery that advanced diabetes care.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Research methods that employ ethnographic approaches—including direct observation of participants or comprehensive interviews with patients and their families—offer investigators detailed insights into healthcare experiences that questionnaire-based studies cannot provide.' |
|
| 'During Dr. Sarah Martinez's investigation into diabetes care within Latino populations, she dedicated several months to participating in community support sessions and interviewing patients within their residential settings.' |
|
| 'Such methodology enabled her to comprehend the cultural elements that affected patient compliance with treatment protocols.' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Ethnographic research methods provide deeper insights into healthcare experiences than traditional questionnaire-based studies can offer.
Argument Flow: The passage opens by asserting the superiority of ethnographic methods over questionnaire-based studies. It then illustrates this claim through Dr. Martinez's specific research, showing how her immersive approach led to understanding cultural factors that influence patient behavior.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The underlined sentence comes right after we learn about ethnographic methods and their advantages
- It gives us a real-world case where someone actually used these methods
- The sentence shows Martinez doing exactly what the first sentence described—direct observation and comprehensive interviews
- The right answer should recognize that this sentence serves as a concrete example or illustration of the ethnographic approach described earlier
It illustrates how Dr. Martinez gained insights through her application of ethnographic research techniques.
✗ Incorrect
- Recognizes the sentence shows Martinez actually applying the ethnographic techniques mentioned earlier
- This matches our analysis about the sentence serving as a concrete example
It supplies statistical data regarding Latino populations and diabetes prevalence rates.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the sentence provides statistical data about diabetes prevalence
- The sentence contains no numbers, percentages, or statistical information
It establishes that Dr. Martinez possesses specialized knowledge in endocrinology and metabolic conditions.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the sentence establishes Martinez's medical credentials
- The sentence focuses on her research methodology, not her professional qualifications
It announces a significant medical discovery that advanced diabetes care.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the sentence announces a significant medical discovery
- No breakthrough or discovery is mentioned—just research methodology