The following text is from a 2019 editorial in the Journal of Medical Research Ethics:"Researchers design rigorous protocols to control...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from a 2019 editorial in the Journal of Medical Research Ethics:
"Researchers design rigorous protocols to control variables, standardize procedures, and minimize confounding factors. They recruit carefully screened participants, implement double-blind studies, and establish strict inclusion criteria. Yet despite these methodological safeguards, human biology introduces elements that resist systematic control: genetic variations that influence drug metabolism, environmental exposures that vary among participants, and psychosocial factors that affect treatment response. These biological realities ensure that some aspects of human health research remain inherently unpredictable."
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
The author describes systematic research methods and then acknowledges the inherent limitations these methods face when applied to human subjects.
The author presents an argument for improving research protocols and then provides evidence supporting these improvements.
The author outlines current research practices and then advocates for abandoning these practices in favor of new approaches.
The author details the benefits of controlled studies and then warns that such benefits may diminish over time.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Researchers design rigorous protocols to control variables, standardize procedures, and minimize confounding factors." |
|
| "They recruit carefully screened participants, implement double-blind studies, and establish strict inclusion criteria." |
|
| "Yet despite these methodological safeguards, human biology introduces elements that resist systematic control:" |
|
| "genetic variations that influence drug metabolism, environmental exposures that vary among participants, and psychosocial factors that affect treatment response." |
|
| "These biological realities ensure that some aspects of human health research remain inherently unpredictable." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Even the most rigorous research methods cannot fully control the biological complexities inherent in human subjects.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a two-part structure: first establishing how researchers use systematic methods to control study variables, then acknowledging that human biological factors create unavoidable limitations to this control.
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 passage has two main parts: first describing systematic research methods, then discussing their limitations
- There's a clear contrast relationship - the second part acknowledges problems with what was described first
- The structure is: "Researchers do X to control studies" followed by "However, human biology makes perfect control impossible"
The author describes systematic research methods and then acknowledges the inherent limitations these methods face when applied to human subjects.
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures the two-part structure
- "Describes systematic research methods" matches the first half about protocols and controls
- "Then acknowledges the inherent limitations" matches the pivot to biological unpredictability
The author presents an argument for improving research protocols and then provides evidence supporting these improvements.
✗ Incorrect
- Says the author "presents an argument for improving research protocols"
- The passage doesn't argue for improvements - it describes current methods then acknowledges their unavoidable limitations
The author outlines current research practices and then advocates for abandoning these practices in favor of new approaches.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the author "advocates for abandoning these practices in favor of new approaches"
- The passage never suggests abandoning current methods or proposes alternatives
The author details the benefits of controlled studies and then warns that such benefits may diminish over time.
✗ Incorrect
- Says the author "warns that such benefits may diminish over time"
- The limitations aren't about benefits diminishing over time - they're about inherent, permanent challenges posed by human biology