Scholars frequently dismiss research conclusions when they learn the study received funding from an organization that has financial stakes in...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Scholars frequently dismiss research conclusions when they learn the study received funding from an organization that has financial stakes in the outcomes, however, from a purely scientific methodology perspective, the source of funding is ______: the funding origin has no bearing on the soundness of the experimental design or statistical procedures.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
immaterial
suspect
obvious
conclusive
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Scholars frequently dismiss research conclusions when they learn the study received funding from an organization that has financial stakes in the outcomes," |
|
| "however, from a purely scientific methodology perspective, the source of funding is" |
|
| [MISSING WORD] |
|
| "the funding origin has no bearing on the soundness of the experimental design or statistical procedures." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture and Core Elements
Main Point: From a scientific methodology standpoint, the source of research funding does not affect the quality of the experimental design or statistical procedures.
Argument Flow: The passage first describes how scholars commonly dismiss research when they discover funding conflicts of interest. It then contrasts this behavior with what should be the case from a purely scientific perspective that funding source does not actually impact the methodological soundness of the research itself.
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 word needs to describe how funding source relates to scientific methodology
- From our analysis, we see that the passage argues funding source does not affect methodological quality
- The right answer should convey that funding source is irrelevant or unimportant when evaluating scientific methodology
immaterial
✓ Correct
- Immaterial means not relevant or not important
- This perfectly matches our prethinking from a scientific methodology perspective, funding source does not matter
suspect
✗ Incorrect
- Suspect means questionable or doubtful
- This would suggest the funding source raises questions about methodology, which contradicts the passage
obvious
✗ Incorrect
- Obvious means clear or evident
- This does not make logical sense
conclusive
✗ Incorrect
- Conclusive means decisive or final
- This does not fit the logical flow