A Christmas Gift from Santa Claus
For Students Preparing for UGC NET Folk Literature. Jan 3, 2026 | Code 71
Syllabus of UGC NET Folk Literature (Paper 2)
Unit-wise MCQs
UNIT 9: FIELDWORK, DOCUMENTATION, ETHICS, AND METHODOLOGY
Q1. Fieldwork in folklore studies primarily involves
(A) Library research
(B) Direct engagement with living traditions
(C) Textual editing
(D) Translation only
Correct Answer: (B)
Q2. The main objective of folklore fieldwork is to
(A) Fix texts permanently
(B) Document traditions in their social context
(C) Canonize folklore
(D) Eliminate variation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q3. Participant observation is a method where the researcher
(A) Remains detached
(B) Observes without interaction
(C) Participates in community life
(D) Relies on archives
Correct Answer: (C)
Q4. Non-participant observation requires the researcher to
(A) Perform folklore
(B) Avoid community contact
(C) Observe without direct involvement
(D) Edit texts
Correct Answer: (C)
Q5. Fieldwork is essential in folklore studies because folklore is
(A) Written
(B) Performed and contextual
(C) Canonical
(D) Institutional
Correct Answer: (B)
Q6. An informant in folklore research is
(A) A government official
(B) A community member sharing knowledge
(C) An editor
(D) A critic
Correct Answer: (B)
Q7. The term “consultant” is preferred over “informant” because it
(A) Sounds academic
(B) Recognizes agency and collaboration
(C) Avoids documentation
(D) Emphasizes hierarchy
Correct Answer: (B)
Q8. Ethical fieldwork requires
(A) Researcher authority
(B) Informed consent
(C) Rapid documentation
(D) Canonization
Correct Answer: (B)
Q9. Informed consent means
(A) Written permission only
(B) Awareness and voluntary participation
(C) Institutional approval
(D) Legal contract
Correct Answer: (B)
Q10. Folklore documentation should ideally record
(A) Text alone
(B) Text, context, and performance
(C) Translation only
(D) Summary
Correct Answer: (B)
Q11. Audio-visual recording in folklore fieldwork helps to capture
(A) Grammar
(B) Performance features
(C) Written text
(D) Archival metadata
Correct Answer: (B)
Q12. Field notes are important because they
(A) Replace recordings
(B) Capture observations and reflections
(C) Eliminate bias
(D) Fix meaning
Correct Answer: (B)
Q13. Reflexivity in fieldwork refers to
(A) Ignoring researcher presence
(B) Awareness of researcher’s role and bias
(C) Eliminating subjectivity
(D) Textual editing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q14. Insider research occurs when the researcher
(A) Studies an unfamiliar culture
(B) Studies their own community
(C) Avoids participation
(D) Relies on archives
Correct Answer: (B)
Q15. Outsider research involves
(A) Studying one’s own culture
(B) Studying a different cultural group
(C) Avoiding fieldwork
(D) Editing texts
Correct Answer: (B)
Q16. Insider research advantage includes
(A) Complete objectivity
(B) Cultural familiarity and access
(C) Absence of bias
(D) Scholarly distance
Correct Answer: (B)
Q17. A challenge of insider research is
(A) Language barrier
(B) Over-familiarity
(C) Lack of access
(D) Ethical distance
Correct Answer: (B)
Q18. Translation in folklore studies should aim to
(A) Replace original text
(B) Preserve meaning and context
(C) Standardize language
(D) Eliminate variation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q19. Transcription involves
(A) Translating meaning
(B) Converting oral performance into written form
(C) Editing content
(D) Summarizing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q20. Phonetic transcription is especially useful for
(A) Literary criticism
(B) Capturing sound features
(C) Archival cataloguing
(D) Textual purity
Correct Answer: (B)
Q21. Documentation ethics require that materials
(A) Belong to the researcher
(B) Respect community ownership
(C) Be published immediately
(D) Be standardized
Correct Answer: (B)
Q22. Archiving folklore materials ensures
(A) Fixity of tradition
(B) Long-term preservation and access
(C) Elimination of performance
(D) Canonization
Correct Answer: (B)
Q23. Digital archives differ from traditional archives because they
(A) Eliminate context
(B) Allow wider access
(C) Are less ethical
(D) Fix texts
Correct Answer: (B)
Q24. Metadata in folklore documentation refers to
(A) Story content
(B) Information about recording and context
(C) Translation
(D) Interpretation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q25. Classification in folklore helps to
(A) Rank traditions
(B) Organize materials
(C) Eliminate variation
(D) Fix meaning
Correct Answer: (B)
Q26. Motif indexing is associated with
(A) Performance theory
(B) Classification of narrative elements
(C) Field observation
(D) Ethics
Correct Answer: (B)
Q27. The Aarne–Thompson–Uther index classifies
(A) Rituals
(B) Folktale types
(C) Songs
(D) Proverbs
Correct Answer: (B)
Q28. Over-classification in folklore studies is criticized because it
(A) Encourages creativity
(B) Ignores context and performance
(C) Improves accuracy
(D) Preserves meaning
Correct Answer: (B)
Q29. Documentation should avoid
(A) Audio recording
(B) Extracting folklore from its context
(C) Field notes
(D) Consent
Correct Answer: (B)
Q30. Ethics in folklore fieldwork emphasize
(A) Researcher benefit
(B) Reciprocity
(C) Textual authority
(D) Speed
Correct Answer: (B)
Q31. Reciprocity in fieldwork refers to
(A) Payment only
(B) Giving back to the community
(C) Publishing research
(D) Archiving
Correct Answer: (B)
Q32. Collaborative research involves
(A) Researcher control
(B) Community participation in research process
(C) Archival focus
(D) Textual editing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q33. Folklore documentation must respect
(A) Copyright only
(B) Cultural sensitivity
(C) Canon formation
(D) Structural theory
Correct Answer: (B)
Q34. Anonymity of consultants is important when
(A) Performance is public
(B) Sensitive knowledge is involved
(C) Texts are old
(D) Archiving
Correct Answer: (B)
Q35. Sacred or restricted folklore requires
(A) Immediate publication
(B) Special permission
(C) Translation
(D) Editing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q36. Gender-sensitive fieldwork requires awareness of
(A) Grammar
(B) Power relations and access
(C) Textual structure
(D) Diffusion
Correct Answer: (B)
Q37. Children’s folklore fieldwork requires
(A) No consent
(B) Extra ethical care
(C) Archival research only
(D) Textual editing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q38. Life-history interviews help researchers understand
(A) Single text
(B) Personal and cultural narratives
(C) Motif index
(D) Classification
Correct Answer: (B)
Q39. Questionnaires in folklore research are useful for
(A) Deep performance analysis
(B) Gathering broad data
(C) Replacing fieldwork
(D) Fixing meaning
Correct Answer: (B)
Q40. Open-ended interviews allow
(A) Yes/no answers
(B) Rich narrative responses
(C) Statistical analysis only
(D) Textual editing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q41. Structured interviews differ from unstructured interviews by being
(A) Informal
(B) Pre-planned
(C) Spontaneous
(D) Performative
Correct Answer: (B)
Q42. Recording context includes
(A) Weather only
(B) Social setting and participants
(C) Text summary
(D) Translation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q43. Field diaries differ from field notes because they
(A) Are objective
(B) Include personal reflections
(C) Replace recordings
(D) Eliminate bias
Correct Answer: (B)
Q44. Long-term fieldwork helps researchers
(A) Fix texts
(B) Build trust
(C) Eliminate variation
(D) Classify quickly
Correct Answer: (B)
Q45. Rapid documentation is often used when
(A) Traditions are stable
(B) Traditions are endangered
(C) Texts are written
(D) Archives exist
Correct Answer: (B)
Q46. Visual documentation includes
(A) Text only
(B) Photographs and videos
(C) Translation
(D) Motif index
Correct Answer: (B)
Q47. Ethical documentation avoids
(A) Audio recording
(B) Exploitation
(C) Fieldwork
(D) Archiving
Correct Answer: (B)
Q48. Fieldwork methodology should be
(A) Fixed
(B) Flexible and adaptive
(C) Textual
(D) Archival
Correct Answer: (B)
Q49. Research permits are required when
(A) Studying one’s own culture only
(B) Working with protected communities or sites
(C) Writing theory
(D) Classifying texts
Correct Answer: (B)
Q50. Folklore fieldwork differs from literary research because it focuses on
(A) Canon
(B) Living traditions
(C) Written texts
(D) Historical authors
Correct Answer: (B)
Q51. Documentation should include the performer’s
(A) Biography only
(B) Perspective and interpretation
(C) Editing preference
(D) Canonical status
Correct Answer: (B)
Q52. Archival return means
(A) Removing materials
(B) Sharing copies with communities
(C) Fixing texts
(D) Publishing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q53. Intellectual property in folklore relates to
(A) Individual authorship
(B) Community rights
(C) Literary canon
(D) Structural theory
Correct Answer: (B)
Q54. Ethical research avoids treating folklore as
(A) Living culture
(B) Data to be extracted
(C) Social practice
(D) Performance
Correct Answer: (B)
Q55. Multimodal documentation combines
(A) Text only
(B) Audio, visual, and written records
(C) Translation only
(D) Archival cataloguing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q56. Fieldwork planning should include
(A) Only recording equipment
(B) Research objectives and ethics
(C) Canon formation
(D) Textual editing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q57. The role of trust in fieldwork is to
(A) Eliminate bias
(B) Enable meaningful collaboration
(C) Fix meaning
(D) Speed documentation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q58. Gatekeepers in fieldwork are
(A) Archivists
(B) Community members facilitating access
(C) Editors
(D) Translators
Correct Answer: (B)
Q59. Ethical dilemmas in folklore fieldwork often involve
(A) Grammar
(B) Consent and representation
(C) Classification
(D) Translation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q60. Fieldwork reports should balance
(A) Theory only
(B) Description and analysis
(C) Text and canon
(D) Origin and diffusion
Correct Answer: (B)
Q61. Research fatigue occurs when communities are
(A) Over-documented
(B) Literate
(C) Isolated
(D) Resistant
Correct Answer: (A)
Q62. Ethical folklore research requires avoiding
(A) Long-term engagement
(B) Extractive practices
(C) Community feedback
(D) Collaboration
Correct Answer: (B)
Q63. Digital tools in fieldwork help with
(A) Eliminating context
(B) Efficient recording and storage
(C) Fixing texts
(D) Canon formation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q64. Backup of field data is important to
(A) Fix meaning
(B) Prevent data loss
(C) Eliminate variation
(D) Classify
Correct Answer: (B)
Q65. Ethical archiving requires
(A) Restricted access only
(B) Clear access protocols
(C) Canonization
(D) Textual editing
Correct Answer: (B)
Q66. Fieldwork methodology in folklore is best described as
(A) Rigid
(B) Context-sensitive
(C) Textual
(D) Canonical
Correct Answer: (B)
Q67. Recording folklore without context results in
(A) Rich data
(B) Loss of meaning
(C) Better classification
(D) Canon formation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q68. Ethical folklore research prioritizes
(A) Speed
(B) Respect
(C) Quantity
(D) Canon
Correct Answer: (B)
Q69. The goal of documentation is not to
(A) Preserve knowledge
(B) Support community continuity
(C) Replace living tradition
(D) Enable access
Correct Answer: (C)
Q70. Fieldwork training is essential because it
(A) Eliminates bias
(B) Improves ethical and methodological competence
(C) Fixes meaning
(D) Replaces theory
Correct Answer: (B)
Q71. Multilingual documentation requires
(A) Single translation
(B) Sensitivity to language use
(C) Canonization
(D) Structural purity
Correct Answer: (B)
Q72. Folklore documentation should be
(A) Extractive
(B) Collaborative
(C) Detached
(D) Canonical
Correct Answer: (B)
Q73. Ethics committees in research ensure
(A) Canon formation
(B) Protection of participants
(C) Textual accuracy
(D) Structural validity
Correct Answer: (B)
Q74. Visual consent is important when
(A) Recording audio
(B) Recording images and videos
(C) Taking notes
(D) Archiving text
Correct Answer: (B)
Q75. Fieldwork ethics require acknowledging
(A) Researcher alone
(B) Contributors and communities
(C) Canonical texts
(D) Theory
Correct Answer: (B)
Q76. Ethical dissemination includes
(A) Publishing without consent
(B) Sharing results appropriately
(C) Fixing texts
(D) Eliminating variation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q77. Fieldwork in folklore values
(A) Objectivity only
(B) Empathy and respect
(C) Distance
(D) Authority
Correct Answer: (B)
Q78. Methodological triangulation involves
(A) Using one method
(B) Using multiple methods
(C) Avoiding fieldwork
(D) Fixing meaning
Correct Answer: (B)
Q79. Ethical folklore research recognizes folklore as
(A) Data
(B) Cultural heritage
(C) Commodity
(D) Canon
Correct Answer: (B)
Q80. Documentation without community feedback risks
(A) Collaboration
(B) Misrepresentation
(C) Preservation
(D) Access
Correct Answer: (B)
Q81. Fieldwork methodologies evolve because
(A) Tradition disappears
(B) Contexts and technologies change
(C) Texts are fixed
(D) Canon forms
Correct Answer: (B)
Q82. Ethical folklore research promotes
(A) Extraction
(B) Sustainability
(C) Fixity
(D) Canon
Correct Answer: (B)
Q83. Fieldwork reports should avoid
(A) Description
(B) Stereotyping
(C) Contextual detail
(D) Reflexivity
Correct Answer: (B)
Q84. Cultural protocols in fieldwork refer to
(A) Research design
(B) Community-specific norms
(C) Classification rules
(D) Theory
Correct Answer: (B)
Q85. Ethical folklore research must consider
(A) Researcher convenience
(B) Long-term impact on community
(C) Speed
(D) Canon formation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q86. Documentation ethics require transparency about
(A) Grammar
(B) Research purpose
(C) Motif index
(D) Structure
Correct Answer: (B)
Q87. Fieldwork data should be stored with
(A) No metadata
(B) Clear labeling and context
(C) Text only
(D) Canonical form
Correct Answer: (B)
Q88. Ethical research avoids
(A) Collaboration
(B) Misuse of cultural knowledge
(C) Consent
(D) Reciprocity
Correct Answer: (B)
Q89. Fieldwork methodology should adapt to
(A) Researcher preference
(B) Community context
(C) Canon
(D) Archive
Correct Answer: (B)
Q90. Folklore fieldwork emphasizes
(A) Control
(B) Relationship-building
(C) Detachment
(D) Authority
Correct Answer: (B)
Q91. Ethical folklore documentation respects
(A) Intellectual hierarchy
(B) Cultural ownership
(C) Canon
(D) Structure
Correct Answer: (B)
Q92. Fieldwork reflection helps improve
(A) Textual purity
(B) Research practice
(C) Canon formation
(D) Fixity
Correct Answer: (B)
Q93. Ethical dilemmas should be addressed through
(A) Ignoring them
(B) Dialogue and consultation
(C) Speed
(D) Authority
Correct Answer: (B)
Q94. Folklore fieldwork is most effective when it is
(A) Extractive
(B) Participatory
(C) Detached
(D) Canonical
Correct Answer: (B)
Q95. Ethical research dissemination includes
(A) Academic publication only
(B) Community-accessible formats
(C) Canon formation
(D) Structural analysis
Correct Answer: (B)
Q96. Documentation should record
(A) Text only
(B) Change and variation
(C) Fixed version
(D) Canonical form
Correct Answer: (B)
Q97. Ethical folklore research recognizes that folklore
(A) Belongs to researchers
(B) Belongs to communities
(C) Is public property
(D) Is canonical
Correct Answer: (B)
Q98. Fieldwork methodologies aim to
(A) Replace tradition
(B) Support understanding and preservation
(C) Fix meaning
(D) Canonize texts
Correct Answer: (B)
Q99. The success of folklore fieldwork is measured by
(A) Quantity of data
(B) Quality of engagement and ethics
(C) Speed of publication
(D) Canon formation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q100. Unit 9 of the syllabus primarily focuses on
(A) Folklore theory
(B) Fieldwork methods, documentation, and ethics
(C) Public folklore
(D) Indian folk traditions
Correct Answer: (B)