Deck 7: Thinking Critically About the Research Process

Question 1

Most serious researchers now prefer electronic searches for information because

A)the internet is so easy to use.
B)using the internet is more fun than ploughing through books.
C)even hard-copy sources will be located through digital searches.
D)the internet is cheaper than borrowing or buying books and journals.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Researchers of internet material should use more than one search engine because

A)some search engines are not frequently updated.
B)some search engines search only sites sponsored by advertisers.
C)web content is increasing so rapidly that no one search engine covers more than 1/3 of that content.
D)most search engines specialize in only one or two content areas.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Office files (emails, meeting minutes, data tables and graphs)exemplify

A)primary sources.
B)secondary sources.
C)a blend of secondary and primary sources.
D)tertiary sources.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Primary research involves

A)finding information that is of primary importance to your study.
B)finding basic information that will form the basis of further study.
C)conducting an original, first-hand study of your topic.
D)consulting famous or universally accepted books and databases.

Question 5

Social networking sites can be used to find primary sources of information by

A)posting a question on Facebook, Twitter, or Quora
B)trolling through Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter
C)using Facebook or LinkedIn to contact the author of an article
D)any of a, b, or c

Question 6

The best way to approach an internet search is to

A)plug a phrase or two into a search engine like Google and follow the links.
B)plan a search strategy that includes questions and sources that may supply answers.
C)use a general source such as Wikipedia.
D)hire a professional researcher.

Question 7

Conducting an effective research project requires

A)strong prior knowledge of the subject.
B)a computer with internet access.
C)a methodical and systematic approach.
D)a collaborative team.

Question 8

Electronic research sources have the advantage of

A)being less expensive than hard copy searches.
B)being easier to secure and preserve.
C)offering material for which there is no hard copy equivalent.
D)offering a greater depth of material.

Question 9

Effective research depends on

A)primary research sources.
B)secondary research sources.
C)a fair amount of luck in finding reliable sources.
D)achieving sufficient depth to answer the writer's purpose and the reader's needs.

Question 10

The main reason for interviewing a source person, either in person or via email, is to

A)have the prestige of quoting a person well-known in his/her field.
B)meet a person who could become a valuable member of one's job search network.
C)glean expert information that may not be published anywhere.
D)show your reader that you've considered a full variety of sources.

Question 11

Medium.com is

A)a platform for publishing blogs and articles .
B)a searchable database used primarily by social scientists.
C)an open source version of Google Scholar.
D)an RSS feed developed at Queen's University.

Question 12

At its deepest level, secondary research examines

A)newspaper accounts.
B)company reports and brochures.
C)professional journals and specialized government sources.
D)electronic newsgroups.

Question 13

Most academic libraries in Canada

A)have their own specialized databases available only at the institution that has created that database.
B)can afford a limited number of specialized databases.
C)subscribe to the same collections of journals and databases.
D)no longer subscribe to journals.

Question 14

Informational interview questions should

A)not be planned in advance because planned questions prevent spontaneous, free-flowing interviews.
B)be planned in advance and carefully followed in a set order during the interview.
C)be planned, but not necessarily rigidly followed during the interview.
D)provided in advance to the person being interviewed.

Question 15

At the conclusion of an informational interview, the interviewer should

A)thank the respondent and leave promptly.
B)ask the respondent if other aspects of the topic should also be covered.
C)ask the respondent to recommend other persons who might also be interviewed.
D)all of a, b, c.

Question 16

Survey results are considered reliable, subject to an identified sampling error,

A)if 25 percent or more of the overall group members are surveyed.
B)if 75 percent or more of the surveyed group members provide the same answers.
C)if a representative sample of the target population is surveyed (the larger the sample, the smaller the identified sampling error).
D)only if the entire target population has been surveyed.

Question 17

RSS feeds incorporate

A)Really Simple Syndication.
B)Responsive Syndicated Symbols.
C)Real-time Search Syndication.
D)Random Structured Symbols.

Question 18

To protect oneself from plagiarism charges regarding copyrighted online sources

A)don't worry; assume that all internet material is freely available for use.
B)never acknowledge your source and hope that your professor doesn't recognize the material.
C)obtain written permission from the copyright owner to quote the material.
D)properly document all quotes and paraphrases.

Question 19

Curated Web sources have the following advantage

A)they're reliable and credible.
B)they're easier to read than non-curated sources.
C)they can be taken from the library.
D)their material is easier to copy and store than non-curated sources.

Question 20

ResearchGate is

A)a commercial online encyclopedia.
B)a collaborative online encyclopedia.
C)a search engine.
D)a forum for researchers to post their scholarly articles.

Question 21

Which statement most accurately describes Quora's question-and-answer site?

A)operates as a club that requires contributors and users to use their real names
B)uses a complicated system to determine which answers get top billing on the site
C)is supported by Facebook, which has developed an app for Quora
D)all of a, b, and c accurately describe Quora

Question 22

A federated search will find information sources

A)only at websites maintained by the federal government
B)in a college or university's entire library
C)in the sources held by college or university's, except for certain specialized databases
D)that are identical to the sources identified by a Google search