Deck 8: Evaluating and Interpreting Information

Question 1

Effective causal reasoning

A)identifies and rules out potential causes, in order to arrive at the most probable causes.
B)looks for no more than two possible causes for each result.
C)depends entirely on detailed accurate data that can suggest possible causes.
D)invents causes when none are readily apparent.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Properly quoted material must

A)include seven or more words.
B)not exceed three lines.
C)use a different font than the surrounding text.
D)copy the words exactly, or use an ellipsis to indicate omitted words.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Use a direct quotation only when

A)you don't have your own opinion on the subject.
B)you need additional authority to back up your opinion.
C)specific examples, facts, and statistics need to be presented.
D)precision, clarity, or emphasis requires the exact words from the original.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Inductive reasoning

A)argues from general principles to specific cases.
B)always uses analogy.
C)argues from specific cases to general principles.
D)uses statistics as its main source of proof.

Question 5

Standards of proof (required for a high level of certainty in a report's conclusions)

A)vary considerably from one culture to another.
B)are consistent from one culture to another.
C)can be defined exactly.
D)are not really important as long as your reasoning is impeccable.

Question 6

Distorted percentage figures result from

A)using very large numbers.
B)listing numbers that exceed normal ranges.
C)introducing a percentage figure with a misleading phrase.
D)reporting the figure without revealing the numbers used to calculate the percentage.

Question 7

Data sources could be unreliable if they are

A)accompanied by careful listing of the sources of the data.
B)published by reputable sources.
C)published by a corporation.
D)biased in favour of an interest group's agenda.

Question 8

When deciding how to interpret our research findings, we should choose

A)the conclusive answer (definitive truth).
B)the probable answer.
C)the inconclusive answer.
D)the level of certainty the findings warrant.

Question 9

Deductive reasoning

A)argues from authoritative statements made by well-known sources.
B)argues from general principles to specific cases.
C)argues from specific cases to general principles.
D)is immune to errors in reasoning.

Question 10

When you quote the exact words from another person's work, you must

A)underline those words.
B)place those words within quotation marks.
C)italicize those words.
D)place those words within brackets.

Question 11

The IMRAD pattern is a form of

A)deductive reasoning.
B)inductive reasoning.
C)circular reasoning.
D)rhetorical double blind.

Question 12

Paraphrasing is defined as

A)a slightly altered version of someone else's words.
B)restating the original idea in one's own words and acknowledging the source.
C)restating the original idea in one's own words without acknowledging the source.
D)assimilating another's ideas into one's own knowledge bank.

Question 13

Sanitized statistics result from

A)quantifying something so vague that it should only be approximated.
B)using a mean or a median when the mode should have been used.
C)manipulating numbers to obscure the facts and make a situation appear positive.
D)entering rounded numbers into calculations.

Question 14

Copyright protection of intellectual property in electronic form is

A)clearly described by Canadian copyright laws.
B)not as clearly defined as copyright for print materials.
C)not an issue because everything on the internet is public property.
D)covered by Bill C-61, which was passed in 2008.

Question 15

Analogy works on the assumption that

A)all events have causes and those causes can be determined.
B)what happens in one environment may happen in another if the conditions in both environments are similar.
C)all reasoning includes several related and comparable elements.
D)people will believe anything that's told in story form.

Question 16

The following statement is an example of deductive reasoning:

A)Girls are smarter than boys because of cultural conditioning.
B)The weather's usually fair here in September, so we'll schedule the company picnic for September 12.
C)Bill, Cora, and Imre have all scored above 93 percent in all four math exams this semester, so we expect these strong students to do well on the final exam.
D)I doubt that the Leafs will ever win another Stanley Cup.

Question 17

Plagiarism is defined as the

A)the intentional lack of credit for someone else's words or ideas.
B)the unintentional lack of credit for someone else's words or ideas.
C)the intentional attempt to mislead the reader.
D)the intentional or unintentional lack of credit for someone else's words or ideas.

Question 18

To avoid plagiarism when quoting or paraphrasing statements, you must

A)place quotation marks around quoted or paraphrased material.
B)include a permission statement from the author or rights holder of the "borrowed" material.
C)use a textual note or footnote to cite the source of the quoted or paraphrased statement.
D)introduce each quoted or paraphrased statement with an explanation of its origin.

Question 19

Wikipedia's open-source philosophy and its millions of articles mean that

A)its articles are consistently reliable and complete.
B)Wikipedia provides "one-stop-shopping" for researchers of all types.
C)the site must basically rely on continuous updating and honest editing to keep its material accurate and reliable.
D)all Wikipedia articles can be fully trusted.