Chapter 3: Conducting a Literature Review

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following steps in research methods is rarely adequately taught in academic textbooks?

a. research questions

b. literature reviews

c. data collection

d. theories

2. According to Santos, one of the purposes of a literature review is ______.

a. telling the story of what is known about the topic

b. identifying who the main scholars are in that field

c. critically assessing the methods utilized by the scholars in the field

d. creating an outline that can be used for a research paper

3. Which of the following lists the correct order of the literature review road map?

a. develop search terms, search using terms, read abstracts, summarize important information, identify initial primary sources, create a thematically focused table, prepare for first draft, write first draft, edit, proof, and polish

b. develop search terms, search using terms, read abstracts, create a thematically focused table, identify initial primary sources, summarize important information, prepare for first draft, write first draft, edit, proof, and polish

c. develop search terms, search using terms, identify initial primary sources, read abstracts, summarize important information, create a thematically focused table, prepare for first draft, write first draft, edit, proof, and polish

d. develop search terms, search using terms, read abstracts, identify initial primary sources, summarize important information, create a thematically focused table, prepare for first draft, write first draft, edit, proof, and polish

4. After submitting a manuscript, which of the following in the peer review process is pretty rare?

a. The manuscript is rejected upon first review.

b. The manuscript receives revision recommendations.

c. The manuscript receives resubmission recommendations

d. The manuscript is accepted as is for publication.

5. After submitting a manuscript, which of the following stages in the peer review process is pretty common?

a. The manuscript is rejected upon first review.

b. The manuscript receives recommendations to revise.

c. The manuscript receives recommendations to resubmit.

d. The manuscript is accepted as is for publication.

6. All of the following are examples of common primary source journal articles with the exception of ______.

a. peer-reviewed empirical research

b. theoretical journal articles

c. literature reviews

d. government reports

7. When constructing a literature review, which type of journal articles are used most commonly as the primary source?

a. empirical

b. speculative

c. government

d. theoretical

8. The first step in searching for primary sources is to ______.

a. identify search terms

b. search using terms, Boolean operations, and filters

c. identify initial primary sources

d. read abstracts

9. To exclude or connect specific search terms or phrases when doing an electronic search, use ______.

a. saturation

b. cloning

c. filters

d. Boolean operators

10. The three most frequently used Boolean operators are ______.

a. or, is, like

b. and, or, not

c. is, and, not

d. not, is, like

11. Which of the following are considered to be the most useful filters?

a. media and publication date

b. discipline and language

c. type of source and publication date

d. language and media

12. A term indicating that a researchers search for sources is complete is known as ______.

a. cloning

b. phrase

c. saturation

d. filters

13. What is the best way to narrow the list of sources when an electronic search no longer provides new results?

a. read the abstract

b. read the entire source

c. read the title

d. review the works cited page of the source

14. In order to identify a phrase during a Boolean operator search you must use ______.

a. quotation marks

b. asterisks

c. dashes

d. commas

15. Which of the following is an example of a correctly formatted Boolean operator search that uses a phrase?

a. police-impersonation

b. police, impersonation

c. *police and impersonation*

d. “police impersonation”

16. Which of the following is an example of a Boolean operator search that uses terms?

a. “police” and “impersonation”

b. “police impersonation”

c. *police* and *impersonation*

d. police, impersonation

17. Key words are found in which of the following parts of a journal article?

a. abstract page

b. citations page(s)

c. first page

d. last page

18. Which of the following parts of a journal article is block-justified?

a. literature review

b. introduction

c. abstract

d. methods

19. Which of the following parts of an empirical research journal article is considered the first normal body of text?

a. abstract

b. introduction

c. methods

d. findings

20. The ______ provides a concise description of a journal article’s research results.

a. methods

b. discussion

c. abstract

d. introduction

21. Information about the goal of the research, why it is important to study, and how it adds to the literature is in the ______ section of empirical journal articles.

a. abstract

b. introduction

c. methods

d. discussion

22. Which of the following is the correct order of the sections of an empirical journal article?

a. abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, findings, discussion, conclusion, references

b. introduction, abstract, methods, literature review, findings, discussion, conclusion, references

c. literature review, introduction, abstract, methods, findings, discussion, conclusion, references

d. methods, abstract, introduction, literature review, findings, discussion, conclusion, references

23. The section of the article that contains the detailed outline of the approach and strategies used to answer the research question is called the ______.

a. literature review

b. discussion

c. methods

d. findings

24. The methods section of empirical research journal articles are composed of the following with the exception of ______.

a. organizational and analytic techniques used

b. approach chosen for research

c. purpose of the goal

d. source of the gathered data

25. In an empirical journal article, what comes immediately after the methods section?

a. discussion

b. findings

c. conclusion

d. references

26. The ______ section puts new research findings into the context of existing literature.

a. findings

b. literature review

c. discussion

d. conclusion

27. The ______ section focuses on interpreting findings, by pointing out research limitations and remaining gaps in research, and suggesting directions for future research.

a. literature review

b. findings

c. discussion

d. conclusion

28. A full citation for a journal article includes which of the following?

a. author names, publication year, title, abstract, journal name and volume

b. author names, publication year, title, journal name and volume, and page numbers

c. author names, title, page numbers, publication year, abstract, and keywords

d. author names, publication year, title, journal name and volume, and keywords

29. The purpose of an article and research question is located in which sections of the research paper?

a. abstract, introduction, and conclusion

b. abstract, introduction, and methods

c. abstract, introduction, and discussion

d. abstract, introduction, and findings

30. The “Measures” subsection is found where?

a. the introduction

b. the methods section

c. the findings section

d. the discussion section

31. Which style of guidelines is most commonly used in criminal justice and criminology literature?

a. MLA

b. Chicago

c. APA

d. Turabian

32. Using a direct quote from a journal article in a literature review requires the use of ______.

a. quotations marks and author names

b. quotation marks and the page numbers of the in text citation

c. quotation marks and article titles

d. quotation marks and journal name and volume

33. Which of the following is a verb that could be used to construct the main point statement?

a. usually

b. probably

c. demonstrates

d. results

34. According to the writing strategy MEAL, the “A” stands for ______.

a. annotation

b. abstract

c. analysis

d. APA

35. According to the writing strategy MEAL, the “M” stands for ______.

a. methods

b. measures

c. main point

d. MLA

36. ______ articles cite research based on systematic observations, experimentation, or experiences.

a. Speculative

b. Empirical

c. Theoretical

d. Scientific

37. Excellent literature reviews are ______ constructed.

a. thematically

b. author-based when

c. chronologically

d. journalistically

38. A well-constructed literature review uses which of the following organizational approaches?

a. descriptive and evaluative

b. descriptive and chronological

c. evaluative and explanative

d. chronological and explanative

39. Using the MEAL strategy can help overcome which of the following pitfalls of writing a literature review?

a. not having enough time

b. lack of organization and structure

c. quoting problems

d. failing to focus on themes

40. Scholars recommend that researchers avoid using ______ in their literature reviews.

a. paraphrasing

b. direct quotes

c. citations

d. primary sources

41. Which of the following should never be written in full in the body of a literature review?

a. citation sources

b. authors last name

c. title of a journal article that is being cited

d. page numbers of citations

42. The title of a journal article should only be presented in the ______ section.

a. methods

b. findings

c. conclusions

d. references

43. Which of the following words is inappropriate to use in literature review?

a. we

b. I

c. him

d. her

44. ______ refers to copying and pasting text from research articles verbatim without giving the author credit.

a. Synthesizing

b. Paraphrasing

c. Summarizing

d. Cloning

45. Replacing words with synonyms from a selection from an article, and using that writing as one’s own is called ______.

a. cloning

b. paraphrasing

c. mosaic plagiarism

d. filtering

1. Most people who have completed high school have been taught the skills necessary for writing a literature review.

2. While a literature review serves many purposes, it is not generally regarded as an important part of research.

3. Literature reviews are typically done prior to conducting new research.

4. A well-constructed literature review identifies the major themes associated with a topic.

5. Conducting a literature review can help provide an avenue to marketing, or selling the proposed research.

6. The best primary sources for literature reviews are academic textbooks.

7. The peer review process is typically completed within a few weeks of manuscript submission.

8. A theory is, most simply, a set of ideas that explain something such as offending behavior.

9. Feminist theory is an example of an empirical journal.

10. Unlike empirical journal articles, theoretical journal articles are not subject to the peer-review process.

11. Fake journals are created by predatory publishers who charge authors a large fee to publish their work.

12. Electronic search tools at most libraries are the best search engines for finding primary or original sources.

13. Boolean operators are useful only in limiting the results of an electronic search.

14. Contemporary sources were published within the last 3–5 years.

15. Abstracts provide, in about 150–250 words, the purpose, methods, findings, and conclusions of research.

16. “Police impersonation” is an example of a phrase.

17. It is highly recommended that researchers read all potential sources in their entirety.

18. The abstract of an article alone will reliably provide enough information to allow a decision to keep or discard the source.

19. Some journal articles have a standalone theory section.

20. Citations are always placed at the beginning of a sentence.

21. Descriptive literature reviews are organized to share what is currently known about particular topics with readers.

22. The writing strategy MEAL must be followed in a standard order in order to be used correctly.

23. Use an author or researchers last name only when citing them in a literature review.

24. Researchers should always include the name of the title of the article in the body of the literature review.

25. Plagiarism is using someone else’s work as your own.

1. Identify and discuss the importance of literature reviews for research, why learning the process is important, and the elements of a strong literature review.

2. Identify the ways in which a literature review can demonstrate an understanding of a research topic.

3. Identify and discuss all the necessary steps in constructing a literature review.

4. Identify the three most common primary source journal articles listed in the chapter.

5. Identify and discuss common pitfalls to avoid when writing a literature review.

6. Identify the two most useful tools used to narrow electronic searches.

7. What is information saturation? What can be done after saturation has been reached?

8. In an empirical journal article, what information about research does a methods section describe, and what elements does it include?

9. Identify and discuss the two organizational approaches used in preparation for writing a literature review.

10. Identify the different components that make up the writing strategy MEAL.

1. What are the benefits of conducting a literature review?

2. What is the peer review process? Do you believe that it should be less rigorous in order to allow more publications? Why or why not?

3. Discuss predatory publishers and journals. What impact can these types of publishers and journals have on academia?

4. After reading the chapter, you should have a comprehensive understanding of literature reviews and appropriate sources. Choose an empirical research journal article and identify and evaluate the various parts of that source.

5. Why are thematically constructed summary table important when preparing to write a literature review? Choose a topic and one to three journal articles within that topic. After reading the articles, use the knowledge that you learned in the chapter to create your own thematically constructed table.