Chapter 4: You Could Look It Up: Reading, Recording, and Reviewing Research

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. In bibliographic research, what do the letters “doi” stand for?

a. document object identifier

b. document object information

c. digital object identifier

d. digital object information

Learning Objective: 4.1: Summarize the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade publications.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Information You Must Record

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. A thorough review of the communication research literature will help you with which of the following?

a. participant recruitment

b. financial backing

c. language and style

d. other methods of citation

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Reviewing the Literature

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Which of the following will help you decide whether a research report has scholarly credibility?

a. author’s credentials

b. publication city

c. length

d. citation style

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Identifying Quality Information

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Which of the following will help you decide if a website is publishing scholarly credible information?

a. how quickly it loads

b. information about how page content is accepted or rejected

c. absence of contact information

e. the web page color

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Stage 2: Additional Questions for Websites

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Which of the following is TRUE of a scholarly article?

a. It is refereed.

b. It is in weekly media.

c. It is targeted to a lay audience.

d. It is found in a newspaper.

Learning Objective: 4.4: Summarize the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade publications.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How Will I Know a Scholarly Article When I See One?

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Researchers should be familiar with Library of Congress Subject Headings (LOCSH) because ______.

a. it is a federal requirement for research

b. the headings provide official spelling for search terms

c. the headings give you a variety of different search terms for the same topic

d. the headings show you how to format a paper

Learning Objective: 4.10: Identify bibliographic software available for assisting a literature search.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How Can the Library of Congress Help My Literature Search?

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. AND, OR, and NOT are called ______ operators.

a. logarithmic

b. Bodleian

c. Boolean

d. numeric

Learning Objective: Discuss the concept of Boolean logic and its use database research.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Mr. Boole and the Three Bears

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. Which of the following are all Boolean operators?

a. and, or, then

b. and, or, when

c. and, or, not

d. or, then, when

Learning Objective: Discuss the concept of Boolean logic and its use database research.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Mr. Boole and the Three Bears

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. Which of the following details come first in a citation of a journal article in your scholarly writing?

a. author names

b. date of publication and volume and issue number of the journal

c. page numbers

d. title of journal article

Learning Objective: 4.10: Identify bibliographic software available for assisting a literature search.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Information You Must Record

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. What does APA, the style used in writing up much communication research, stand for?

a. American Publishers Association

b. American Philosophical Association

c. American Psychological Association

d. Academic Publishing Association

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Questions of Style

Difficulty Level: Easy

11. Styles commonly used for formatting communication research papers include ______.

a. APA, MLA, and ALA

b. APA, MLA, and New York

c. APA, MLA, and Chicago

d. APA, MBA, and New York

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Questions of Style

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. In searching the scholarly literature, “relevance” and “quality” mean the same.

Learning Objective: 4.2: Illustrate the difference between relevant information and quality information.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Finding Relevance, Finding Quality

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. A “search term” and a “search field” are the same.

Learning Objective: 4.6: Summarize the difference between search terms and search fields.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Search Terms and Search Fields

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. A document object identifier (doi) is a permanent Internet identification for a document.

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Information You Must Record

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. You should do research without first seeing what other researchers have done in your field.

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Library Research: Why Bother?

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Scholarly publication articles are peer-reviewed and use citations.

Learning Objective: 4.4: Summarize the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade publications.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Scholarly, Popular, and Trade Publications: What Is the Difference?

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. A good literature review will assist you in choosing a method that is appropriate for your study.

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Structuring the Literature Review

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. A good literature review can help ensure your research study is ethical.

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: The Literature Review: Writing Your Search Results

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. “Relevance” and “quality” are two goals of a literature search for your study.

Learning Objective: 4.2: Illustrate the difference between relevant information and quality information.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Finding Relevance, Finding Quality

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Finding relevant information in communication research is dependent on using appropriate search terms.

Learning Objective: 4.2: Illustrate the difference between relevant information and quality information.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Identifying Relevant Information

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. Using the search term “communication” is often useful in literature searches in communication research.

Learning Objective: Discuss the concept of Boolean logic and its use in database research.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Identifying Relevant Information

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. Peer-reviewed articles are likely to be high-quality studies.

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Identifying Quality Information

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. Peer-reviewed and refereed journal articles are the same.

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Identifying Quality Information

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. Research results from database searches are generally highly credible.

Learning Objective: 4.1: Explain why library research is a necessary preliminary to your own research.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Databases

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. Scholarly databases have more sophisticated interfaces than search engines do.

Learning Objective: 4.3: Describe with examples the difference between search engines and databases.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Databases

Difficulty Level: Medium

15. Since databases are specialized by content, you can often focus your literature search by which database you choose.

Learning Objective: 4.3: Describe with examples the difference between search engines and databases.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Databases

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. The impact factors of a journal measure the number of times those articles are cited by other researchers.

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Assessing Scholarly Journals

Difficulty Level: Medium

17. Journals with a low impact factor are seen as influential in their field.

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Assessing Scholarly Journals

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. Catalogs, dictionaries, and handbooks can be useful resources as you search the literature.

Learning Objective: 4.4: Summarize the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade publications.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Other Resources

Difficulty Level: Easy

19. A good way to determine credibility of a website is to treat it like a book or journal article: know who wrote it, their credentials, and who published it.

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Stage 1: Think Book or Journal

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. Books and journals published by a university press are unbiased.

Learning Objective: 4.4: Summarize the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade publications.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Stage 1: Think Book or Journal

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. It is useful to know the criteria by which a website accepts or rejects articles.

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Stage 2: Additional Questions for Websites

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. It is not necessary to record the complete bibliographic information when doing a literature search.

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Information You Must Record

Difficulty Level: Easy

23. A good literature review includes summary, synthesis, analysis, and critique.

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Literature Review: Writing Your Search Results

Difficulty Level: Easy

24. Citation management software can help keep a researcher organized by interfacing with library databases.

Learning Objective: 4.10: Identify bibliographic software available for assisting a literature search.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Citation Management Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

25. One way to review literature includes treating it like journalism—asking questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how.

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Literature Review: Writing Your Search Results

Difficulty Level: Easy

26. A literature review is just a summary of relevant, quality literature in your research area.

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Literature Review: Writing Your Search Results

Difficulty Level: Medium

27. A pro–con argument is useful for structuring the literature when academics don’t agree about the topic.

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Structuring the Literature Review

Difficulty Level: Medium

28. Chicago style is the most common citation style in the social sciences.

Learning Objective: 4.10: Identify bibliographic software available for assisting a literature search.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Questions of Style

Difficulty Level: Easy

29. The American Psychological Association (APA) style is the most common citation style in the social sciences.

Learning Objective: 4.10: Identify bibliographic software available for assisting a literature search.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Questions of Style

Difficulty Level: Easy

30. Reading research will assist you in developing your research writing skills.

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Language and Style

Difficulty Level: Easy

31. One useful way to find a “breakthrough” paper that clarifies concepts is to do a thorough, systematic search.

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Inspiration

Difficulty Level: Medium

32. Communication & Mass Media Complete is an example of a search engine.

Learning Objective: 4.3: Describe with examples the difference between search engines and databases.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Databases

Difficulty Level: Easy

33. Google and Bing are examples of search engines.

Learning Objective: 4.3: Describe with examples the difference between search engines and databases.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Search Engines

Difficulty Level: Easy

34. The impact factor of a journal is more important than the relevance of the article to your study.

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Assessing Scholarly Journals

Difficulty Level: Medium

35. Popular articles are published without a peer-review process.

Learning Objective: 4.4: Summarize the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade publications.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Will I Know a Scholarly Article When I See One?

Difficulty Level: Easy

36. Scholarly articles include citations at the end of the article.

Learning Objective: 4.4: Summarize the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade publications.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Will I Know a Scholarly Article When I See One?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. Explain with examples the difference between primary and secondary sources.

Learning Objective: 4.5: List the differences between primary and secondary sources.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Primary Versus Secondary Sources

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Identify one example of a database and one example of a search engine and explain the differences between them.

An example of a search engine is Google, which allows you to search nearly the entire Internet with a single search box, but does not specifically narrow down scholarly research.

Learning Objective: 4.3: Describe with examples the difference between search engines and databases.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Scholarly Databases Versus Search Engines

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Explain the difference between the concepts of “relevant information” and “quality information.”

Learning Objective: 4.2: Illustrate the difference between relevant information and quality information.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Finding Relevance, Finding Quality

Difficulty Level: Hard

4. What questions you would ask to determine if a book or journal was written to scholarly standards? Why would asking these questions be important?

Learning Objective: 4.7: Identify key questions you might ask to assess whether an item of information is credible.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Finding Relevance, Finding Quality

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Explain what is meant by popular articles and trade publications, and how they differ from scholarly journal articles.

Learning Objective: 4.4: Summarize the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade publications.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How Will I Know a Scholarly Article When I See One?

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. What are advantages to reading others’ research before beginning your own?

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Library Research: Why Bother?

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. How do you determine what qualifies as quality information in your literature search?

Learning Objective: 4.2: Illustrate the difference between relevant information and quality information.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Identifying Quality Information

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Why is it useful to record the method and results of the literature you find?

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: The Literature Review: Writing Your Search Results

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Why is it important to accurately cite articles and resources you use in your literature review?

Learning Objective: 4.9: Explain the purpose and nature of a scholarly literature review.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Questions of Style

Difficulty Level: Medium