Chapter 14: Communicating Quantitative Research

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. What does “prose” refer to, in the context of research writing?

A. text placed in a nonfictional document

B. sentences in the body, footnote, and appendix of a document

C. footnotes to charts that provide more information on the chart

D. the introduction or summary section of a research document

Learning Objective: 14-1: Choose among tables, charts, and prose for different quantitative research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Tools for Presenting Quantitative Research

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Which of the following types of presentations is not ideal for organizing a lot of numbers?

A. prose

B. chart

C. table

D. visuals

Learning Objective: 14-1: Choose among tables, charts, and prose for different quantitative research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Tools for Presenting Quantitative Research

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. A research website was created to store data on specifications and quality measures of cell phones of different brands. The site was developed primarily to be a data source for research. Which type of presentation is best suited for the website?

A. visualizations

B. prose

C. tables

D. charts and graphs

Learning Objective: 14-1: Choose among tables, charts, and prose for different quantitative research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How Many Numbers?

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Which presentation type is best suited to showing a trend or pattern, rather than precise values of numbers?

A. prose

B. graphs

C. bulleted text

D. tables

Learning Objective: 14-1: Choose among tables, charts, and prose for different quantitative research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: General Shape or Precise Values?

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Which presentation tool is best suited to present research results to the general public?

A. 3D visualizations

B. prose with appendix

C. multiaxis graphs

D. simple tables and charts

Learning Objective: 14-1: Choose among tables, charts, and prose for different quantitative research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Who Is the Audience?

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. What should be always included in the title, label, or footnote of every table and chart?

A. the year the study was done

B. the W's of the research study

C. the table or chart sequence

D. the reference to external sources

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Setting the Context

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. What is the function of a “topic sentence” in quantitative research?

A. state the title of the primary topic of the study

B. provide an introduction to the context of a research study

C. introduce the 'W' or issue that is discussed in a paragraph

D. declare the purpose of the study in a summary section

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Using Topic Sentences

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. “The gross domestic product of Ukraine rose from $112 billion in 2017 to $154 billion in 2019, a growth rate of 37.5% in 2 years (Table 9.1)”. What type of sentence is this called in quantitative research?

A. evidentiary sentence

B. topic sentence

C. introductory sentence

D. referential sentence

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Using Evidentiary Sentences

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. What is a transition sentence in expository writing?

A. sentence that begins the conclusion section of a paper

B. sentence to steer the reader from one topic to another

C. sentence that transitions from one value to another

D. sentence to end the body of a research paper

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Using Transition Sentences

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. What are the three factors essential to reporting on numbers?

A. give the appropriate “W”, context, and values

B. have an introduction, body, and conclusion

C. specify context, procedure, and units

D. state the objective; report, and interpret numbers

Learning Objective: 14-3: Apply principles specific to writing about numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Report and Interpret Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

11. The power and precision of research writing can be enhanced by appropriate vocabulary and which of the following?

A. synonyms

B. analogies

C. adverbs

D. antonyms

Learning Objective: 14-3: Apply principles specific to writing about numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Use Vocabulary and Calculations to Express Shape and Size

Difficulty Level: Easy

12. When reporting a percentage or proportion, which phrase should be included after the value being reported?

A. “of” which item

B. “that is” which category

C. “o” number of decimals

D. “rounded to” which integer

Learning Objective: 14-4: Identify the type of measure or calculation based on wording, units, sign, and other clues.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Percentage or Proportion of a Whole

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. Which fact must be specified in reporting a rate of occurrence?

A. ratio value

B. the rate

C. time period

D. units of ratio

Learning Objective: 14-4: Identify the type of measure or calculation based on wording, units, sign, and other clues.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ratio Between Two Concepts

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. When reporting rank order of values, which factor is not captured in the ranking?

A. direction

B. magnitude

C. external comparison

D. max and min

Learning Objective: 14-4: Identify the type of measure or calculation based on wording, units, sign, and other clues.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Measures of Rank

Difficulty Level: Medium

15. Which of the following words, used in reporting a subtraction between two numbers, indicate the direction of the calculation?

A. margin

B. gap

C. absolute value

D. surplus

Learning Objective: 14-4: Identify the type of measure or calculation based on wording, units, sign, and other clues.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Subtraction

Difficulty Level: Easy

16. In 2019, drivers between the ages of 18–25 years had three road incidents times more incidents than drivers aged 50 years or more. What is wrong with this statement?

A. Ratio should be stated without units.

B. Ratio should be stated with decimals.

C. Ratio should be given as a fraction.

D. Ratio should be given as 1:3.

Learning Objective: 14-4: Identify the type of measure or calculation based on wording, units, sign, and other clues.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Division

Difficulty Level: Medium

17. The mean height of students in college A was 72% as high as students in college B. How would this statement be interpreted as?

A. College B had lower mean height.

B. College A had higher mean height.

C. College A had lower mean height.

D. College B height was 72% larger.

Learning Objective: 14-4: Identify the type of measure or calculation based on wording, units, sign, and other clues.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Percentage Difference or Change

Difficulty Level: Easy

18. What is a key requirement in describing the distribution of a nominal variable?

A. data table or chart

B. a reference category

C. variable composition

D. a pie chart with % of whole

Learning Objective: 14-5: Write a description of how values of a variable are distributed.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Nominal Variables

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. In reporting on a quantitative distribution, what component enables a better description of the distribution?

A. data shown in bar charts

B. ratio variables rounded to integer

C. data shown in numeric order

D. a 3-D visual of the data

Learning Objective: 14-5: Write a description of how values of a variable are distributed.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Quantitative Variables

Difficulty Level: Easy

20. Other than describing the general pattern or shape of a continuous variable distribution, what other components of the distribution are usually presented? Choose the best answer.

A. measures of central tendency and spread

B. R-square statistic of the variable

C. outlier values of the variable distribution

D. standard error of the variable

Learning Objective: 14-5: Write a description of how values of a variable are distributed.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Continuous Variables

Difficulty Level: Easy

21. What is a cross-sectional comparison?

A. comparison of categories of a variable

B. comparison of groups against a reference group

C. comparison of two nominal variables

D. comparison of outcome value across categories

Learning Objective: 14-6: Write a description of an association between two variables.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-sectional Comparisons

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. What is the definition of a trend?

A. positive increase in values of a variable

B. relative change over time in a variable

C. absolute differences in a variable over time

D. decrease in variable value over fixed time points

Learning Objective: 14-6: Write a description of an association between two variables.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Trends

Difficulty Level: Easy

23. A telecommunications company had defined the minimum signal strength required for mobile phones in decibels (dB), for each of the geographical regions of its network. What is this minimum signal strength termed as in research studies?

A. minimum value

B. modal unit

C. threshold

D. reference

Learning Objective: 14-6: Write a description of an association between two variables.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Comparison Against a Benchmark

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. What is the approach, developed by the author, to describe complex patterns in data known as?

A. normalization, shape, example

B. generalization, visualization, outlier

C. association, min, max

D. generalization, example, exception

Learning Objective: 14-7: Organize and write a summary of a pattern involving many numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Writing About Complex Patterns

Difficulty Level: Easy

25. When is a value considered an anomaly in the context of describing a complex pattern in data?

A. direction, magnitude, significance is different from general pattern

B. size is inversely proportional to defined shape of the data

C. value exceeds the 75th quantile of the variable distribution

D. association measures between variables are very weak

Learning Objective: 14-7: Organize and write a summary of a pattern involving many numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Exception

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. When describing a data pattern involving multiple variables, the researcher should address the individual “trees” or research questions, rather than the overall 'forest'.

Learning Objective: 14-7: Organize and write a summary of a pattern involving many numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Exception

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. When describing a complex pattern using the “generalization, example, exception” approach, each major research question should be addressed by a topic sentence, and organized into separate paragraphs.

Learning Objective: 14-7: Organize and write a summary of a pattern involving many numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Exception

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. A research article for a research audience could be in the format of an infographic document.

Learning Objective: 14-8: Describe the general structure and contents of documents used to present quantitative research to scientific, applied, and general audiences.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Research Audiences

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. A document presenting the results of a research study for a lay audience needs to include topic sentences, but may or may not have evidentiary sentences in its prose.

Learning Objective: 14-8: Describe the general structure and contents of documents used to present quantitative research to scientific, applied, and general audiences.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Lay Audiences

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. A research study was conducted on the effects of changes in make/model factors on vehicle insurance premiums. The findings of this study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Actuaries. The audience at this presentation could be termed as an applied audience.

Learning Objective: 14-8: Describe the general structure and contents of documents used to present quantitative research to scientific, applied, and general audiences.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Applied Audiences

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. A document for applied audiences is generally formatted to place the research process and technical details in sidebars or appendixes.

Learning Objective: 14-8: Describe the general structure and contents of documents used to present quantitative research to scientific, applied, and general audiences.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Applied Audiences

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. A document prepared for an academic audience, could also be used for an applied audience.

Learning Objective: 14-8: Describe the general structure and contents of documents used to present quantitative research to scientific, applied, and general audiences.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Applied Audiences

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Prose, tables, and visualizations should complement each other in a research document, and not be used in supplementary ways.

Learning Objective: 14-1: Choose among tables, charts, and prose for different quantitative research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Highlights

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. The results of a regression analysis with a dependent variable and two independent variables were presented in line charts showing each independent variable on the x-axis and the dependent variable on the y-axis. The two charts were a good representation of the analysis results.

Learning Objective: 14-1: Choose among tables, charts, and prose for different quantitative research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: General Shape or Precise Values?

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. Each paragraph in a research paper should present and interpret information on one topic of the overall research question.

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Using Paragraphs to Organize Ideas

Difficulty Level: Easy

Short Answer

1. Explain what “setting the context” means in writing a research paper? Provide an example.

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Setting the Context

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Give an example of a topic sentence that you would write in a research paper. Explain the components and purpose of such a sentence.

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Using Topic Sentences

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Explain the relationship between a topic sentence and an evidentiary sentence. Illustrate with the help of an example.

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Using Evidentiary Sentences

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. What type of sentence is the following: “Is driving distance to work related to probability of a road incident?” Explain your answer.

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Using Transition Sentences

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. What does the phrase “interpreting numbers” mean in the context of quantitative research?

Learning Objective: 14-3: Apply principles specific to writing about numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Report and Interpret Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. In interpreting univariate statistics or an association between variables, what are the differences in interpretation between nominal and quantitative variables? Explain with an example.

Learning Objective: 14-3: Apply principles specific to writing about numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Express Direction and Magnitude

Difficulty Level: Hard

7. Discuss the importance of a reference group or value when interpreting numbers. Give an example.

Learning Objective: 14-3: Apply principles specific to writing about numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Specify the Comparison Value

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. In what context is it appropriate to use percentages or proportions as a measurement level? Give an example.

Learning Objective: 14-4: Identify the type of measure or calculation based on wording, units, sign, and other clues.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Percentage or Proportion of a Whole

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Discuss situations where it is appropriate to use measures of rank in reporting and interpreting numbers. Illustrate with an example.

Learning Objective: 14-4: Identify the type of measure or calculation based on wording, units, sign, and other clues.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Measures of Rank

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. What are the key factors to keep in mind when describing the distribution of a nominal variable? Explain your answer.

Learning Objective: 14-5: Write a description of how values of a variable are distributed.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Nominal Variables

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. Refer to the research article you chose in answering the essay questions for chapter 13. Comment on the prose, tables and charts given by the authors in presenting their research results. Were these tools used effectively in presenting the findings of the study? Give an example of where they were appropriately used, and where their usage could be improved upon.

Learning Objective: 14-1: Choose among tables, charts, and prose for different quantitative research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Tools for Presenting Quantitative Research

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Refer to the research article you used in Question 1. Identify and comment on the topic sentences used to explain the hypothesis of the study. Would you revise any of these topic sentences for better clarity? Explain your answer.

Learning Objective: 14-2: Use expository writing approaches to communicate numeric information.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Expository Writing Techniques

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Refer to the research article you used in Question 1. Discuss the extent to which the “generalization, example, exception” technique was used in the article to describe the patterns and associations in the data used in the study. How would you improve on implementing the technique for this study?

Learning Objective: 14-7: Organize and write a summary of a pattern involving many numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Writing About Complex Patterns

Difficulty Level: Hard