Chapter 4: Searching and Reading the Literature

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. What does an abstract provide?

A. a glossary of terms in the article

B. an index for the article

C. a summary of the article

D. citations that are used in the article

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Abstract

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Imagine that you are interested in a research article titled “Effects of Economic Mobility on Political Party Affiliation for Undergraduate Students.” Based on the title, what is the dependent variable in this study?

A. economic mobility

B. political party affiliations

C. undergraduate students

D. colleges in the United States

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Title

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. Which section in a research article would be the most appropriate place to discuss the importance of a research study?

A. abstract

B. introduction

C. research methods

D. conclusion

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Which kinds of studies tend to have more trouble identifying variables and how they were operationalized for their methods sections?

A. cross-sectional

B. longitudinal

C. quantitative studies

D. qualitative studies

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Reading a Journal Article

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Researchers can use their ______ section to justify their methods for analyzing their data.

A. abstract

B. introduction

C. methods

D. results

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Findings or Results

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. What is the minimum amount of time it should take for an article to be printed in a journal from the time that it was first submitted?

A. 1–2 months

B. 5–6 months

C. 1 year

D. 2 years

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Do Journal Articles Get Published?

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. If a student is looking for the most updated research on a particular topic, then which of the following would be the best option to start with?

A. journal articles

B. research monographs

C. edited volumes

D. literature reviews

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How Do Journal Articles Get Published?

Difficulty Level: Hard

8. Edited volumes are primarily used to ______.

A. compile research on one specific topic

B. propose new research for the field

C. compare research on multiple topics

D. peer review recently published articles

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Edited Volumes

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. ______ are typically used by organizations in order to spread research and statistics to the public in a quick and timely manner.

A. Research articles

B. Manuscripts

C. White papers

D. Conference papers

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Other Types of Publications

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. Which of the following tends to be the most difficult source to cite in a research article?

A. online websites

B. research monographs

C. public speeches

D. edited volumes

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Other Types of Publications

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. Studies are only important if they are exploring topics that have never been studied before.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Documents that inspired the research should be included in the reference list.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Reading a Journal Article

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Authors are generally encouraged by journal editors to include as many tables and figures as possible to help the reader understand the material.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Reading a Journal Article

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Journal articles tend to go through a more intensive review process than research monographs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Research Monographs

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Scholarly journals tend to take the prestige of an author into account during the review process.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Do Journal Articles Get Published?

Difficulty Level: Easy