Deck 13: Finding,Evaluating,and Processing Information

Question 1

Based on the problem statement,how can you determine what specific information will need to be found?

A)Conduct a preliminary web search to identify topics
B)Look for specific gaps in your information
C)Identify the concepts that can be supported based on current research
D)Conduct a series of secondary research searches
E)Conduct primary research to determine the audience's level of understanding

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A problem statement

A)outlines all the potential drawbacks of your research.
B)defines the purpose of your research.
C)is an unsupportable claim or assertion.
D)should be long and complex.
E)identifies your conclusions and recommendations.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Businesses believe they have a right to protect confidential information from competitors.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Discuss how to familiarize yourself with your research subject to better define the purpose of your research.

Question 5

List three guidelines to follow in order to avoid ethical lapses when conducting research.

Question 6

Which of the following is an advantage of using secondary research?

A)You can determine how others feel about the issue
B)It can save time and money
C)You can skew data to fit your needs
D)There are no intellectual property rights to worry about
E)You never have to pay to access the data

Question 7

Which of the following best defines primary research?

A)Research that was done for a previous project
B)Research done for another purpose but used for a current project
C)New research done specifically for a current project
D)Research done from a corporate website
E)Research that has not been previously placed on the Internet

Question 8

Within the context of the research process,what are information gaps?

Question 9

At the beginning of a research project,you need to

A)develop a formal outline you plan to stick to throughout your researching and writing.
B)familiarize yourself with the subject.
C)jump in by finding resources on the Internet and taking notes from them.
D)develop the conclusion you want to reach and start looking for evidence that supports that conclusion.
E)conduct an Internet search to determine areas to investigate.

Question 10

Which of the following is an ethical lapse when handling sources?

A)Respecting the privacy of research participants
B)Documenting sources and giving appropriate credit
C)Respecting intellectual and digital property rights
D)Extracting more from sources than they actually provide
E)Specifically stating the intended use of research results

Question 11

Which of the following is the first step in an efficient,effective research process?

A)Understand the subject to develop insightful questions
B)Search for areas with critical gaps in data
C)Conduct a general online search and redefine it after reviewing results
D)Use a variety of search terms
E)Enter keywords into a search engine to search corporate sites

Question 12

Which of the following is an advantage of using social media sites as a source of information?

A)They provide insight from all known experts in the field
B)They are backed by fact checkers like those used in traditional publishing
C)They are edited by editorial boards for accuracy
D)They always provide information that is accurate,objective,and current
E)They can provide unique and valuable insights not available elsewhere

Question 13

List in order each part of the five-step research process that will help you gather and use information efficiently.

Question 14

The difference between primary sources and secondary sources is that primary sources are those you create specifically for your project.

Question 15

Explain why it is important to prioritize your research needs early in the process of conducting business research.

Question 16

How can you avoid ethical lapses when conducting research?

A)Share sources of confidential information
B)Don't force outcomes by skewing research
C)Do not cite sources unless asked to do so
D)Use only online sources to improve the business process
E)Only use areas of the research that support your goals

Question 17

Which of the following refers to research previously done for other purposes?

A)Secondary research
B)Database research
C)Intellectual property
D)Sugging
E)Primary research

Question 18

Regarding the five-step research process,the planning step includes all of the following elements EXCEPT

A)developing a problem statement.
B)prioritizing research needs.
C)documenting your sources.
D)maintaining standards of ethics and etiquette.

Question 19

Which of the following will help to save time and money when conducting research?

A)Use only primary research
B)Limit your search to major news outlets
C)Prioritize your research needs
D)Research each source's credibility before looking at any data
E)Limit the amount of research used

Question 20

Which of the following should be included in a problem statement?

A)The decision or conclusion that is the focus of the research
B)The scope of the project
C)The potential recommendations that will be proven
D)The probable response of the audience
E)The specific information you need to find

Question 21

Documenting the sources that you use in your writing

A)properly and ethically credits the person who created the original material.
B)shows the audience that you have sufficient support for your message.
C)helps readers explore your topic in more detail.
D)all of the above.

Question 22

A web directory differs from a search engine in that

A)it doesn't include Usenet newsgroups.
B)it doesn't provide as precise results as a search engine.
C)human editors find and index the websites to include.
D)it usually locates more sites than a search engine.
E)it offers the most recent articles first.

Question 23

Which of the following should be considered when determining how accurate and objective information is?

A)How unique the information is
B)Whether the information is new,and therefore the most current available
C)The sources' reputation for honesty and reliability
D)Whether the information used for another purpose will support the goals of the research
E)How easy it is to understand the material

Question 24

Which of the following is one of the most powerful aspects of using online tools when conducting research?

A)The flood of information received from monitoring tools
B)The ability to automatically monitor for new information
C)The ability to access the deep web
D)The human editors who place information from websites into web directories
E)The ability to avoid a metasearch

Question 25

In evaluating material you have gathered for a report,you should

A)assume those who've written the material are credible.
B)shun information with any hint of bias because such information is inherently unethical.
C)check to make sure you're using the most current information available.
D)avoid using government documents.
E)use only information that supports your intended recommendation.

Question 26

According to the fair use doctrine

A)plagiarism is not an issue in the business world-it is a problem only in schools and academic circles.
B)crediting sources is all that is necessary to avoid legal problems.
C)once material is made public,it no longer belongs to the author.
D)you can use other people's work only if you don't prevent them from benefiting as a result.
E)any information found in two or more places is considered public.

Question 27

A metasearch engine is

A)a highly specialized directory that focuses on a specific subject matter area.
B)a search engine that examines only newsgroup messages.
C)a type of aggregator that offers subscribers all-day information on their desktops.
D)a special type of engine that searches several search engines at once.
E)an online compilation of newspapers,magazines,and journals.

Question 28

After you've developed a problem statement to define the problem or purpose of your research,your next step will involve

A)evaluating sources of information.
B)analyzing numerical data and textual information.
C)creating a knowledge manipulation system to categorize your research.
D)discovering the specific information gaps that your research must fill.
E)determining how to shape material to match your intended recommendations.

Question 29

Which of the following will format search requests for multiple search engines,creating a broader range of results?

A)Metasearch engines
B)Web directories
C)Librarians
D)Enterprise search engines
E)Online databases

Question 30

Which of the following is one of the primary shortcomings of conventional search engines?

A)There are billions of webpages that must be scanned to achieve accurate results
B)Results are based on algorithms that determine the relevancy of results
C)Searches are conducted based on keywords and phrases
D)Results are often ranked by date of publication
E)Humans do not evaluate the quality or ranking of results

Question 31

Which of the following is used to search all the computers on a company's network?

A)Mobile surveys
B)Web directories
C)NAICS codes
D)Metasearch engines
E)Enterprise search engines

Question 32

Which of the following can be done if a search-engine query is not generating enough results,or too many results?

A)Only look at the first page of results
B)Use consistent terms for the search
C)Switch to an enterprise search engine
D)Adjust the scope of the search
E)Use a different database

Question 33

Which of the following represents the idea that you can use other people's work if you don't unfairly prevent them from benefiting?

A)Copyright law
B)Citation management
C)Enterprise search engines
D)Secondary data
E)Fair use doctrine

Question 34

Which of the following is the surest way to verify the reliability of information from a new or unknown source?

A)Look for bias in the writing
B)Determine the purpose of the material
C)Decide if the author is known and published in a variety of fields
D)Corroborate the information with other sources
E)Determine how well the material fits the goals of the research

Question 35

Possible uses of online monitoring tools include all of the following EXCEPT

A)subscribing to newsfeeds from blogs and websites.
B)following people on Twitter and other microblogs.
C)entering key terms into general-purpose search engines.
D)setting up alerts on search engines and online databases.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT true of conventional search engines?

A)They travel the web automatically,identifying new websites.
B)They access the deep Internet or hidden Internet.
C)They return to previously identified websites to look for changes.
D)Not all search engines operate in the same way.

Question 37

Sources of secondary information include

A)first-hand observation.
B)in-person interviews.
C)newspapers and periodicals.
D)experiments.
E)focus group observations

Question 38

Which type of information does NOT need to be cited?

A)Conversations with experts
B)Google search results
C)Common knowledge
D)Anything paraphrased or summarized
E)Ideas taken from someone else

Question 39

You would not need to cite a source if you have

A)used a direct quotation of under 250 words from a book titled Modern Economics.
B)used a table from the 1985 Farmers' Almanac.
C)described,in your own words,a plan for organizing production lines,which appeared in a professional journal.
D)provided general knowledge about your topic.
E)paraphrased the outcome of experiment results discussed by the American Medical Association.

Question 40

Unlike Internet search engines,online databases

A)can be accessed only from a library.
B)often provide access to various parts of the hidden Internet.
C)are rarely up to date.
D)do not require a subscription.
E)provide only peer-reviewed sources.

Question 41

Which type of question is designed to solicit opinions and insights from the audience?

A)Leading
B)Open-ended
C)Compound
D)Closed
E)Ambiguous

Question 42

Briefly explain the difference between trade journals and academic journals.

Question 43

________ scan millions of websites to identify individual webpages that contain a specific word or phrase and then attempt to rank the results from most useful to least useful.

A)General-purpose search engines
B)Category tagging sites
C)Mobile content managers
D)Multipurpose web portals
E)Database sites

Question 44

Which of the following is an indication of the reliability of a survey?

A)Participants respond in a similar manner
B)There are a sufficient number of participants
C)Repeating the survey would produce identical results
D)A representative population sample is used
E)The survey is adaptive

Question 45

Identify the advantage to seeking help from a reference librarian when conducting research.

Question 46

You're preforming ________ when you consult books,periodicals,online databases,and other research reports looking for research that was done previously for another purpose.

A)stealth research
B)secondary research
C)peripheral research
D)primary research
E)observational research

Question 47

Within the context of statistical analysis,the ________ is the "middle of the road" or the midpoint of a series.

A)common denominator
B)mean
C)median
D)medium
E)average

Question 48

The Statistical Abstract of the United States provides access to more than 750 periodicals and newsletters that focus on specific trades or industries.

Question 49

Briefly explain the main difference between an Internet search engine and a web directory.

Question 50

When you're using a search engine to find information on the Internet,what illusion should you be aware of?

Question 51

Briefly explain the difference between primary research and secondary research.

Question 52

List the three major disadvantages of Internet search engines; then,briefly describe other electronic research tools that overcome those shortcomings.

Question 53

A ________ lets you search the Internet by asking questions in normal,everyday English.

A)code snippet
B)metro-search engine
C)colloquial paradigm
D)natural language search
E)metasearch

Question 54

When using the Internet to conduct research,you can be reasonably sure that any information you find will be accurate.

Question 55

All important research information is now available online.

Question 56

Which of the following is an indication of the validity of a survey?

A)It measures what it intended to measure.
B)There are a sufficient number or representative participants.
C)Identical results are produced repeatedly.
D)A representative population sample is used.
E)The survey is adaptive.

Question 57

What are some criteria you can use in evaluating the credibility of an information source?

Question 58

________ covers the expression of creative ideas such as documents,web content,movies,musical compositions,lectures,and computer programs.

A)Copyright law
B)Trademark theory
C)Patent protection
D)Free-market case law
E)In-text citation use

Question 59

Which of the following is one of the most common primary research methods for business writing?

A)Observations
B)Surveys
C)Research reports
D)Experiments
E)Databases

Question 60

Which of the following is the result of a survey that does NOT include equal samples of the overall population?

A)Representative sampling
B)Violation of the Fair Use doctrine
C)A reference management tool must be used
D)Sampling bias
E)Variation in quantitative information

Question 61

When you're selecting people to participate in a survey,be sure to get a ________ of the population you want to survey.

A)stratified sample
B)representative sample
C)cross-sectional sample
D)small sample
E)cohesive sample

Question 62

A disadvantage of using too many closed questions in an interview is that they

A)do not take full advantage of the interview format.
B)allow important information to be revealed too early in the interview.
C)diminish the interviewer's control over the interview.
D)require detailed responses.
E)become difficult to interpret.

Question 63

A survey is ________ if it produces identical results when repeated.A survey is ________ if it measures what it's intended to measure.

A)valid; reliable
B)reliable; utile
C)reliable; valid
D)valid; intentional
E)intentional; reliable

Question 64

Which of the following is a type of interview that allows a moderator to work through a series of discussion questions with a group?

A)Focus group
B)Cultural sampling
C)Observations
D)Experiments
E)Adaptive surveys

Question 65

People are more likely to respond to a questionnaire if

A)they can complete it within a short time.
B)you allow them plenty of time to research their answers.
C)the questions are open ended.
D)there is a reward for correct answers.
E)they can take it home and study the questions before answering.

Question 66

Which of these documents would NOT qualify as primary research?

A)A recent survey of your company's top clients
B)The most recent issue of a trade magazine in your industry
C)Notes from a conversation you recently had with a local government official
D)Your company's latest balance sheet
E)Data generated by other scientists

Question 67

Which of the following is a closed-ended question?

A)Would you rate the proposed expansion plan as likely to succeed or unlikely to succeed?
B)What do you see as the primary benefit of the proposed expansion plan for your family?
C)What corporate goals does the expansion help achieve?
D)How will the expansion affect day-to-day operations?
E)How do you think the client will react to the proposal?

Question 68

When conducting an information interview,it is a good idea to

A)learn about the person you are interviewing ahead of time.
B)stick to using just one type of question.
C)save the most important questions for last.
D)avoid making an appointment,since you don't want the subject to think ahead about answers.
E)begin by asking for questions.

Question 69

Primary research refers to

A)new research done specifically for your current project.
B)the evidence that stands out in your report.
C)the research you conduct first.
D)research that is fairly easy to conduct.
E)research that is conducted in a consistent manner every time.

Question 70

When selecting people to participate in a survey,the most critical task is getting a representative sample.

Question 71

Which of the following is the process of reproducing material from a source exactly as you found it?

A)Summarizing
B)Analyzing
C)Paraphrasing
D)Concluding
E)Quoting

Question 72

A survey is considered valid if it measures what it was intended to measure.

Question 73

The answers you receive from a person you're interviewing will be influenced by

A)the types of questions you ask.
B)the way you ask your questions.
C)his or her cultural and language background.
D)all of the above.

Question 74

What is the difference between a reliable survey and a valid survey?

Question 75

Explain important considerations to keep in mind when deciding whether to conduct an interview face-to-face or via email.

Question 76

The two most common primary research methods in the social sciences are

A)not appropriate for test marketing.
B)experiments and observations.
C)surveys and interviews.
D)test panels.

Question 77

Discuss the advantages of face-to-face interviews and focus groups.

Question 78

Describe six strategies for producing surveys that are both valid and reliable.

Question 79

An online survey is vulnerable to ________ because it captures only the opinions of those who visit the site and choose to complete the survey.

A)sampling bias
B)backchannel static
C)circular reasoning
D)transactional dysfunction
E)representative limits

Question 80

Ask ________ to solicit opinions,insights,and information; ask ________ to elicit yes or no answers.

A)indirect questions; direct questions
B)closed questions; open-ended questions
C)open-ended questions; closed questions
D)reflective questions; descriptive questions
E)indirect questions; open-ended questions