Question 1

Which of the following is the BEST version of a report problem?
A)The problem is hypothetical, but interesting and challenging.
B)The problem is real and, although minor, narrowly defined.
C)The problem is real and, while important, narrowly defined.
D)The problem is real, important, and broad in focus.

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

You are interviewing clients at a downtown soup kitchen that provides free, hot meals for families.Which of the following questions ought to come EARLIEST in the interview?
A)"How many times in the past month have you visited the soup kitchen? 1, 2, 3, or more?"
B)"What do you find least acceptable about the soup kitchen?"
C)"What do you like best about the soup kitchen?"
D)"How many days in the last year have you been unable to provide meals for your children?"

Accepted Answer

Question A is the most neutral and least invasive, making it the most appropriate to ask early in the interview to build rapport and comfort.

Question 3

You are planning to write a feasibility report.Which of the following is the best organizational pattern for this report?
A)Comparison/Contrast
B)Problem-Solution
C)General to Particular
D)Functional

Accepted Answer

A

Question 4

Question: "How often do you use the parking garages downtown?"
Answer: "Four times a week." Which of the following is a mirror question for this scenario? 
A) "How many times do you use them in a month?"
B) "How much do you spend a week for parking there?"
C) "So you park there more than half the time, right?"
D) "Why do you park there so frequently? Is the cost good for you?"

Accepted Answer

The answer of Question: "How often do you use the...

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the criteria that can help you decide whether a Web site is good enough to use for a research project?
A)Authors' credentials
B)Objectivity
C)Information
D)Graphics

Accepted Answer

Graphics are not a criteria that can help you decide whether a Web site is good enough to use for a research project. The other three options - authors' credentials, objectivity, and information - are all important factors to consider when evaluating the credibility and reliability of a website for research purposes.

Question 6

Which of the following BEST describes how you should paraphrase?
A)Find synonyms for key words, preserve the majority of the author's wording, and cite carefully.
B)Find synonyms for key words, preserve the majority of the author's wording, and include an entry for the source on your Reference List or Works Cited page.
C)Put the author's ideas entirely into your own words, and cite carefully.
D)Put the author's ideas entirely into your own words, and include an entry for the source on your References or Works Cited page.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following BEST describes how...

Question 7

Which of the following describes the WORST way to approach data analysis?
A)Include and accept data analysis that was performed by other, reputable sources.
B)Search for at least three possible causes for each phenomenon you observe.
C)Try to identify patterns.
D)Make sure you don't confuse causation with correlation.

Accepted Answer

blindly accepting data analysis without verifying the accuracy and reliability of the source can lead to incorrect conclusions and flawed decision-making. It is always important to critically analyze and evaluate the data before drawing any conclusions.

Question 8

Which of the following kinds of information should an appendix contain?
A)Data and figures that are essential to your report
B)Supporting material that can be covered in a short amount of space
C)Information that may interest the reader, but that is not crucial to your argument
D)Acknowledgements

Accepted Answer

An appendix is used for information that may interest the reader but is not crucial to the main argument or findings of the document. It serves as a place for supplementary material that supports the content without being essential for its understanding.

Question 9

You are writing a report that focuses on the current challenges in each department in your organization.Which of the following would be the most appropriate organizational pattern for your report?
A)Comparison/Contrast
B)Elimination of Alternatives
C)Functional
D)Chronological

Accepted Answer

The functional organizational pattern would be the most appropriate for a report that focuses on challenges in each department in an organization. This pattern allows the writer to discuss each department separately and in-depth, highlighting the unique challenges faced by each. It also allows for the identification of common challenges across departments, which can be addressed holistically.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a requirement of good questions in surveys and interviews?
A)Be phrased neutrally
B)Include only a limited number of possible responses
C)Avoid making assumptions about the respondent
D)Mean the same thing to different people

Accepted Answer

Including only a limited number of possible responses limits the respondent's ability to provide a nuanced answer and may not accurately reflect their true opinion or experience. Open-ended questions allow for more detailed and diverse responses.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a common variety of population sampling?
A)Convenience
B)Evaluative
C)Judgment
D)Random

Accepted Answer

Convenience, judgment, and random sampling are all common methods of population sampling. Evaluative sampling is not a commonly used method.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a quality to check for when you evaluate your research?
A)Validity
B)Reliability
C)Currency
D)Popularity

Accepted Answer

Popularity is not a quality to check for when evaluating research because just because something is popular does not mean it is valid, reliable, or current.

Question 13

You have a solution to a problem; however, your solution is unpopular, and likely to be met with many alternate suggestions.Which of the following would be the most appropriate organizational pattern for your report?
A)Comparison/Contrast
B)Elimination of Alternatives
C)Functional
D)Chronological

Accepted Answer

The best organizational pattern for presenting a solution that is unpopular and likely to be met with alternate suggestions is the elimination of alternatives. This pattern presents the problem and then systematically eliminates other potential solutions, leading to the conclusion that the suggested solution is the best option. This approach allows the writer to address potential objections and persuade the reader of the validity of their solution.

Question 14

You are conducting a rough pre-test of a survey to determine how much students would be willing to pay for lab fees for computer courses.You go to the main student computer lab and distribute the survey to the first 50 students you encounter.What is this kind of sample called?
A)Convenience sample
B)Judgment sample
C)Random sample
D)Simple random sample

Accepted Answer

This is a convenience sample because the researcher conveniently sampled the first 50 students encountered in a specific location without a random process. This type of sample may not be representative of the population being studied.

Question 15

Which of the following options describes the BEST way to use Wikipedia for research?
A)Use it freely-its large community of users means that it's likely accurate.
B)Use it to find other, more reliable sources.
C)Use it to support your credibility.
D)Use it to provide an accurate overview of a topic.

Accepted Answer

While Wikipedia can be a helpful starting point for research, it should not be considered a reliable source on its own. Instead, it can be used to gather general information and to find other sources that are more credible and accurate.

Question 16

When should you begin analyzing your data?
A)While you collect it
B)After you have finished collecting it, but before you start drafting the report
C)After you have finished collecting and have started drafting your report
D)After you have a complete draft of your report

Accepted Answer

It is best to analyze your data while you collect it to ensure that you are properly gathering relevant information and to identify any potential issues or problems with the data collection process. This will help to prevent having to go back and re-collect data or make significant revisions to your analysis later on.

Question 17

Which of the following is an advantage of using closed rather than open questions in a survey?
A)They allow researchers to probe the complexities of a subject.
B)They are easier for researchers to score.
C)They allow subjects to give any possible answer.
D)They can ask for subjective information.

Accepted Answer

Closed questions are easier to score because they usually have a set of predefined response options, which can be easily quantified and analyzed. Open questions, on the other hand, require researchers to go through each response and code it into a meaningful category.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a good reason to use a quotation?
A)The source's expression is particularly vivid.
B)The source is repeating common, proverbial sayings.
C)The source depends on specialized terminology.
D)The source offers an argument that you want to contest.

Accepted Answer

Using common, proverbial sayings does not necessarily add value to an argument or provide unique insight. In general, quotations should be used when the source's language is particularly vivid or memorable, when specialized terminology is necessary to support an argument, or when you want to directly engage with and potentially contest a source's argument.

Question 19

"Are you satisfied with your health care benefits? (yes/no)." Which kind of survey question is this an example of?
A)A closed question
B)An open question
C)A branching question
D)A secondary question

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a closed question because it only offers two options for the respondent to choose from - "yes" or "no".

Question 20

You are creating questions for a survey on the writing problems of students on your campus.You initially hand out surveys to tutors in the writing centre.What is this kind of sample called?
A)Convenience sample
B)Judgment sample
C)Random sample
D)Simple random sample

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are creating questions for a survey...

Quiz 10: Planning, Researching, and Documenting Reports

Which of the following is the BEST version of a report problem?

You are interviewing clients at a downtown soup kitchen that provides free, hot meals for families.Which of the following questions ought to come EARLIEST in the interview?

You are planning to write a feasibility report.Which of the following is the best organizational pattern for this report?

Question: "How often do you use the parking garages downtown?" Answer: "Four times a week." Which of the following is a mirror question for this scenario?

Which of the following is NOT one of the criteria that can help you decide whether a Web site is good enough to use for a research project?

Which of the following BEST describes how you should paraphrase?

Which of the following describes the WORST way to approach data analysis?

Which of the following kinds of information should an appendix contain?

You are writing a report that focuses on the current challenges in each department in your organization.Which of the following would be the most appropriate organizational pattern for your report?

Which of the following is NOT a requirement of good questions in surveys and interviews?

Which of the following is NOT a common variety of population sampling?

Which of the following is NOT a quality to check for when you evaluate your research?

You have a solution to a problem; however, your solution is unpopular, and likely to be met with many alternate suggestions.Which of the following would be the most appropriate organizational pattern for your report?

You are conducting a rough pre-test of a survey to determine how much students would be willing to pay for lab fees for computer courses.You go to the main student computer lab and distribute the survey to the first 50 students you encounter.What is this kind of sample called?

Which of the following options describes the BEST way to use Wikipedia for research?

When should you begin analyzing your data?

Which of the following is an advantage of using closed rather than open questions in a survey?

Which of the following is NOT a good reason to use a quotation?

"Are you satisfied with your health care benefits? (yes/no) ." Which kind of survey question is this an example of?

You are creating questions for a survey on the writing problems of students on your campus.You initially hand out surveys to tutors in the writing centre.What is this kind of sample called?