Title: The Research Process—Finding and Evaluating Sources
Course: Question Banks

Q: Samantha needs to start on her research writing assignment. What should be the first thing she thinks about?
- She should think of a topic that she already knows a lot about because that will save her time in the research process. (Incorrect. It’s important to work on a research question that you do not already know how to answer.)
- She should think of a thesis statement that she’d like to prove, first; then she can work backward with research to prove her thesis. (Incorrect. Starting with a thesis statement and then supplying researched evidence to prove it often describes source-based writing assignments, but that is not true research.)
- She should consider research questions that can be answered with a simple Google search to save time. (Incorrect. Questions that can be answered with a one-source search are not truly research questions; they are homework questions, perhaps. Real research requires multi-source searching.)
- She should think of a question she doesn’t know the answer to, something that can’t be answered with a single resource. (Correct! Research questions require consulting multiple sources to find the answer.)
A: She should think of a question she doesn’t know the answer to, something that can’t be answered with a single resource.

Q: Israel has a research writing assignment where the topic should be a complex current event. He decides to try to answer a research question about the environment. He consults the 10-12 sources recommended by his instructor and is now ready for the next step in the research writing process. What should he do next?
- Create an abstract, or one-paragraph summary of his paper. (Incorrect. Creating an abstract happens once the paper is completely finished, not at this stage before the paper has even been drafted.)
- Write a first draft of his paper, including evidence and information from his sources, with citations and a bibliography provided. (Incorrect. Writing a first draft comes later in the process. For now, he should craft a thesis statement.)
- Compile a bibliography that includes all of the sources he consulted for his research. (Incorrect. A bibliography is important, but compiling it can come at the end of the writing process.)
- Create a one-sentence answer to his research question about the environment (Correct! Now that the research is complete, and Israel has his sources, he should write a one-sentence answer that will become his thesis statement.)
A: Create a one-sentence answer to his research question about the environment

Q: Cydney is a sociology major and has been given a research writing assignment on the political movement Black Lives Matter. She puts together a research question to answer, conducts extensive research, and writes a thesis statement answering her original research question. What should she do next?
- She should go back and do more research to answer new questions that came up during her research process. (Incorrect. If she did the research properly the first time, now it is time to write up her findings in a way that she can share with others.)
- She should compile a bibliography that includes all of the sources she consulted for her research, providing annotations where needed. (Incorrect. A bibliography may eventually be a part of her research paper, added later in the process, but the next step is to write a draft of her research paper.)
- She should revisit her thesis statement and revise it to better match the results she expected before she began her research. (Incorrect. A thesis statement should be written after all of the research has been complete, and the thesis should answer the original research question.)
- She should share her information by writing a draft of her paper that includes well-chosen examples from the data/information she gathered. (Correct! Now that she has completed her research, the next step is to present her information in a way that makes it believable, understandable, and usable to her readers.)
A: She should share her information by writing a draft of her paper that includes well-chosen examples from the data/information she gathered.

Q: Rita uses the library databases to find three sources she can use in her paper, and then works on creating a good thesis statement. As she is drafting her paper, she realizes she is missing some key details and data? What should she do?
- Start over with a completely new topic and research question. (Incorrect. The steps in the research writing process are not meant to be followed in a linear fashion. It’s okay to go back to previous steps.)
- Finish her first draft, then have another student evaluate the strength of her research paper before proceeding. (Incorrect. Having a friend read your paper can be a valuable exercise, but it should come after you finish a mostly final draft, later in the process.)
- Work on other parts of her paper until she figures out what to do. (Incorrect. The research process is designed to be flexible and fluid. Don’t get hung up on following the steps in linear order. It’s okay to go back and re-do a step.)
- Return to researching her topic, find the additional sources she needs, and revise her thesis statement if necessary. (Correct! The steps in the research writing process are not meant to be followed in a linear fashion.)
A: Return to researching her topic, find the additional sources she needs, and revise her thesis statement if necessary.

Q: Ceanetria is starting a new research assignment; what should she do before she puts together her working thesis statement?
- Create a bibliography. (Incorrect. Creating a bibliography comes later in the process.)
- Write and revise a complete draft of the paper. (Incorrect. Writing and revising the paper comes after creating a thesis statement.)
- Create data charts and graphs to accompany your research writing. (Incorrect. Data charts and graphs should be created as you write a complete draft, or even after that.)
- Decide on a topic and narrow that topic if necessary. (Correct! Deciding on a topic and narrowing that topic are early steps in the research process.)
A: Decide on a topic and narrow that topic if necessary.

Q: Isabel needs to create a working thesis statement for her research project. What is one function of a strong working thesis statement?
- Broadens the subject to include a wide range of possibilities for the paper. (Incorrect. A thesis statement helps to define and narrow the paper’s topic, not broaden it.)
- It includes lots of references to sources, with citations in place. (Incorrect. A working thesis statement conveys the purpose of the research writing, but sources and citations come in the body of the paper.)
- Provides data in charts and graphs to support the main idea of the paper. (Incorrect. Data charts and graphs are part of the main body of the paper, but not provided in the thesis statement.)
- Narrows the subject to the single point that readers should understand (Correct! A thesis statement also names the topic and makes an assertion about that topic.)
A: Narrows the subject to the single point that readers should understand

Q: One strategy for narrowing a broad topic is to ask yourself questions. One of those questions is:
- How can I examine all of the aspects of this topic in my paper? (Incorrect. Trying to examine ALL of the aspects of a broad topic will not help you narrow it.)
- What part of this topic has the longest article in Wikipedia that I could cite? (Incorrect. Generally, Wikipedia articles are fine for preliminary research, but should not be cited and used as an official source. This answer does NOT help you narrow your topic.)
- Which aspect or sub-topic seems to have the most controversy surrounding it? (Incorrect. While you should not avoid controversial aspects of your topic, if the topic is too broad, this consideration does not help you narrow it.)
- What aspect of this broad topic am I most interested in? (Correct! Asking yourself to focus on a specific aspect, or subdivision, of a large topic can help you narrow it.)
A: What aspect of this broad topic am I most interested in?

Q: Which one of the following topics is effectively narrowed?
- Casablanca > Romantic War Movies > War Movies. (Incorrect. Casablanca is an example of a very specific romantic war movie.)
- Kendrick Lamar > Hip-hop artists > Hip-hop artists who have won the Pulitzer Prize (Incorrect. Flowers is the broadest topic in this series. American Beauty Rose is the narrowest.)
- Holidays around the world > Jewish holidays around the world > Hanukkah celebrations in New York City (Correct! Notice how this list starts with a very broad topic that is then narrowed down to something manageable in a research writing assignment)
A: Holidays around the world > Jewish holidays around the world > Hanukkah celebrations in New York City

Q: Which one of the following topics is effectively narrowed?
- Die Hard 3 > Action Movies > Action Movies that Star Bruce Willis (Incorrect. Die Hard 3 is an example of a specific action movie that stars Bruce Willis.)
- Donald Glover > Musicians who also act > Actors who are also musicians (Incorrect. Donald Glover is a narrowed topic -- he is a musician who also acts.)
- Ballet dancers > Misty Copeland > Dancers (Incorrect. Misty Copeland is a specific example of a ballet dancer.)
- Dumplings of the World > Asian Dumplings > Japanese dumplings (Correct! Notice how this list starts with a very broad topic that is then narrowed down to something manageable in a research writing assignment)
A: Dumplings of the World > Asian Dumplings > Japanese dumplings

Q: Once you’ve narrowed your topic successfully, you should begin developing a research question associated with your topic. One way to start is to
- look for all the available sources on your topic. (Incorrect. Even a narrowed topic will have many, many sources; developing a good research question is a way of further narrowing, or refining, your topic.)
- find an academic journal entirely devoted to your topic. (Incorrect. If there is an academic journal entirely devoted to your topic, it’s still too broad. Consider narrowing it further.)
- work up a bibliography on your topic and add annotations after you read each article. (Incorrect. Compiling an annotated bibliography can help you later in the process, after you’ve developed a research question and found some sources.)
- list all the different aspects of the topic that you can. (Correct! This is an important first step; you are taking your narrowed topic and refining it into a research question.)
A: list all the different aspects of the topic that you can.

Q: Penina has developed a research question, but as she digs in deeper to the research process and begins drafting her paper, she realizes that the most interesting part of her question is not WHY something happened by HOW it happened. What can she do at this point?
- Start all over with a brand new, completely different question. (Incorrect. It’s far better to slightly revise or tweak your current research question rather than completely start over.)
- Stick to her original plan, even though it might be more boring. (Incorrect. It’s important that a researcher enjoy the process and find the work at least somewhat interesting. It’s better to slightly revise your research question rather than staying with an uninteresting path.)
- Stick to her original research question, but work the new information into the paper somehow. (Incorrect. It’s better to make small adjustments now. If there is a completely different direction that is more interesting, save that for another assignment.)
- Tweak her original research question to accommodate her new emphasis on HOW rather than WHY. (Correct! Don’t start all over with a brand new, completely different question, but it is certainly a good idea to revise or tweak your original question as you learn more about your topic.)
A: Tweak her original research question to accommodate her new emphasis on HOW rather than WHY.

Q: Yoon-Su has been working on his research assignment. His instructor has encouraged him to think of “How” and “Why” and “What” (HWW) kinds of questions. Why are these questions better for the research question Yoon-Su is developing?
- HWW questions are more interesting than other kinds of questions. (Incorrect. HWW questions generally can’t be answered with a single word or sentence. They require elaboration, which you can do in your paper.)
- HWW questions are better for controversial topics. (Incorrect. While HWW questions MAY work better for controversial topics, the reason to use them is that they invite a deeper discussion, which is the reason for your assignment.)
- HWW questions are easier to answer straight-forwardly; they make for a simpler paper. (Incorrect. The opposite is true. HWW questions require deeper discussion, with more background and context, which makes for a much better writing assignment.)
- HWW questions give ample room for deep development of your ideas. (Correct! HWW questions generally can’t be answered with a single word or sentence. They require elaboration, which you can do in your paper.)
A: HWW questions give ample room for deep development of your ideas.

Q: Gisella wants to find sources on her essay topic: the role of the vice president in deciding national security matters. She begins searching on Google Scholar, but gets too many results. Which strategy should she use to make this search more productive?
- Make sure that the “Import Citations” box in the Settings section is unchecked. (Incorrect. Import Citations will not help reduce the number of items that the search engine retrieves. In fact, it can have the opposite effect, so is better used when you aren’t getting enough useful matches, or hits.)
- Determine some essential key terms, and add them into the search box with the word “or” between each key term. (Incorrect. Using the word “or” allows for Google Scholar to return more results, not fewer. If an article matches either part of the search, Google Scholar will return it.)
- Narrow your topic into a subtopic, write a complete sentence for your research question, and type the entire question into the search box. (Incorrect. A complete sentence includes many unnecessary or inessential words like “a” or “the.” Including these in your search box means you’ll receive vastly more results, many of them unsuitable.)
- Narrow the search into a subtopic, determine some essential key terms, and add them into the search box with the word “and” between each key term. (Correct! Each of these three strategies individually will reduce your results, but used together will also give you better, more fine-tuned results matching your research topic.)
A: Narrow the search into a subtopic, determine some essential key terms, and add them into the search box with the word “and” between each key term.

Q: Your friend Sam doesn’t understand the difference between Google and Google Scholar. What should you tell him to be the most helpful?
- Google lets you use “and” or “or” in the search box, whereas Google Scholar does not. (Incorrect. Both Google and Google Scholar allow for words like “and” or “or” to be used to narrow or expand searches.)
- Google Scholar is better if you’re trying to write on a pop-culture sort of topic. (Incorrect. Google is better for general interest or pop-culture kinds of topics. Google Scholar searches through academic writing, the kind you’ll use for sources in your research writing project.)
- Google Scholar is limited to searching in English, whereas Google searches every language. (Incorrect. Google Scholar allows a researcher to specify which languages it searches.)
- Google Scholar draws on scholarly databases of academic writing, and Google generally does not. (Correct! Google Scholar is a specialized way of searching through only academic writing, or the kind of sources you’ll generally need for your research writing assignment.)
A: Google Scholar draws on scholarly databases of academic writing, and Google generally does not.

Q: Constance understands that she needs to find authoritative and credible sources for her paper; she also understands that it’s better to find a smaller number of these useful sources, rather than a vast number of sources that she’ll have to look at individually to determine if they’re authoritative and credible. What might help her manage her search for “quality” rather than “quantity.”
- Google is great for academic searches; it brings back the largest amount of matches, because it searches the largest possible number of sources. (Incorrect. Google is too general, on its own, and will bring back search results that are not at all academic and therefore not appropriate for research writing assignments.)
- Wikipedia is a great place to go for authoritative and credible sources; it is great for academic research. (Incorrect. Wikipedia is a good way to learn about a topic in a very basic way, before you do your actual research, but it is not a suitable way to search for credible and authoritative sources. The information there may or may not be accurate.)
- Encyclopedias are a great way to find sources for a research writing assignment. (Incorrect. Encyclopedias are great for preliminary reading, when learning about new topics in a general way, before you narrow your topic and decide on a research question. They are not good sources for academic writing assignments as they are much too general and too basic.)
- Search engines, particularly scholarly search engines and library database search engines, can help identify sources that are truly authoritative and credible. (Correct! Search engines like Google Scholar and the library databases are specialized search engines, designed for academic research rather than general interest topics.)
A: Search engines, particularly scholarly search engines and library database search engines, can help identify sources that are truly authoritative and credible.

Q: Olaf can’t remember what makes a scholarly source different from other kinds of sources. Which of the following should you tell him?
- They are rarely found in any library database, and must be found by using the card catalog. (Incorrect. Scholarly sources may be found in library databases as well as Google Scholar.)
- They are written by people who are not experts on the subject. (Incorrect. Scholarly sources are written by experts and then extensively reviewed before publication.)
- Scholarly sources are hard to read and understand because they are written by experts. (Incorrect. While sometimes the language of scholarly sources can be tough, generally an abstract or short summary at the beginning of the article will give you a sense of the main thesis of the article.)
- Scholarly sources are written for scholars and students and have been extensively reviewed before publication. (Correct! Scholarly sources were written by experts in the subject matter and are reviewed extensively before publication.)
A: Scholarly sources are written for scholars and students and have been extensively reviewed before publication.

Q: What advantages are there, if any, to incorporating peer-reviewed articles and texts into your research essay?
- There are no advantages. In fact, they offer a slight disadvantage because they are harder to read and understand the first time through. (Incorrect. If an academic article seems harder to read, due to the sophistication of the argument, an abstract, or brief paragraph summarizing the content, can be very helpful.)
- These usually contained impassioned pleas about their subject matter, which will appeal to readers’ emotions. (Incorrect. Writing because you’re passionate about something does not ensure the validity and quality of your paper; it’s better to find articles that can stand up to academic scrutiny to be certain of the credibility of the information.)
- Peer-reviewed articles are broader and more general than other kinds of academic articles. (Incorrect. Peer-reviewed articles are often very narrow in their topic; they are a great example of narrowing a topic so that you can write about it thoroughly and convincingly.)
- Peer-reviewed articles undergo a great deal of scrutiny and review; therefore, they are most likely to be accurate in their data and correct in their conclusions. (Correct! The academic standards are very high for scrutiny and review. In ensures authoritative and credible sources for your paper.)
A: Peer-reviewed articles undergo a great deal of scrutiny and review; therefore, they are most likely to be accurate in their data and correct in their conclusions.

Q: Which of the following statements best describes the difference between scholarly and popular sources?
- Scholarly sources are only available online, and popular sources are not. (Incorrect. Nearly everything is available online these days, so this is not a good way to define the difference between these kinds of sources.)
- Scholarly sources are always appropriate for a research essay and popular sources never are. (Incorrect. Popular sources can occasionally be used for a research writing project if they provide background or context for a topic. However, scholarly sources are more thoroughly reviewed and so are therefore more authoritative and credible.)
- Scholarly sources are easier to read and understand than popular sources. (Incorrect. In fact, the opposite is often the case. Because they are full of expert knowledge on a narrowly defined topic, scholarly sources can be more difficult to read. The one-paragraph summary, or abstract, can help you if the language is difficult.)
- Scholarly sources are generally found in library databases, and popular sources are often found in newsstands. (Correct! Scholarly sources don’t appeal to the mass market of readers, they are very specific and very narrow in their approach. Therefore, they aren’t found on newsstands.)
A: Scholarly sources are generally found in library databases, and popular sources are often found in newsstands.

Q: Sophie is worried about determining which sources are primary and which sources are secondary for her paper on the Vietnam War. Which item is a good example of a primary source?
- A book on a Vietnam War battle (This secondary source analyzes and reviews things that happened in the Civil War, but it’s not a first-hand account.)
- A list of Vietnam War battle sites (Incorrect. This secondary source analyzes and reviews things that happened in the Civil War, but it’s not a first-hand account.)
- A play based on a Vietnam War soldier’s diary (Incorrect. This secondary source analyzes and reviews things that happened in the Civil War, but it’s not a first-hand account.)
- A Vietnam War soldier’s diary (Correct! This is a document that includes a first-hand contemporary account of the events of the Civil War.)
A: A Vietnam War soldier’s diary

Q: Guillermo is worried about determining which sources are primary and which sources are secondary for his paper on the scientist Marie Curie. Which item is a good example of a secondary source?
- Marie Curie’s own notebooks that capture the results of her experiments in her own words. (Incorrect. This primary source is a first-hand account of a scientist’s work.)
- The text of a speech Marie Curie delivered upon winning the Nobel Prize for Physics. (Incorrect. Speeches are nearly always primary sources as they reflect the contemporary first-hand words of the speaker.)
- The lab results of Marie Curie’s own experiments, that she published herself during her lifetime. (Incorrect. This primary source is a first-hand account of a scientist’s own work, in her own words.)
- A book analyzing the results of Marie Curie’s scientific research (Correct! This secondary source is a document that includes an analysis of the scientist’s work.)
A: A book analyzing the results of Marie Curie’s scientific research

Q: Chaucer thinks he’s found a set of good sources for his research paper. He doesn’t have time to read all 10 of them because many of them are 15-20 pages long. What might he do instead?
- Focus on the data in the articles first. (Incorrect. The data may include highly technical information that won’t make sense to a non-expert.)
- Eliminate any article that doesn’t include graphs and charts illustrating data. (Incorrect. Depending on the topic, excellent scholarly sources may not include data at all (e.g. History and Literary articles).)
- Read the biographies of the article’s author. (Incorrect. The biography of the article’s author may be completely irrelevant to this process.)
- Consult the abstract of each article first. (Correct! This one-paragraph summary of the article can help Chaucer narrow the articles to the just the ones that will be most useful to him.)
A: Consult the abstract of each article first.

Q: Naima is working on a science research question and she has found some scholarly articles she wants to use. After reviewing each abstract, she is still uncertain if the articles support the same approach she is using in her paper. What parts of the articles might she review to ensure the sources used a similar approach?
- Bibliography and author biography (Incorrect. These sections will likely not include details about the approach and methodology of the study.)
- Results and conclusions (Incorrect. These sections will likely not include details about the approach and methodology of the study.)
- Summary and peer-review notes (Incorrect. These sections will likely not include details about the approach and methodology of the study.)
- The Data and Methods sections (Correct! These sections contain more details about the approach and methodology used in the used.)
A: The Data and Methods sections

Q: Coltrane has struggled to find useful sources for his paper, but he has found one really great one; his instructor wants him to use at least 5 sources. What might be his next step?
- Use the abstract to see if it mentions any other sources. (Incorrect. An abstract is a summary of the entire article and probably will not include references to other articles.)
- Use the data and methods sections of the article to see if other studies are mentioned. (Incorrect. The data and methods sections will be specific to this paper, and they will probably not include references to other studies or experiments.)
- Use the conclusion/discussion section of the article to see if other studies are referenced. (Incorrect. The conclusion/discussion section probably will not include references to other articles or sources.)
- Use the bibliography, or list of consulted works, in the one paper to find others. (Correct! If he has one very good source, the bibliography may include other similar sources that will be equally useful.)
A: Use the bibliography, or list of consulted works, in the one paper to find others.

Q: Pascal is working on finding sources for his research project. His instructor has stipulated that one source must be from a printed traditional book, rather than an online article or journal. Where should he start his search?
- A research database (Incorrect. A research database is a better way to search for journal articles rather than books.)
- His roommate’s bookshelf (Incorrect. A roommate’s bookshelf is only useful if that roommate has done similar research and owns books on the exact same topic, which is unlikely.)
- His instructor’s online PowerPoint presentations (Incorrect. A better place to look for sources that are books is the place where books are catalogued.)
- A library catalog (Correct! The catalog itself may be online, but many/most of the entries will refer to the printed books contained within the library.)
A: A library catalog

Q: Miranda is working on her research project and has found several good books to use. She now wants to locate several scholarly articles that focus on specific aspects of her topic -- how pandemics re-shape our society’s approach to public health in large metropolitan areas. Where might she look next?
- Google Scholar (Incorrect. Google Scholar is a more general kind of database. It can be helpful, but a specialized database ensures you are very focused in your search.)
- JSTOR (Incorrect. Like Google Scholar, JSTOR is a more general kind of database. It can be helpful, but it can also return vastly more results than you can possibly review.)
- Bing (Incorrect. Bing and Google are too generalized to be of much use here; they will return thousands of hits, more than you can possibly review.)
- a specialized database (Correct! A specialized database, also called a research or library database, narrows your search to only those journals that are focused on a specific discipline.)
A: a specialized database

Q: Calliope has found a number of really good sources for her research project. She needs just a couple more. One article, in particular, has been really useful to her work. What is one smart way to find the remaining sources she needs?
- Read the abstract of the useful articles she’s already found. (Incorrect. Abstracts typically do NOT contain additional references to other articles.)
- Read the data and methods section of the articles she’s already found. (Incorrect. Data and methods sections do not generally contain additional references to other articles.)
- Go back and read the Wikipedia entry for her topic (Incorrect. Wikipedia can be helpful, but it is generally not very useful in finding specific scholarly articles on a focused topic.)
- Search on the author of the really great source she’s already found. (Correct! If this author has written one article that she found useful, it’s possible that the same author has written others.)
A: Search on the author of the really great source she’s already found.

Q: Uzma already knows how to do a Google search, and she wonders why it’s so important to learn how to use a Library or specialized database in her research. What is one reason a library database can be superior for academic research projects like Uzma’s?
- All material in a library, or specialized, database is free to everyone. (Incorrect. The materials listed in a library database may not be free, but any charges are likely to be covered already by your library so (as a student) you would not incur any additional fees.)
- The items found in a library database are all available in print versions at the local library on campus. (Incorrect. Much of what you’ll find in a library database search will only be available electronically.)
- The library database is updated and maintained by your local college librarian, so you can ask them for help. (Incorrect. The reference librarian at your school’s library is not responsible for maintaining the databases, but the reference librarian can be an excellent source of help when you first begin using these specialized databases.)
- All material in a database is evaluated for accuracy and credibility by subject experts and publishers. (Correct! Accuracy and credibility is very important in your selection of sources. There are many many sources (especially online) that are neither accurate nor credible. These must be avoided.)
A: All material in a database is evaluated for accuracy and credibility by subject experts and publishers.

Q: Amel is working with a library database for the first time and quickly realizes that she can’t just type a question in ordinary language and expect a good answer. What is an important thing to learn before she goes forward in her research?
- She should learn to read/write Latin, since most of these databases use Latin for their search terms. (Incorrect. Boolean operators are words like “and” or “not” that can be used in combination with key terms to search these databases more effectively and precisely. Latin is not required.)
- She should learn to write in computer languages like PASCAL or FORTRAN, since the database will understand her request better that way. (Incorrect. It’s not necessary to learn computer coding languages to create a good search of a library database. Boolean operators such as “and” or “not” are all that’s necessary.)
- She should learn to use mathematical functions like Cosine and Sine, because library databases will understand that language better. (Incorrect. It’s not necessary to learn mathematical functions to create a good search of a library database. Boolean operators such as “and” or “not” are all that’s necessary.)
- She should learn how to use Boolean operators like AND or NOT. (Correct! Library databases work much more effectively if you learn to use a few simple Boolean operators so you can tailor your search’s key terms more precisely.)
A: She should learn how to use Boolean operators like AND or NOT.

Q: Veronica found a really great source in a specific academic journal. Now she wants to search in other issues of that same academic journal and limit her search to ONLY that one journal. What might she do next?
- Use a Google search. (Incorrect. It’s much harder to use a Google search to limit your search to a single journal.)
- Use a Bing search. (Incorrect. It’s much harder to use a Bing search to limit your search to a single journal.)
- Use a Google Scholar search. (Incorrect. It’s much harder to use a Google Scholar search to limit your search to a single journal.)
- Use a library, or specialized, database (Correct! Library database searches can be limited to a single journal rather than a broad spectrum of journals.)
A: Use a library, or specialized, database

Q: Meredith has located several sources for her research project. Now she is trying to determine the suitability of those articles. What is one question to ask to determine if the source is suitable?
- Did you find the source using a Google search? (Incorrect. How you find a source may not matter when it comes to suitability. Suitability answers the question: Will this source help me answer my research questions?)
- Was the source available in a print book rather than an online journal? (Incorrect. Where a source was published may not matter when it comes to suitability. Suitability answers the question: Will this source help me answer my research questions?)
- Was the source available on the shelves of your local campus library?. (Incorrect. Where the source is physically located may not matter when it comes to suitability. Suitability answers the questionL Will this source help me answer my research questions?)
- Is the source written by a well-known authority or expert? (Correct! Your sources should be written by a well-known authority or expert. Many sources can be eliminated as unsuitable because they were not written by an expert.)
A: Is the source written by a well-known authority or expert?

Q: Marisa is trying to determine if one of her sources is trustworthy and reliable. Her instructor recommends using the C.R.A.A.P. method. What do those letters stand for?
- Currency, Relevance, Ambition, Accuracy, Purpose (Incorrect. Ambition is not a criteria for determining if a source is trustworthy and reliable.)
- Currency, Relevance, Ambition, Accuracy, Point of View (Incorrect. Neither ambition nor point of view is a criteria for determining if a source is trustworthy and reliable.)
- Currency, Relevance, Argument, Accuracy, Purpose. (Incorrect. Argument is not a criteria for determining if a source is trustworthy and reliable.)
- Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose (Correct! Each of these aspects are important to determining if a source is trustworthy and reliable.)
A: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose

Q: Cho is working on her research project and has identified several potential sources. She discarded one article that was obviously biased and another because it was not written by an expert. What is a third reason to reject a source?
- An article that was written by an expert should be rejected. (Incorrect. It is a good thing when an article is written by an expert; that helps ensure the article is trustworthy as experts have greater knowledge on a specific topic.)
- An article that was written recently, using very recent data, should be rejected. (Incorrect. Currency, or the use of very recent data, is a reason to retain a source not discard it.)
- An article that was published in a scholarly journal originally should be rejected. (Incorrect. Generally, articles published in scholarly journals are excellent sources for your research.)
- An article that is obviously inaccurate with data should be rejected. (Correct! Accuracy in all aspects is an important criteria for determining if a source is trustworthy.)
A: An article that is obviously inaccurate with data should be rejected.

Q: In the CRAAP method, the letter “C” stands for Currency. What is the key question you should ask yourself to determine Currency?
- How much money did the writers of this study earn when they created it? (Incorrect. Currency in this context has to do with the timing of the creation of this information, or the gathering of the data that is presented.)
- Did this article appear in an academic journal on Electrical Engineering? (Incorrect. Currency in this context has to do with the timing of the creation of this information, or the gathering of the data that is presented.)
- Did this article appear in an academic journal on Global Monetary Policy? (Incorrect. Currency in this context has to do with the timing of the creation of this information, or the gathering of the data that is presented.)
- When was the item of information published or produced? (Correct! Knowing a date for the information can help you determine if this is a good source for your paper. Is it recent? Is it old? Which works better in support of your thesis?)
A: When was the item of information published or produced?

Q: In the CRAAP method, the letter “R” stands for relevance. What is the key question you should ask yourself to determine if the source is relevant to your own work?
- When was this item of information published or produced? (Incorrect. Knowing when something was published or produced is a question that determines currency, not relevance.)
- Is the person who wrote this article an expert on this subject? (Incorrect. The expertise of the author gets to the question of authority, not relevance.)
- Is this article free from error? (Incorrect. Recognizing that an article offers error-free data gets to the question of accuracy, not relevance.)
- How does this source contribute to my research paper? (Correct! Think of relevance in the same way you think of suitability; will this source effectively support your argument? How can you use this source in your paper?)
A: How does this source contribute to my research paper?

Q: Rose is considering a few sources for use in her research assignment. One in particular seems promising, but the data that is included in the study seems extremely dated. She is interested in Coronavirus data from 2020, but the study only looks at infectious disease data from before 1980. What issue is Rose raising, using the CRAAP method with this one potential source?
- Relevance (Incorrect. While this potential source may be very relevant to Rose’s thesis, the fact that the data is very old and doesn’t include more recent findings and studies probably means Rose shouldn’t use it.)
- Authority (Incorrect. While this potential source may be quite authoritative and written by knowledgeable experts, the fact that the data is very old and doesn’t include more recent findings and studies probably means Rose shouldn’t use it.)
- Purpose (Incorrect. While this potential source may have a purpose that is supportive of Rose’s thesis, the fact that the data is very old and doesn’t include more recent findings and studies probably means Rose shouldn’t use it.)
- Currency (Correct! The date something was written or published necessarily reflects the data or information that was available at that time. Depending on your topic, old data may exclude a potential source as it no longer reflects current concerns.)
A: Currency

Q: Maile has found a source for a research essay. She needs to evaluate its authority before deciding whether to use it. Which strategy should she use?
- She should figure out how many total publications this author has on all subjects, and read the author’s Wikipedia page (Incorrect. Someone can publish a lot of articles on areas where they lack expertise, and wikipedia pages are notoriously unreliable for confirmation of credentials.)
- She should figure out how long the publication that printed this source has been around (Incorrect. A publication that has been around a long time is not a guarantee that it is reliable and authoritative.)
- She should see if the article agrees with the point she’s trying to prove in her own paper, and then use it if the author has the same ideas. (Incorrect. The author of this potential source may agree with Maile’s points and support them but still lack authority if the author is not an established expert on the topic.)
- She should look at other research results to see how many times the author of this source is cited, and determine her author’s credentials on the topic. (Correct! To determine the authority of a potential source, it can be useful to determine if the author is truly an expert on the topic. If other writers have referred to this article, it can be a clue that the author is an expert that others in the field rely upon for their own work. Also, if the article was published in a peer-reviewed journal, that means other scholars reviewed it and approved it for publication.)
A: She should look at other research results to see how many times the author of this source is cited, and determine her author’s credentials on the topic.

Q: Which of the following is the best indicator that your online source has currency?
- The journal that published the article is an online journal. (Incorrect. The fact that the journal is exclusively online has nothing to do with the currency of the information published there. It’s important to check the dates within the article itself.)
- There are no dates provided at all in the article. (Incorrect. Quality sources for your research will nearly always include the date the data was collected. If there is no date provided, it can mean that the data is very old. It’s not safe to assume anything here about the currency of the information.)
- The article is about Global Monetary Fund Policy. (Incorrect. Currency in this case means “how recent is the information in the article” not anything to do with revenue, funds, or money.)
- The data you want to use was collected just a few months ago. (Correct! Data that is only a few months old is very timely and confirms that your potential source has currency.)
A: The data you want to use was collected just a few months ago.

Q: Salim is researching a paper on teenage pregnancy and finds a .gov website that has statistics on which states have the highest teen pregnancies per capita. Which of the following best describes how he should evaluate this source?
- Salim should only use the source if he can verify the information in a print source. (Incorrect. Though you always want to try to verify information, it does not need to come from a print source to be accurate and reliable.)
- Salim should not use this source because government websites are unreliable for data like this. (Incorrect. Government websites are generally great places to go to ensure authority and accuracy because people need certain levels of expertise to post.)
- Salim should consider other sources since we all know you can’t trust the government. (Incorrect. Government websites are generally great places to go to ensure authority and accuracy because people need certain levels of expertise to post.)
- Salim should feel free to use the statistics in his paper after he verifies them to make sure they sound accurate and reliable. (Correct! Government websites usually provide objective data and information collected from knowledgeable people with authority in their areas.)
A: Salim should feel free to use the statistics in his paper after he verifies them to make sure they sound accurate and reliable.

Q: Chihiro is working on her research assignment. She has found some potential sources online, but some of them seem poorly written or incomplete in some way. She wants to use the four moves principles to determine if these are actually good sources or not. She has completed the first two moves (Stop and Investigate the Source) and is ready to move forward with the third and fourth moves. What are they?
- Think critically about the potential source; find out who the original author is and why they wrote this. (Incorrect. These are the first two steps, not the third and fourth steps.)
- Determine if this information is available only online or if there is also a print version somewhere. (Incorrect. Whether a source is online only or print only or both is irrelevant to the truth of a claim.)
- Investigate who wrote this piece originally and what that person’s politics are like -- if you don’t agree with their politics, you shouldn’t use the source. (Incorrect. An author’s personal political stance is likely completely irrelevant to their ability to write an authoritative article on their area of expertise.)
- Find better coverage and trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context. (Correct! Finding better coverage allows you to evaluate the potential source (does it measure up?) and tracing claims back to the original context allows you to see how the information was used originally. Does your source honor the original intent and meaning? Or have they altered it in some way.)
A: Find better coverage and trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context.

Q: Haku is working on his research assignment and wants to use the four moves to examine a potential source. The source is politically charged, and Haku has passionate beliefs in a position on this issue. What should be his first step?
- Trace all the quotes back to see who said them originally. (Incorrect. Tracing claims and quotes back to the original source can be helpful, but that happens later in the four moves.)
- Learn the background of the author of the article (Incorrect. It can be helpful to investigate the source and that is one of the four moves, but not the very first one.)
- Determine if the article came from an online source or a print source. (Incorrect. Whether an article comes from an online source or a print source, it must still stand up to the scrutiny of the four moves.)
- Stop and think critically about the article. (Correct! It’s important to avoid being too emotionally charged -- it can make you only consider sources that agree with what you already think. The point of research is to seek to understand, consider opinions other than your own, and learn the truth of a topic.)
A: Stop and think critically about the article.

Q: The four moves include the task of finding better coverage. What does this really mean for a student researcher? What should you do?
- Continue Googling the author’s name and the article title until you find all the articles written by this same author. (Incorrect. Googling in this way simply finds more articles with the same point of view. You need to find articles by DIFFERENT writers to help evaluate your potential source.)
- Assess if you agree with this article’s point of view or approach, and then use Google Scholar to find other articles that also say the same thing. (Incorrect. It can be tempting to find articles that agree with our own ideas; however, the point of academic research is to seek out a true answer based on the data that exists, not our own ideas.)
- Trace videos back to their original source to see why they were created originally. (Incorrect. This can be a useful practice in evaluating a source, but it’s not what we mean when we say to “find better coverage” in the four moves.)
- Read what other writers have to say about the same issue or this source specifically. (Correct! Reading laterally can help you determine if this article is an outlier; that is, does this article represent a mainstream, generally accepted idea? Or is it something generally unsupported by other scholars in the same discipline?)
A: Read what other writers have to say about the same issue or this source specifically.

Q: Camille just finished watching an online news video on Facebook. The information discussed provides a counter argument to Camille’s thesis claims, but she has never heard of the news company before. What should Camille do to better understand the source of the news report?
- Find better coverage (Incorrect. Once Camille has identified who made the video, she could look for better coverage elsewhere, but that would be the next step.)
- Trace claims (Incorrect. Once Camille has identified who made the video, and found better coverage, she could trace any claims and quotes made in the video back to the original source as a final check.)
- Stop—think critically by seeking to understand, maintaining an open mind, and avoiding being too emotionally overcharged. (Incorrect. Camille has already completed this first step of the four moves when she stopped and thought critically about the video.)
- Investigate—find out who the author is and why they made the video (Correct! Knowing who made the video originally and whether they are from a trusted news source can be important in evaluating the content of the video.)
A: Investigate—find out who the author is and why they made the video

Q: Alberto has found a good source from an expert in the field for his research project on HIV treatments. However, the expert is also selling his own cure, that seems untested by federal agencies. Alberto is thinking about rejecting the source entirely based on which of the fours moves?
- Find trusted coverage. (Incorrect. This might be the next step for Alberto, to see if he can find coverage of the same topic from a scholar who is NOT also selling a product related to the topic.)
- Trace claims, quotes, and media back to the original context. (Incorrect. Alberto will probably reject this article because of its bias from a scholar who is also selling something, so he will never get to this step of the four moves.)
- Think critically. (Incorrect. Alberto has already completed this step of the four moves when he stopped to think about if this expert could be trusted, given that he is selling something.)
- Investigate the source (Correct! Even an expert can have motives (selling a product or service) that makes their opinion unbiased. Consider the agenda, or reason for writing, of the person who authored the paper.)
A: Investigate the source

Q: Francesca decided to consider a source from the internet that makes an outrageous claim about conspiracy theories. She has already completed the first of the four moves -- she stopped and thought critically about the article. She is now ready to . . .
- find a more current source. (Incorrect. Currency, at this point, may be irrelevant if the potential source is rejected on the basis of its lack of expert authorship.)
- remain unemotional (Incorrect. Francesca has already remained open-minded and objective in her search for a good source. She can move on to the next step to investigate the source.)
- look for information that confirms her own biases. (Incorrect. Researchers should never seek to confirm their own biases. Instead, research should seek the truth from supported claims from experts.)
- investigate the source. (Correct! Francesca may discover that the writer is not at all an expert on the topic and reject the source on that basis.)
A: investigate the source.

Q: Cece is writing an annotated bibliography for her Art History paper. She has found nearly twenty possible sources but is having a hard time narrowing it down to the handful she needs to turn in with her annotated bibliography. What should she do?
- Write about the first five sources she found so she can include both good and bad examples in her annotated bibliography. (Incorrect. Cece should do some preliminary research to narrow down the possibilities.)
- Write about only those sources that are from library databases. (Incorrect. Cece can still use sources from a variety of places in her annotated bibliography, as long as they are relevant and useful to her research.)
- Summarize each course and write a detailed analysis as to why or why not it should be included in her paper. (Incorrect. This would take a significant amount of time for all twenty sources—more effective would be to first narrow down which sources are most helpful for her research.)
- Consider which sources are most applicable to her research question. (Correct. Cece should find the sources that are most relevant and useful for her paper.)
A: Consider which sources are most applicable to her research question.

Q: Dwight’s English teacher has assigned an annotated bibliography as part of his research writing assignment. What is an annotated bibliography?
- An annotated bibliography is a list of all the sources Dwight plans to use in his paper. (Incorrect. An annotated bibliography must include notes and full citations.)
- An annotated bibliography is just a different way of organizing Dwight’s notes about his research. (Incorrect. An annotated bibliography must include a list of all Dwight’s sources as well as full citation information and notes on each source.)
- An annotated bibliography is a list of all the different topics Dwight considered during his initial brainstorming for this paper. (Incorrect. An annotated bibliography must include a list of all Dwight’s sources as well as full citation information and notes on each source.)
- An annotated bibliography is a list of all Dwight’s sources, including full citation information, with notes on how the source could be used. (Correct! An annotated bibliography can help a research writer see which sources will actually help support their thesis, while also providing their thoughts on which sources they should actually use in their paper.)
A: An annotated bibliography is a list of all Dwight’s sources, including full citation information, with notes on how the source could be used.

Q: Each annotation in an annotated bibliography should include the complete bibliographic information for the source in addition to a brief summary of the source. What other information should be included in each annotation?
- A short bio of the author of the source/article/book. (Incorrect. A good annotation should include a critique or evaluation of the credibility of the source as well as how to use it in the research paper.)
- Notes about all of the other works by this same author. (Incorrect. A good annotation should include a critique or evaluation of the credibility of the source as well as how to use it in the research paper.)
- A complete literature review on the topic of the research assignment. (Incorrect. A literature review is a summary and synthesis of the major arguments from experts on the topic; an annotated bibliography is something completely different.)
- An annotation should include a critique or evaluation of the credibility of the source. (Correct! The researcher should make notes on how credible the source is as well as how to use it in the research assignment/paper.)
A: An annotation should include a critique or evaluation of the credibility of the source.