Deck 4: How to Review the Literature and Develop Research Questions

Question 1

A good qualitative Statement of Purpose:

A) Defines the independent and dependent variables
B) Conveys a sense of emerging design
C) Specifies a research hypothesis to be tested
D) Specifies the relationship between variables that the researcher expects to find

Answer 1

Conveys a sense of emerging design

Question 2

State one or two research questions you would like to answer using empirical research.

Answer 2

not answered

Question 3

Which of the following topics cannot be resolved through research?

A) Teaching students' phonics improves reading performance
B) Sex education is morally wrong
C) Self-efficacy is related to school success
D) Teaching students elaboration strategies can improve their memory performance

Answer 3

Sex education is morally wrong

Question 4

Which of the following topics can be tested through empirical research?

A) School prayer should be a regular part of school
B) Sex education is morally wrong
C) Evolution should be taught in the schools
D) Teaching comprehension strategies leads to better reading comprehension in fifth graders

Question 5

Identify research problems.

Question 6

Explain the difference between purpose statements and research questions in qualitative and quantitative studies.

Question 7

Generally, in a qualitative study, hypotheses:

A) Are stated before the study is done
B) Might be derived as data are collected and analyzed
C) Are never derived from the data
D) Are never part of qualitative research

Question 8

Helen has just conducted a quantitative review of the literature. This is known as:

A) A meta-analysis
B) A meta-synthesis
C) Part of the research plan
D) A narrative review of the literature

Question 9

Explain why it is necessary to conduct a literature search.

Question 10

A good quantitative Statement of Purpose:

A) Is very general about what relationships are predicted
B) Conveys a sense of emerging design
C) Defines a global question only
D) Specifies the relationship that the researcher expects to find

Question 11

Conduct a literature search.

Question 12

A critical consumer of educational research:

A) Feels comfortable drawing conclusions based on one study.
B) Takes whatever researchers say as the truth.
C) Depends only on quantitative studies.
D) Looks for the replication of research findings in several studies.

Question 13

In what type of research would the literature review be integrated throughout the conduct of the study with the researcher working back and forth between the literature and the research study.

A) Experimental research
B) Quantitative research
C) Qualitative research
D) Correlational research

Question 14

Along with learning about whether your research problem has been studied, a literature review can also help with all of the following except:

A) Designing your study
B) Learning about methodological problems in studying your phenomenon
C) Revising your research problem
D) Determining the feasibility of your study

Question 15

In which type of research is a literature search always completed PRIOR to actually conducting the study.

A) Mixed methods research
B) Quantitative research
C) Qualitative research
D) Grounded theory research

Question 16

In a quantitative study, hypotheses represent:

A) A best guess about the predicted relations between the variables
B) A definition of the independent variable
C) A definition of the dependent variable
D) Trends that emerge from the data as they are collected.

Question 17

Explain the difference between problem statements in qualitative and quantitative studies.

Question 18

In a "grounded theory," study:

A) The literature might not be reviewed before data collection
B) The literature review is larger than in a quantitative study
C) The literature review is used deductively
D) The literature review is used to frame specific a priori hypotheses

Question 19

Explain the reason for stating the purpose of a research study and the research questions.

Question 20

Explain the purpose and necessity of stating your research questions and hypotheses.

Question 21

The literature review in a qualitative research study can be used to:

A) Provide information about potential research designs
B) Determine if the research has already been conducted
C) Identify methodological problems
D) Stimulate new insights and concepts

Question 22

Assume that you had just been to a demonstration by the psychic Uri Geller and had watched him supposedly apply his psychic powers to do such things as bend spoons. Let us further assume that you are a skeptic and doubt that this was done by psychic powers. You want to conduct a study to determine if Uri Geller really has the ability to bend a spoon through use of his psychic powers. This research idea would have originated from:

A) Everyday life
B) A practical issue
C) Past research
D) Theory

Question 23

The statement of purpose in a research study should:

A) Identify the design of the study
B) Identify the researcher's intent or objective of the study
C) Specify the type of people to be used in the study
D) Describe the study

Question 24

Sally was completing a literature search. She logged on the World Wide Web and conducted her search using one of the available search engines. As a result she probably:

A) Did not obtain any relevant information
B) Became frustrated because the process was too slow
C) Did not collect enough information
D) Collected a lot of information with questionable credibility

Question 25

Joseph's research question was "the ways in which students are referred for special education services". His study is probably a:

A) Quantitative correlational study
B) Mixed methods study
C) Qualitative study
D) Quantitative predictive study

Question 26

A qualitative research problem focuses on:

A) Explaining events
B) Predicting events
C) Exploring some process or event
D) Describing relationships

Question 27

The primary reason for doing a literature review for a quantitative study is to:

A) Determine which statistical test to use
B) Find the proper phrasing of the research hypothesis
C) Gain an understanding of the current state of knowledge in the area
D) Determine who the research participants should be

Question 28

In the first paragraph of her research paper, Wilma writes "This study will explore the emotions students express while reading." This is an example of a

A) Research topic
B) Research question
C) Research problem
D) Research idea

Question 29

Dr. Schwartz stated that the purpose of his study was to explore the process by which students learned to interact with people from another culture. This purpose statement would most likely come from a:

A) Qualitative study
B) Quantitative study investigating a causal connection
C) Quantitative study investigating a predictive relationship
D) Quantitative study investigating a theory

Question 30

Dr. Excel was reading research articles on the causes of teacher burnout. Most of this research identified different variables associated with teacher burnout in rural and urban settings. Dr. Excel was interested in determining why the factors contributing to teacher burnout would be different in rural and urban settings, so he designed a study to investigate why such differences would exist. This research study originated from:

A) Everyday life
B) A practical issue
C) Past research
D) Theory

Question 31

The best quantitative method for summarizing the results of many quantitative studies is to:

A) Conduct a qualitative analysis of the studies
B) Read all the studies and identify the common characteristics and conclusions of the studies
C) Conduct a meta-analysis of the studies
D) Conduce a meta-synthesis of the studies

Question 32

According to the text, the flowchart of the development of a research idea goes in which of the following orders:

A) Research topic, research problem, research purpose, specific research question, and, for quantitative research, research hypothesis.
B) Research topic, research purpose, specific research question, research hypothesis, and, for quantitative research, research problem.
C) Research topic, research hypothesis, research purpose, specific research question, and, for quantitative research, research problem.
D) Research topic, research problem, research purpose, research hypothesis, and, for quantitative research, specific research question.

Question 33

Dr. Skeptic was interested in the following questions. --Is abortion ethical?
--Is there an afterlife?
--What is the meaning of life?
The common element in all three of these questions is that they:

A) Arise from everyday life experience
B) Arise from practical issues
C) Arise from theory
D) Are not capable of empirical investigation and solution

Question 34

Which of the following sources is least often used by academic researchers?

A) Books
B) Journals
C) Computer databases
D) Magazines

Question 35

Which kind of research problem points to the need to explain, predict, or describe the operation of an outcome variable?

A) Quantitative
B) Qualitative
C) Correlational
D) Causal comparative

Question 36

Which kind of research problem points to the need to explore a process, event, or phenomenon?

A) Quantitative
B) Qualitative
C) Correlational
D) Causal comparative

Question 37

Hypotheses are most important and most typically stated in which type of research?

A) Mixed methods research
B) Quantitative research
C) Qualitative research
D) Grounded theory research

Question 38

Why is the statement "What are the effects of extracurricular activities on cognitive development of school age children" not a particularly good statement of a quantitative research question?

A) Because there clearly is no connection between extracurricular activities and cognitive development
B) Because there are not enough school age children engaged in extracurricular activities to conduct a study
C) Because the statement did not mention the past literature on the topic
D) Because the statement was not specific enough to provide an understanding of the variables being investigated

Question 39

Which of the following is focused specifically on educational research?

A) OVID
B) ERIC
C) EBSCO
D) PsycINFO

Question 40

Research hypotheses must:

A) Be proven by the research study
B) Be capable of being confirmed or refuted
C) Come from a proven theory
D) Not contradict proven theories

Question 41

Hillary has said that she is interested in the impact of poor phonics instruction on students' reading. In this case "poor phonics instruction" is:

A) Research topic
B) Research problem
C) Hypothesis
D) Problem statement

Question 42

Bill has written a literature review that explains the theory behind his study, helped support his research question and the choice of participants in his study. Based on this information, it appears that Bill's study is a

A) Quantitative research study
B) Qualitative research study
C) Mixed methods research study
D) It cannot be determined from this question

Question 43

When conducting his literature review, Yusef found a study that summarized the findings of many qualitative studies that were similar to his. What he found was a:

A) Research synthesis
B) Literature review
C) Meta-analysis
D) Meta-synthesis

Question 44

Issues such as aesthetics, morality, and religion can usually be resolved through empirical research.

Question 45

Issues such as aesthetics, morality, and religion cannot be resolved through empirical research.

Question 46

Statements of purpose for mixed methods studies:

A) Refer to quantitative and qualitative aspects of the study
B) Simply describe the phenomenon under investigation
C) Focus in on predictive variables
D) Tend to be shorter than purpose statements for other types of studies

Question 47

In quantitative research, one should first become familiar with any pre-existing research literature before designing your research study.

Question 48

Gwen's literature review provided ideas about procedure, design, data collection instruments, and methodological problems in addition to helping her form her research questions. Based on this information, it appears that Gwen's study is a:

A) Quantitative research study
B) Qualitative research study
C) Mixed methods research study
D) It cannot be determined from this question

Question 49

The study's intent or objective is contained in the:

A) Statement of purpose
B) Research question
C) Research purpose
D) Literature review

Question 50

There is not agreement about how mixed methods studies' research questions should be answered. Which of the following is not one of the ways that has been suggested in the book?

A) One aspect of the study is primary and the other is supplemental. Treat the research questions in the same manner
B) Include quantitative and qualitative information in the same research question
C) Write a research question for either the quantitative or qualitative aspect of the study
D) Include separate questions for quantitative and qualitative questions

Question 51

Holly's research questions are: "Are there different rates of autism in school children from different racial and ethnic groups?" "What is the process of referral for special education services for students with disabilities?" It appears that Holly is conducting a:

A) Quantitative research study
B) Qualitative research study
C) Mixed methods research study
D) It cannot be determined from this question

Question 52

Ben created the following research question: "How does the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in postsecondary education influence students' perceptions of disability?" It is for what type of study?

A) Quantitative research study
B) Qualitative research study
C) Mixed methods research study
D) It cannot be determined from this question

Question 53

Previous work has indicated that elementary school boys receive lower grades than their peers and that interviews with their teachers reveal different teaching processes for these students. This could be an example of a:

A) Statement of a qualitative research question
B) Statement of purpose for a quantitative study
C) Statement of a mixed methods research problem
D) Predictive statement for a quantitative study

Question 54

The research question for a quantitative research study should be specific enough that there is little doubt about what the variables are that are being studied.

Question 55

The research question for a qualitative study should list the variables under investigation.

Question 56

A scientific hypothesis must be something that can be supported or refuted by empirical evidence.

Question 57

In quantitative research, the statement of the research problem should:

A) Explore an event or phenomenon
B) Key in on the process
C) Focus the inner world of a particular group
D) Explain, predict, or describe an outcome of event

Question 58

Statements of purpose for mixed methods studies:

A) Refer to quantitative and qualitative aspects of the study
B) Simply describe the phenomenon under investigation
C) Focus in on predictive variables
D) Tend to be shorter than purpose statements for other types of studies

Question 59

The research question for a quantitative study asks about:

A) The process that is to be studied
B) The phenomenon of the study
C) The relationship between two or more variables
D) The purpose for the study

Question 60

Mallory's research question is "Do students who participate on athletic teams in high school receive higher test grades during their sports season or during the rest of the year?"

A) Quantitative research study
B) Qualitative research study
C) Mixed methods research study
D) It cannot be determined from this question

Question 61

Most current research information about a research topic is usually found in journals.

Question 62

The grant agency decided that the research proposal that was submitted was one that could be completed within a reasonable amount of time, use the skills the researcher had, and would not cost too much money. The study was judged to be feasible.

Question 63

Authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage are all qualities used to judge the validity of internet resources.

Question 64

If your literature review indicates that the problem you had in mind has already been conducted, you must change to a different problem.

Question 65

Literature reviews can give you information about the methodology you may want to use in your study.

Question 66

Descriptive questions, predictive questions, and causal questions are all used in quantitative research.

Question 67

What are the steps for conducting a literature review?

Question 68

Explain why research questions and hypotheses need to be stated.

Question 69

State two problems and their related research questions you would like to answer using empirical research. Identify the type of research you will use (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods?

Question 70

Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative studies' literature reviews.

Question 71

Research ideas can come from many sources. Two of these are everyday life and practical issues. Propose one research idea from your everyday life and one from practical issues