Deck 3: Reviewing the Literature

Question 1

Makayla is interested in researching early childhood reading programs for children with preschool special education. Which of the following keywords would be best for Makayla to use first in her database search?

A) Special Education
B) Preschool Reading
C) Early childhood
D) Reading programs

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Glenda's study addresses a current hot topic in education, case libraries. Glenda is concerned about her sources. Although the studies come from peer-reviewed journals, none of them have methodology sections and it appears they include prominent researchers' opinions. What is likely Glenda's concern?

A) Her sources are too dated.
B) Her sources are secondary references.
C) Her sources are popular not scholarly.
D) Her sources are subjective.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The first step of annotating is to

A) skim the entire article.
B) make mental notes of the study.
C) determine the article's relevancy.
D) record the full article's reference.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The review of the literature includes

A) the participants included in the study.
B) the procedures for data collection.
C) the main purpose of the study.
D) the discussion of the data analysis conducted.

Question 5

Education Index provides

A) abstracts of relevant sources.
B) full text references to download.
C) computer-based instructional models.
D) assessment tools for future research.

Question 6

Rudo is interested in researching leadership styles of elementary principals in rural districts. Which of the following keywords would be best for him to use in a database search?

A) Rural schools
B) Principals' style
C) Elementary schools
D) Principals' leadership style

Question 7

The first step in conducting a computer search is

A) to identify the journals you will search.
B) to identify keywords related to the research.
C) to select the database you wish to search.
D) to specify a search strategy.

Question 8

Vernard needs to access only primary sources for his research methods class proposal. Which of the following should Vernard consult?

A) Psychology today
B) Review of Educational Research
C) What works clearinghouse
D) Journal of Educational Psychology

Question 9

Of the following which characteristics of a potential source might be the most concerning?

A) the source was found in a non-refereed journal.
B) the source was a very short research study.
C) the source was published in the 1990s.
D) the source did not contain any data.

Question 10

According to your text, one reason researchers should abstract sources is because

A) it will save time when writing the literature review
B) it assures accuracy in the data analysis.
C) existing abstracts may be in error.
D) it promotes understanding of the research findings.

Question 11

Of the following, which is likely a peer-reviewed source for an instructional design study?

A) a class textbook.
B) a chapter from an edited book.
C) a magazine article.
D) an article in a scholarly journal.

Question 12

The annotating process is conducted

A) with the oldest references first.
B) with the most recent references first.
C) with the review articles first.
D) with the primary sources first.

Question 13

Jose is interested in researching English as a second or other language classes in large middle schools in the mid-western United States. Which of the following keywords would Jose likely use in a database search?

A) Second Language Instruction
B) Learners
C) Middle School
D) United States Education

Question 14

To evaluate a source the first step is to

A) determine the quality of the publication.
B) check the date of publication.
C) identify the source of publication.
D) determine if it fits your research topic.

Question 15

In an ERIC search, the following research label described a potential source: ED52881. Given this label, what is one conclusion that can be drawn about the source?

A) The reference is peer-reviewed.
B) The reference is available to download.
C) The reference is likely a legal case.
D) The reference may be a secondary source.

Question 16

In conducting a recent literature search, a reference in the magazine Psychology Today was included in the list of potential sources. Of the following, which is the most likely database that was accessed for this search?

A) Dissertation abstracts
B) Educational resources information center
C) Psychological abstracts
D) Readers' guide to periodical literature

Question 17

Jim is doing a computer literature search for a motivation study. He has identified the keywords he will use. The next step he will conduct is to

A) select primary sources.
B) select a database he will search.
C) specify his search strategy.
D) download identified sources.

Question 18

Lexx needs primary sources for her research proposal. Which of the following will she likely select?

A) Educational Psychology Review
B) Journal of Experimental Education
C) Encyclopedia of Educational Research
D) A text reviewing pertinent research

Question 19

Sanai needs to review a secondary source to introduce her to the topic of her study on the effects of cooperative learning. Which of the following will she likely select?

A) Journal of Experimental Education
B) Review of Educational Research
C) Child Development
D) Educational Policy Analysis

Question 20

In an ERIC search the following research label described a potential source: EJ32789. Given this label, what is one conclusion can be drawn about the source?

A) The reference is peer-reviewed.
B) The reference is available to download.
C) The reference is likely a journal article.
D) The reference is likely a legal case.

Question 21

Jana was conducting an ERIC database search on studies that have examined teachers beliefs about classroom management strategies in early childhood settings. One promising source had the following label: ED470884. What is one conclusion that you can draw based upon the label.

A) The source is peer-reviewed.
B) The source is a journal article.
C) The source is data driven.
D) The source is an ERIC document.

Question 22

Michele is doing a paper and wants to start with secondary sources. Which of the following is an example of a secondary source?

A) A review paper that summarizes previous articles.
B) A conference paper that presents a study.
C) A journal article that shows a series of experiments.
D) A thesis study conducted on the topic.

Question 23

Which of the following is the largest educational database?

A) ERIC
B) Education Index
C) Wilson Index
D) PsycINFO

Question 24

Chanya needs to start a library search to examine her research topic "A comparison of two types of problem-based learning strategies in post secondary school biological science classes." Which of the following keywords will Chanya likely select in her initial search?

A) Learners
B) Post-secondary students
C) Instruction
D) Problem-based learning

Question 25

Candace, a student in a research methods class, is completing a review of research on early childhood reading interventions that have adequate efficacy data. Of the following, which represents a primary question that Candace should pose as she examines potential sources?

A) Were their findings significant?
B) Did they adequately review the literature?
C) Where were their findings published?
D) Who was the author that conducted the study?

Question 26

Wheldon, is conducting a review of the existing research on community members motivation to serve on school boards. Of the following, which represents a primary question that he should consider as he examines his found sources?

A) What types of motivation is studied?
B) From which institutions were the authors from?
C) Is there a book on the topic?
D) Where were the articles published?

Question 27

Kajol is reviewing the literature on teaching efficacy for his study of collective efficacy in middle school urban schools and has found some potential relationships between collective teaching efficacy research and organizational climate. Of the following, what would you suggest to Kajol regarding the inclusion of this content in his literature review.

A) He should include literature related to variables with relations to teaching efficacy in all settings.
B) He should ignore the organizational climate literature, it is not related enough to his review.
C) He should review only studies that address middle teachers in urban settings in his review.
D) He should mention a potential relationship in his review and provide citations for the reader.

Question 28

Bora is conducting a literature review regarding the relationship between physical condition of schools and student achievement. Of the following, which source is likely the best source for his study?

A) An article in Review of Educational Research
B) A published study in American Educational Research Journal
C) A comprehensive published monograph on the topic
D) A edited volume that overviews the topic from several perspectives

Question 29

Valdez conducted a meta-analysis on the effects of instructional interventions that benefit study strategies of middle school children. In his study he reported a relatively small effect of the interventions. Which of the following is a potential effect size from Valdez's study?

A) -.60
B) .00
C) .21
D) .58

Question 30

Which of the following is a common criticism of meta-analysis?

A) Meta-analysis is descriptive without numerical data
B) Meta-analysis often includes poorly-designed strategies.
B) Meta-analysis only includes experimental studies
C) Meta-analysis is not as systematic as a traditional literature review