Deck 22: Evaluating a Research Report

Question 1

Milton recently reported on a survey study that he conducted with High School students. In his work, he was particularly interested in how many high carbohydrate items athletes consume during a day while they are training. In his report he does not convey why the number of high carbohydrate items is of relevance to the related literature on student athletes. This omission is a flaw primarily in which of the following components of a research report.

A) Method
B) Results
C) Discussion
D) Introduction

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Judy forgot to mention that the survey she used in her dissertation employed a seven-point Likert Scale. This omission is a weakness in which section of her
Report?

A) Participants
B) Design and procedures
C) Instruments
D) Results

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A recent publication in the Journal of Interesting Research stated that based upon their experimental findings, children should only go to school 5 hours a day.
While there were tables and inferential statistics presented that illustrated a
Comparison between 5 hour a day children and 7 hour a day children, there was
No discussion of how the study was conducted. This omission illustrates a flaw
In the

A) review of related literature.
B) interpretation of the findings.
C) design and procedure.
D) conclusions and recommendations.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Of the following questions one might ask when critiquing a research study, which is a concern for the instruments section?

A) Is the relevancy of the references explained?
B) Are the size and characteristics of the sample described?
C) Are generalizations consistent with the result?
D) Are subtest reliabilities provided?

Question 5

Brandon is confused. He just read a study where the research questions examined gender differences and the analysis used was Spearman's rho. It
Appears that there is a flaw in which section of the research report?

A) results
B) discussion
C) method
D) introduction

Question 6

The section of a report where the generalizations are critiqued is the

A) results
B) discussion.
C) method.
D) introduction.

Question 7

Ya-ling was reading a research report on the challenges learners' face when reading diagrams in science textbooks. She was really interested in the research but questioned the instructional materials that the participants were given. It appears that they may have been much too hard for the participants to read. Since the author did not adequately describe the materials, Ya-ling has identified a potential flaw in the __________ of this research report.

A) introduction
B) references
C) methodology
D) results

Question 8

Recently, Sam was reading a study that addressed the benefits of the structure strategy in text comprehension. The study was well designed but Sam was
Surprised that Meyer's relevant 1998 article was not mentioned in the study. Sam
Has indicated a flaw in the _______ of the article.

A) problem statement
B) review of related literature
C) hypotheses statements
D) design and procedure

Question 9

The portion of a research report where the educational significance of the problem is presented is the

A) introduction.
B) review of related literature.
C) hypotheses.
D) method.

Question 10

Marci is reviewing a manuscript submitted for publication. The study is somewhat interesting but the authors don't 'make a case' that it is relevant to
Research or practice. Given this flaw, in her review, Marci indicated that the
Authors should focus on revisions to the

A) introduction.
B) method.
C) results.
D) procedures.

Question 11

When reading a recent journal article Juan was confused. It seems the author used the term self-determination in a way that was not consistent with Juan's
Previous understanding of self-determination but Juan wasn't quite sure because
The author did not operationalize his variables. The author should have included
Operational definitions of his variables in the ____________ of his article.

A) introduction
B) method
C) results
D) discussion

Question 12

In reading a recent article, you note that there is no research topic of study presented. This is a flaw in the _____________ of the report.

A) introduction
B) method
C) results
D) discussion

Question 13

In reviewing a manuscript relevant to your thesis you find that it is very similar to a study conducted two years prior to the publication date. The authors of the two studies are different and the sample populations are from different Universities, but both studies address the transition of migrant students to large land grant Universities. You are concerned that the authors of the second publication did not reference the first publication in their work. This can be most directly attributed to a flaw in which section of the second publication's report.

A) Introduction
B) Method
C) Results
D) Discussion

Question 14

Cindy conducted a path analysis for her thesis. She is most concerned about addressing which of the following questions in her report?

A) Is a rationale given for selection of predictor variables?
B) Are the qualifications and special training of the interviewers described?
C) Was the level of inter-observer reliability obtained from at least two independent raters?
D) Were groups randomly formed and the use of existing groups avoided?

Question 15

Janet is interested in response to intervention in a sixth-grade child with autism. She employs a case study methodology. Of the following, which is something that is critical for her to include in her research report?

A) Tables of the quantitative research results.
B) A rationale for selecting this case for study.
C) A description of how Janet is passionate about the study.
D) The psychometric properties of the instruments used.

Question 16

Of the following, which question is relevant when critiquing a narrative study?

A) Are the characteristics that differentiate the groups clearly defined or described?
B) Are sources of invalidity associated with the design identified and discussed?
C) Are generalizations consistent with the results?
D) Is there a rationale for the choice of individual to study the chose phenomenon?

Question 17

At a recent conference, Frank questioned the authors of a research report who had used a test designed for middle school learners with a second-grade sample.
Frank has addressed a flaw in which aspect of the study?

A) instruments
B) participants
C) results
D) introduction

Question 18

Sam read a recent publication and shared it with his class. One of the other students asked how many participants were in the study and Sam told her he
Wasn't quite sure because the article said that 900 surveys were sent out but never
Stated how many were returned. This is a weakness in the ______________
Section of the report.

A) design and procedure
B) participants
C) results
D) discussion

Question 19

The section where the application of the qualitative method chosen is described in the report is the

A) introduction.
B) design and procedure.
C) conclusion and implications.
D) results.

Question 20

Dave is reviewing a manuscript submitted for publication. The paper describes a study that assessed the attitudes of pre-service teachers about their student
Teaching experience. Which of the following questions is important for Dave to
Ask himself regarding the study?

A) Was an appropriate experimental design selected?
B) Were control procedures applied to equate groups on extraneous variables?
C) Was the questionnaire pretested?
D) Were efforts made to overcome observer bias and observer effect?

Question 21

Tim read a study that examined whether teacher-provided verbal signals helped students retain information from lectures. Tim noticed that the researchers had
Made sure that an equal number of both high and low ability learners were in
Each condition. This is a strength in this ______________ researcher report.

A) observational
B) correlational
C) survey
D) causal-comparative

Question 22

Nick, a qualitative researcher, is finalizing his research report. He needs to add a piece about his purposive sampling technique. Where should Nick place this information in his report?

A) results
B) instrument
C) participants
D) design and procedures

Question 23

In reviewing a study about the benefits of daily silent reading for third grade students' comprehension skills, Sandra noted that the authors did not provide the amount of time the students read daily or for how long the study was conducted. The authors should have reported this information in the ________________ section of their report.

A) Introduction
B) Methods
C) Results
D) Discussion

Question 24

Aaron conducted a study that examined teachers' views about a new test mandated by the State. He provides a questionnaire and then conducts follow up interviews. It is unclear in his report, however, whether the data from the interviews or the questionnaire form the basis for his conclusions. Of the following, this lack of clarity most directly demonstrates a problem with Aaron's ____________.

A) Introduction
B) Abstract
C) Methods
D) Discussion

Question 25

Charles read a study that examined the effects of animation on learning science
text content. There were three groups in the study. Students were randomly
selected from a 10^th grade science class and randomly assigned to a condition. One
group received a text only, the other group received a text and an animation, the
third group received only the animation. Five students were in each condition.
ANOVA indicated significant differences between groups and post hoc analysis
revealed the animation only group performed better than the other two
conditions.
The study Charles read is an example of an) _______________ study.

A) survey
B) correlational
C) experimental
D) prediction

Question 26

Charles read a study that examined the effects of animation on learning science
text content. There were three groups in the study. Students were randomly
selected from a 10^th grade science class and randomly assigned to a condition. One
group received a text only, the other group received a text and an animation, the
third group received only the animation. Five students were in each condition.
ANOVA indicated significant differences between groups and post hoc analysis
revealed the animation only group performed better than the other two
conditions.
One critique of the study is the number of students in each condition. This is primarily a critique for which section of the research report?

A) participants
B) instruments
C) procedures
D) discussion

Question 27

Which is a concern for inclusion in the method section of a quantitative research report?

A) The purposive sampling strategy used.
B) The previous existing related research.
C) Recommendations for future research.
D) The control procedures used in the study.

Question 28

Hilary needs to include in her study a statement about response rate. What type of research did Hilary likely conduct?

A) Questionnaire
B) Ethnography
C) Experimental
D) Correlational

Question 29

Yuki read a study that compared pre- and post-test performance between two different in-service training methods for teaching emergency first aid to teachers.
She really found the study interesting but there was no description of how the
Two treatment groups were formed. This is a flaw in this _______________
Research report.

A) survey
B) observational
C) experimental
D) correlational

Question 30

Kristin is writing up her research and has provided rationale for why she elected to use a within-subjects design. Most of the previous research had used a between-subjects design. What type of research did Kristin likely conduct?

A) Experimental
B) Correlational
C) Narrative
D) Mixed methods

Question 31

Mo conducted an interview study and is writing up her report. Which of the following is of importance to Mo in her research report?

A) Is the criterion variable well defined?
B) Was an appropriate experimental design selected?
C) Is the method used to record responses described?
D) Were possible reactive arrangements controlled for?

Question 32

Sal is worried that he ahs not addressed validity enough in his research report and adds a section on triangulation. Where should Sal add this information?

A) results
B) instruments
C) participants
D) design and procedures

Question 33

Susan examined differences in students' sustained independent reading time between classrooms with and without a paraprofessional in the room and is
Writing her report. She is likely concerned with which of the following questions
Related to her causal-comparative study?

A) Is a rationale given for selection of predictor variables?
B) Were the sources of data related to the problem mostly primary?
C) Was the resulting prediction equation validated with another group?
D) Is the independent variable clearly defined or described?

Question 34

Vince recently critiqued a study that asked nonnative speaking parents about their educational aspirations for their children. The study did not ascertain,
However, that the target population, the parents, could read the questionnaire, which was
Written in English. This illustrates a flaw in the ____________ section of the
Research report.

A) design
B) hypothesis
C) instruments
D) participants

Question 35

Taryn has conducted a study on pre-kindergarten children's displays of cultural awareness. She observes three individual students within a class of fifteen preschoolers. In the report of her study, it is unclear if the target of her investigation is the children or the classroom. This is a flaw most directly related to the report of her __________research.

A) Causal-comparative
B) Survey
C) Case-study
D) Experiemental

Question 36

Marv needs to add a section indicating his 'full cycle' in the field to his research report. What type of research did Marv likely conduct?

A) Narrative
B) Ethnographic
C) Experimental
D) Correlational

Question 37

Amber recently read a research report that described a study that investigated the benefits of a mnemonic strategy for special education learners. She would like to replicate the study but there was little information about the mnemonic strategy
Included. This lack of information illustrates a concern with the ____________
Section of the report?

A) introduction
B) discussion
C) results
D) method

Question 38

Which is NOT a concern for inclusion in an abstract?

A) Are the procedures described?
B) Is the problem restated?
C) Is the design used identified?
D) Are they hypothesis clearly stated?

Question 39

When Michelle got to the method section of the study she reviewed for a class assignment she found that the researchers had clearly described the questionnaire
And the pilot procedures used to test the items. This is a strength of this
__________ research report.

A) observational
B) correlational
C) survey
D) causal-comparative

Question 40

Won recently read the abstract of a research report of a study that investigated academic procrastination. Of the following, which is information she should absolutely know after reading the abstract?

A) Whether the study was qualitative or quantitative
B) The psychometric properties of the instrument used in the study.
C) The most relevant recent publication related to the study.
D) The demographic information and ethnicity of the participants in the study.

Question 41

Willa conducted a study on the effects of violent television viewing on choice of playground activity. Her data indicated no support for her research hypothesis
That those children that watched violent television played more aggressively on
The playground. Interestingly, however, although not related to her hypothesis,
She found that children who watched violent television played on the playground
For a shorter amount of time when compared to children who did not watch
Violent television. How should Willa address this finding?

A) Change her hypothesis statements to include a hypothesis about duration of playground activity.
B) Add the analysis to the results section and discuss the finding in the conclusions and recommendations section.
C) Rewrite the research problem to include duration of play as a variable of interest in the study.
D) Address the finding in the conclusions and recommendations section and suggest future work that addresses duration of play as a variable.

Question 42

Tom conducted a study that examined gender differences in ability to learn physics concepts from computer games. In his study he found men learned better
From games than the women. He hadn't, however, controlled for amount of game
Playing or interest in physics. These lack of controls are a flaw in Tom's

A) survey study.
B) causal-comparative study.
C) correlational study.
D) experimental study.

Question 43

Quidera conducted a study in her classroom. She has been frustrated by the lack of time management skills of her graduating seniors. She implemented a required assignment notebook and planner program for two months and observed the effects on students' homework completion. Quidera's study can best be described as

A) action research.
B) narrative research.
C) experimental research.
D) ethnographical research.

Question 44

The question of whether data are time constrained is most relevant to which of the following types of research?

A) Experimental
B) Causal-comparative
C) Mixed methods
D) Single subject

Question 45

Jill reported in her research that there were significant differences between males and females on several items of a personality inventory. She conducted many t-
Tests on a relatively small sample, without correcting for error rate problems. This
Best illustrates a flaw in Jill's

A) instruments.
B) design and procedures.
C) results.
D) conclusions and recommendations.

Question 46

Tobin conducted a study in which he randomly assigned participants to two treatment conditions to test if there were differences by treatment on the number of classroom referrals. He then interviewed selected students regarding their experiences with the two treatments. In the results section of his study it is unclear at times from which data he has drawn his conclusions. This flaw is most directly related to reporting of ____________ research study.

A) Experimental
B) Mixed methods
C) Narrative
D) Corrleational

Question 47

Fred reported on his qualitative study that investigated perceptions of higher-education by high-achieving but low SES students. In his report he does
Not provide any information about the context of the study. This is primarily a
Concern regarding his

A) instruments.
B) hypothesis.
C) analysis.
D) design and procedure.

Question 48

Samantha was disappointed when she finished reading a survey study that assessed principals' hiring practices. The authors had drawn conclusions but had
Not indicated any frequency distributions for items so Samantha was unsure how
The conclusions were supported. This is primarily a problem with the
______________ section of the research report.

A) problem statement
B) hypothesis
C) method
D) results

Question 49

Diane read a research report of a study that used a translated version of a measure used in French Canadian schools in an English-speaking population in Nebraska.
There was little information about the approach the researchers took to
Translation and no mention of a pilot test. While this might be a flaw in the
Instrumentation of the study it is also a flaw in the

A) hypothesis
B) analysis.
C) design and procedure.
D) problem statement.

Question 50

Jackie wants to examine teachers' efficacy for her dissertation project. She has consulted with her committee and they have suggested that Jackie must make it clear how her qualitative and quantitative data relate. Which of the following types of research study does Jackie propose?

A) Ethnographic
B) Mixed methods
C) Experimental
D) Correlational

Question 51

Chyleen owns a child care center for young children. She conducted a study of parents' perceptions of the need for structure in early learning environments. She was careful to report how her findings would benefit her practice as an early childhood learning professional. Chyleen's research would best be described as

A) ethnographic.
B) experimental.
C) action.
D) correlational.

Question 52

Of the following, which is a concern for correlational studies in particular?

A) Is the method used to record responses described?
B) Is the rationale for variable selection described?
C) Is a rationale for the design selection given?
D) Is the method for group formation described?

Question 53

Marjorie conducted a study of students' views of race relations in America. She did not, however, share information about her participants. Marjorie has demonstrated

A) a threat to internal validity.
B) a threat to external validity.
C) a threat to statistical conclusion validity.
D) a threat to reliability.

Question 54

Donna, a reading specialist, compared reading motivation between two fifth grade classes. For one class she provided a free selection of books of their
Choice. For the other class she pre-selected the books for the students. Her
Hypothesis was that students given more choice in the library would have higher
Motivation to read. Her hypothesis was supported. Lisa, when reading her report, wondered if there were pre-existing differences between the classes that were not
Considered or if there were extraneous variables not addressed. These oversights
In Donna's work are primarily a problem with her

A) participants.
B) hypothesis.
C) design and procedure.
D) Instruments.

Question 55

Ron is reviewing a qualitative study. Which of the following should be of concern to his review?

A) Is the deductive logic applied to the data to produce results stated in detail?
B) Is the rationale for variable selection described?
C) Were any control procedures used to equate the groups on extraneous variables?
D) Are sources of invalidity associated with the design identified and discussed?

Question 56

Maria has turned in her honor's thesis that considers the prevalence of ability grouping in local intermediate grades. One of her readers questions the prompts that might have been provided to the participants and how the participants' responses were coded. Given this information, what type of study did Maria conduct for her thesis?

A) Causal-Comparative
B) Ethnographic
C) Mixed Methods
D) Experimental

Question 57

In several studies in a recent edition of a peer-reviewed journal, there is no reference in the articles about the ethnicity or race of the samples. There is a flaw
In the _______________ portion of the articles.

A) instruments
B) participants
C) analysis
D) design and procedures

Question 58

When reviewing a research report that examined on-task behavior of ADHD children in various settings, Sue was confused because the data did not support
The recommendations for practice provided by the researchers. This
Overgeneralization is a flaw in the ______________ in the report.

A) statement of hypothesis
B) conclusions and recommendations
C) design and procedures
D) review of related literature

Question 59

Monique read a study that included the use of eye-movement technology to collect data from young learning disabled readers. She would really like to
Replicate the study with an older population but there was no information about
The technology used in the study. This is considered a flaw in the

A) participants.
B) design and procedure.
C) analysis.
D) discussion.

Question 60

Ntozake conducted a study in which she observed bullying in a middle school physical education environment. She conducted the study over a three-week time period. This may not have been long enough to combat observer effects. This illustrates which of the following concerns with conclusions from Ntozake's study?

A) An instrumentation threat
B) An internal validity threat
C) A history threat
D) An external validity threat

Question 61

Eliza takes care to illustrate in her research report how long she was in the field and how she has minimized observer effects.
Damik recently finished his dissertation on metacognition. At his defense one of his committee members suggested that he had not clearly defined the relationship between self-regulation and metacognition. This concern with Damik's work is most directly related to the __________ of the study.

A) external validity
B) internal validity
C) reliability
D) ethical standards

Question 62

Eliza takes care to illustrate in her research report how long she was in the field and how she has minimized observer effects.
Ai-mu conducted a study on recent immigrants' opinions of schools in America. She is careful to report her training and abilities to conduct the research in her manuscript. By so doing, Ai-mu is specifically addressing

A) threats to internal validity.
B) threats to external validity.
C) reliability.
D) ethics concerns

Question 63

Eliza takes care to illustrate in her research report how long she was in the field and how she has minimized observer effects.
Jen recently conducted an observational study of athletes' motivation for a class she took at the University. Unknown to her at the beginning of the study, one of the participants in her study was the professor's daughter. Jen will need to report this ethical concern in which section of her qualitative research report?

A) Results
B) Discussion
C) Method
D) Abstract

Question 64

A guiding hypothesis is likely to be found in which of the following type of research study?

A) Qualitative
B) Causal-comparative
C) Correlational
D) Experimental

Question 65

Ar-Mu'min has conducted a study that examines teachers' understandings of child development. He is certain to present how he gained entry into the research site and how he coded his data. Which of the following is the most likely type of research that Ar-Mu'min has conducted?

A) Ethnographic
B) Experimental
C) Correlational
D) Causal-comparative

Question 66

Eliza takes care to illustrate in her research report how long she was in the field and how she has minimized observer effects.
LuAnn, a child development researcher, recently conducted a study in a hospital nursery to examine the feeding habits of newborn babies. She did not tell parents her identity or the purpose of her work when she asked them questions. This concern with LuAnn's study is most directly related to a concern with

A) external validity.
B) internal validity.
C) reliability.
D) ethical concerns.

Question 67

Eliza takes care to illustrate in her research report how long she was in the field and how she has minimized observer effects.
Which of the following types of research did Eliza most likely conduct?

A) Experimental
B) Action
C) Correlational
D) Ethnography

Question 68

Yaseen's research has addressed middle school students' body image. He is sure to include information about how he selected the scale that he used. One of the drawbacks of his study is that the scale had previously only been used with older populations. Yaseen should include this information in which of the following sections of his research report?

A) Literature review
B) Instruments
C) Results
D) Participants

Question 69

Eliza takes care to illustrate in her research report how long she was in the field and how she has minimized observer effects.
In her efforts to address these concerns, Eliza is most directly addressing

A) threats to internal validity.
B) threats to external validity.
C) ethics concerns
D) reliability