Question 1

Which of the following is TRUE of academic research?

Accepted Answer

A) The goal of most academic research is for the researcher to learn. 
B) Its starting point is typically a specific question or problem. 
C) The aim of the research is to find, analyze, and organize information that will solve a problem. 
D) The skills required for it are not applicable to workplace research. 
E) It in no way prepares you for the research you will need to do in the workplace.

Question 2

The web search "* adopts flex-time schedule" would yield which of the following results?

Accepted Answer

A) "Value-Mart adopts flex-time schedule" 
B) "Flex-time schedule adopted by Vandelay Industries" 
C) "Many firms leery of adopting flex-time schedule" 
D) "Office World implements flex-time schedule" 
E) "Flex-time schedule adopted by more and more firms"

Question 3

Using an online database like LexisNexis to search for articles on your topic ________.

Accepted Answer

A) is not as effective as doing a Google search 
B) allows you to search publications not available through a Google search 
C) is less expensive but more time-consuming than a Google search 
D) leads you to articles that are less reliable than web pages 
E) does not allow you access to articles from newspaper and magazines

Question 4

All of the following are advantages of looking at books in a school library EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

A) they usually have the newest titles, and if they don't have a book that you want they can order it and get it for you right away 
B) if you find a book that is useful for your research, you can browse the area around it on the shelves to find similar titles 
C) librarians and faculty have determined that the books on the shelves are worthy of being in the library's collection 
D) the libraries' online catalogs allow you to do key word searches using many of the same techniques you use for a web search 
E) if your library doesn't have a book that you want you may be able to do an inter-library loan

Question 5

You are researching solutions to a problem at your business and it appears that the in-depth research that you want has not already been done. In this situation, ________.

Accepted Answer

A) shutting down the research project is your only choice 
B) performing tertiary research is required 
C) composing a survey to elicit this information yourself is an option 
D) interviewing experts in the field is not a choice 
E) conducting primary research is not recommended

Question 6

At your company a number of routine office tasks are loosely shared among entry-level employees, who perform these duties in addition to their specific job descriptions. This often results in tasks being done late, poorly, or not at all. You suggest to your boss that outsourcing this work might be a good idea. He is interested and asks you to research and recommend a service provider.
-As you prepare to analyze the research question and topic, which of the following would be your best first move?

Accepted Answer

A) considering whether there are options other than outsourcing this work 
B) asking entry-level employees how they feel about doing these tasks 
C) calling a few outsourcing service providers to get quotes from them 
D) finding out whether any of your competitors outsource this kind of work 
E) comparing the specific terms of a few different outsourcing service providers

Question 7

When doing background research on your topic, asking, "What else exists that serves similar purposes?" is a question about the topic's ________.

Accepted Answer

A) categories 
B) history 
C) popularity 
D) appeal 
E) context and structure

Question 8

Your colleague tells you that Wikipedia ________.

Accepted Answer

A) is an acceptable source for background information only 
B) will be considered as a highly credible source by your professional audience 
C) should be avoided in favour of sources like professional journals and websites 
D) is a more professional source than a national newspaper 
E) is a source that your professional audience will expect you to consult

Question 9

Online information is so accessible today that books have become obsolete for research purposes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Instead of just investigating which new computers your company should buy, you decide to also explore options like leasing equipment or upgrading your current machines. This means that you have narrowed down your research questions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Using the search string "cake recipe" - "egg" in a search engine would yield results ________.

Accepted Answer

A) about eggs that are not cake recipes 
B) of cake recipes that mention eggs 
C) about cake recipes or eggs, but not both 
D) of cake recipes that do not mention eggs 
E) about excluding cake from one's diet

Question 12

Given your company's particular situation, which of the following options would likely be the best choice?

Accepted Answer

A) doing telephone surveys with a targeted sample 
B) doing face-to-face interviews with a convenience sample 
C) doing a print survey with a random sample 
D) doing a web survey with the entire population 
E) doing an email survey with a random sample

Question 13

The ________ process is designed to ensure that articles in academic journals are accurate and honest.

Accepted Answer

A) random sample 
B) peer review 
C) primary source 
D) scope limitation 
E) survey population

Question 14

The work plan ________.

Accepted Answer

A) is created before you establish the scope of your research 
B) involves setting the limitations of your research 
C) must not be modified as you find alternative solutions to your problem 
D) does not need to be organized sequentially by due date 
E) should not include space for recording results

Question 15

If you perform a search using both of the following phrases "health insurance plans" and "freelance workers," the search engine will ________.

Accepted Answer

A) give you sites that include either exact phrase 
B) only give you sites that include both exact phrases 
C) give you sites that include any of these five words anywhere on the page 
D) only give you sites that include all five of these words anywhere on the page 
E) only give you sites that include the first phrase and exclude the second

Question 16

Building your reference list as you research ________.

Accepted Answer

A) is an inefficient way to proceed 
B) is impossible in light of the prevalence of online research 
C) will ensure that you can find the information when you need it again 
D) is recommended unless you are using a software program to organize sources 
E) will waste time as you prepare your final report

Question 17

Which of the following questions is recommended for evaluating the authorship of a source?

Accepted Answer

A) Do other sources agree with this information? 
B) Is the source published by a reputable press or is the website sponsored by a reputable organization? 
C) Does the author acknowledge and respond to opposing points of view? 
D) How current is this information? 
E) Does the source provide a copyright?

Question 18

Interviews ________.

Accepted Answer

A) must take place between exactly two people 
B) do not give the researcher the opportunity to delve deeply into answers 
C) limit participants to predefined responses 
D) can be done by email 
E) are less time consuming than surveys

Question 19

At the outset of your project when you define research activities for your research questions, you will know whether or not you will need to conduct primary research. Is this true? Explain why or why not.

Accepted Answer

The answer of At the outset of your project when...

Question 20

You enter the phrase flex-time schedule into Google and get about 313,000 results. Trying your search again, this time with quotation marks around your phrase, and entering "flex time schedule" ________.

Accepted Answer

A) should not be done if you need an exact match 
B) will likely dramatically increase the number of results 
C) will result in a list of resources including that identical phrase 
D) will yield results that include any of those three words anywhere on the page 
E) will reduce the number of results by excluding words from your search

Exam 10: Finding and Evaluating Business Information