Deck 1: Introduction to Communication Research

Question 1

Information literacy skills can boost your ability to:

A) Evaluate a Yelp review about a local restaurant
B) Evaluate the credibility of a research article
C) Evaluate political candidates' arguments supporting public policy proposals
D) All of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which answer is an example of an organization using analytics?

A) A social media site that uses computer-generated algorithms that collect and analyze data on its users
B) A grocery store that gives out free samples to the first 100 customers
C) A mall representative who questions mall customers about their shopping preferences
D) A political party that tracks fund-raising efforts

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which answer describes proprietary research?

A) Findings are available to any interested parties
B) Findings are held confidential by those who conducted the research
C) Findings are published on a public web site
D) Findings are available in a library database

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The university might use benchmarking to determine:

A) How much to raise tuition
B) What kinds of food services to offer
C) Whether students are gaining knowledge and skills from their studies
D) How many professors to employ

Question 5

Theories that are detailed and use formal logic tend to

A) Be based on metaphors
B) Use ideas or stories to represent a process
C) Pay little attention to relationships between concepts
D) Consist of axioms and propositions

Question 6

Accepting the truth or value of an idea because someone we regard as an expert says it is true is:

A) Knowing by authority
B) Knowing by tenacity
C) Knowing on a priori grounds
D) Knowing by the method of science

Question 7

Accepting a common assertion as true, such as the moon affects human moods and behavior, best reflects what method of knowing?

A) Knowing by authority.
B) Knowing by tenacity.
C) Knowing on a priori grounds.
D) Knowing by the method of science.

Question 8

Accepting a common assertion as true before we have direct experience of it based on a previous standard reflects which method of knowing?

A) Knowing by authority.
B) Knowing by tenacity.
C) Knowing on a priori grounds.
D) Knowing by the method of science.

Question 9

Which of the following elements of the research-as-argument model are likely to be found in a research report's literature review?

A) Claim
B) Data
C) Warrant
D) Rules

Question 10

Your state mandates that drivers will not text while driving. Toulmin would call this warrant:

A) A rule
B) A law
C) A principle
D) A formula

Question 11

Whenever you make an argument using research, you need to consider:

A) Who your audience or readers will be
B) How you will write for your audience or readers
C) What distribution outlet you will use to reach your audience or readers
D) All of the above

Question 12

A magazine like Cosmopolitan or Sports Illustrated is a:

A) Trade journal
B) Scholarly journal
C) Popular press publication
D) Both a and c

Question 13

A key difference between scholarly journals and other types of publications is

A) They have a higher article acceptance rate.
B) Their articles are peer-reviewed.
C) They rely on number of readers to establish credibility.
D) They are rarely available electronically

Question 14

If a researcher's goal is to make a lot of people aware of a topic or research problem, then the researcher might decide to publish the research in

A) A scholarly journal
B) A trade journal
C) A popular press publication or book
D) Both a and b

Question 15

Your teacher specifies that you must cite 10 primary sources in your literature review: Which of the following would not be counted as a primary source?

A) A review of communication theory published in Communication Monographs.
B) A survey research report presented at the 2018 National Communication Association meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.
C) A critical essay published in the Quarterly Journal of Speech.
D) An executive summary of a survey study published on Facebook.com.

Question 16

Which of the following elements is not common to all scholarly journal articles?

A) Abstract
B) Literature Review
C) Hypothesis or research question
D) References

Question 17

Which type of primary source manuscript is more likely to be characterized by a detailed and objective tone?

A) Critical essay
B) Research report
C) Executive summary
D) Trade publication

Question 18

A hypothesis is a/an:

A) Prediction about an assumed relationship between 2 or more variables.
B) Educated guess.
C) Conclusion advanced on the basis of empirical evidence.
D) Question about the relationship between 2 or more variables.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of a purpose statement?

A) The more speeches a person gives, the more communication anxiety will decrease.
B) This study reveals how college students experience communication anxiety and the kinds of stories they tell to cope with anxiety.
C) What factors influence a college student's decision to take or avoid a speech communication class?

Question 20

Original research reports and critical essays are most likely to be found in:

A) Popular press publications.
B) Trade journals.
C) Scholarly journals.
D) Industry websites.

Question 21

Describe three ways that your critical thinking and information literacy skills might be improved by taking a course in research methods.

Question 22

Think of a recent argument you made or one you heard another person make. Describe the argument and then identify the elements of the argument using the research-as-argument model. Evaluate the effectiveness of the argument.

Question 23

Identify one strength and one weakness for each everyday way of knowing (i.e., tenacity, authority, a priori).

Question 24

Discuss the similarities and differences between research reports and critical essays (e.g., elements, characteristics).