020 - Chapter 20 - Praxis 5039 (Chapter Test)

Why is it important to consult a recent MLA style guide before you begin formatting your paper?

Updates are sometimes made to the MLA style guide. Explanation Updates to MLA style may occur so it is important to consult a recent style guide before you begin citing. Even if you think you know MLA formatting, it's possible something has changed since your last paper.

With regard to education and schooling, what does research mean?

an investigation or study of a particular topic in order to draw some sort of conclusion; Explanation This is the correct definition for research. In an educational setting, you choose a single topic to investigate in order to draw a conclusion or make a point about it.

Which of these on a website URL might give the source more credibility?

.edu; Explanation Another way to check the authority of a source is to look at the website's URL. If a website ends with .edu, you'll know it's affiliated with an educational organization, while a .gov website means it is a governmental site.

How should references be listed in the APA reference list?

In alphabetical order according to the author's last name. Explanation The references should be placed in alphabetical order according to the author's last name.

Consider the following: This argument was emphasized by Thompson (1992:12). Why is this NOT a correct way to format an MLA in-text citation, and how should it be properly cited?

The year of publication is not necessary; it should be Thompson (12) to reference the page number. Explanation The pieces of information you'll need to know when creating an in-text citation for your paper are: the name of the author (or authors) of the work you're citing and the page number on which the information you're using can be found. The year of publication is NOT necessary.

What is the most important first step when planning a research paper?

Understanding the assignment; Explanation First of all, before you begin writing a research paper, it is important to understand the assignment.

All of the following criteria are indicative of a properly-formatted MLA Works Cited page EXCEPT:

Citations should be listed in the order in which they appear in your paper. Explanation Citations should NOT be listed in the order they appear in your paper. Instead, list citations in alphabetical order.

Why can the recency of sources be an important factor in evaluating an article?

It helps in judging the reliability of the article. Explanation A document is more likely to be a reliable source of information if it has been published within the past few years and contains recent sources, but that does not mean you can never use an article older than 5 years.

Assuming the letter X is the number of the footnote, which of the following is a proper example of a CMS footnote?

X. Bob Jones, Painting Introduction (St. Louis: ZZ Publishing House, 2009), 29. Explanation The footnote should look like the one on your screen. First, we see the footnote number. Next, we see the author's first and then last name written out. Following the comma, we see the title of the book and in parentheses the place of publication, colon, then publisher and year of the publication for a book. After the parentheses, we see the page number where information we cited can be found on.

Jane is writing an essay for her English 101 course. She has a lot of arguments in mind and she is trying to select which sources she should use. Which of the following would be the MOST reputable source?

A paper by Thompson, J. published in the Journal of Philosophy, that is a peer reviewed journal. Explanation One of the highest levels of source materials you can use in academic writing is articles found in peer reviewed scholarly journals. Therefore, Jane should use the paper published in the Journal of Philosophy.

Which research material can be found in library databases such as EBSCO?

Academic journal articles; Explanation Academic journals are usually accessed through library databases such as EBSCO. Most universities offer free online access to these databases as part of tuition.

Which of these helps you judge the authority of an article?

Credibility of the author and the source. Explanation If the author has credentials in the field of the article, then the research is more likely to be credible. Also, your research is more credible if it comes from a source that has no clear leanings on one side of an issue and is unbiased.

Which of the following is NOT a question to ask yourself for determining if you need to cite a source?

Does this sound like it came from me? Explanation A good rule of thumb for determining if you need to cite a source is to ask yourself these simple questions: 1.) How do I know this information? 2.) Am I presenting this information as a fact? 3.) When I typed this information into a search engine, did I find sources who published this?

There are two steps to properly citing your sources. The first is the _____, which gives the reader brief information about where the information came from. The reader can then use the _____ to find more detailed information on that source.

In-text citation; Works Cited Page; Explanation In-text citations, or parenthetical citations, are notations in the actual body of your paper providing short notes about the source you've used right after the information that you've borrowed from that source. A page listing all sources with detailed information about where to locate them, can be found on the Works Cited page.

Which of the following is the proper reference page APA citation for the book The Spellbinder's Gift by Og Mandino?

Mandino, O. (1995). The spellbinder's gift. Random House, Inc. Explanation Mandino, O. (1995). The spellbinder's gift. Random House, Inc. This is the correct answer because the first piece of information listed is the name of the author, followed by the year the book was published in parentheses and a period following the year of publication. Next is the title of the book (only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized on the reference page), followed by the publisher.

Your research question is: 'What is the effect of television viewing on Americans?' What is the PROBABLE reason that this question would need some revision.

The question is too broadly focused. Explanation With a broad focus such as this, it will not give anyone a basic answer about any type of specific question. Perhaps it would be a good starting point for a research project, but for it to be meaningful it needs to have a more specific and narrow purpose.

Which of the following is NOT a standard formatting requirement for an MLA-style paper?

The title of the page should be in all capital letters and underlined. Explanation MLA-style standard formatting does NOT require that the title of the page be in all capital letters and underlined. The title of your page should be centered and not use special formatting: no italics, bold, all caps, etc.

Which of the following is NOT a reason why formulating a research question is one of the first steps in a research project?

It helps in choosing a topic for research. Explanation Choosing a topic will help guide the rest of the process. The topic selection must be the first step in the process, or the process will misguided from the start.

Which of the following statements supports the inclusion of a bibliography to enhance the credibility of the writer?

A bibliography allows the reader to conduct a well-informed critique of the writer's research. Referenced sources offer evidence of who or what may have influenced the researcher's point of view. The bibliography gives evidence to the depth of the writer's research. Explanation All of these answers support using a bibliography to enhance the credibility of the writer.

Which of the following is the correct APA format for citing the date a journal source was published?

(2012). Explanation The year the journal article was published needs to be put into parentheses, followed by a period. Therefore the correct answer is: (2012).

Which of the following BEST describes an annotated bibliography?

A citation of a source along with a brief description and evaluation of the source. Explanation An annotated bibliography gives the citation of each source you consulted along with a brief description and evaluation of the source.

Which of the following separates a title and subtitle in APA formatting?

A colon. Explanation If there is a subtitle, it will follow a colon and the first word of the subtitle is capitalized, along with any proper nouns.

What is a bibliography?

A list of works utilized by an individual when researching a topic. Explanation A 'bibliography' is used in an academic setting. It's referring to a list of sources, or works, used by the author to inform their work on a given topic.

What are the two most common formatting styles for a bibliography?

APA & MLA; Explanation The two most common types of formatting are APA and MLA, followed by Chicago formatting.

Which of the following is an example of proper APA capitalization for the title of an authored book on the reference page?

Appleseed, J. (1992). The best spots for planting: Apple trees in America. Made-Up Publishing Company. Explanation Appleseed, J. (1992). The best spots for planting: Apple trees in America. Made-Up Publishing Company. This is the correct answer because on the reference page sentence case is used and only the first word of the title and any proper names are capitalized. All words in the publisher should be capitalized.

The topic assigned for your research paper is analyzing the spread of a newly-discovered, communicable air-borne disease. Why might a book NOT be the best source for the number of people currently infected?

Books are written well in advance of publication and data may not be updated. Explanation Books are used for in-depth research but usually do not have the most current information.

When writing a paper, how do you go about making the reference material you've used your own?

By synthesizing what you have learned and sharing insights not found in your research. Explanation So how do we make it our own? By synthesizing what we have learned and sharing insights not found in our research.

The initials CMS stands for:

Chicago Manual of Style Explanation The Chicago Manual of Style, also known as CMS, covers manuscript preparation and publication, grammar, and documentation.

Which of the following is an important step to remember when using the new-found knowledge from your reference material?

Cite your sources. Explanation We always give credit where credit is due, so make sure to cite your sources.

A research question:

Focuses and guides the research project. Explanation A question is essential to the formation of a research project because it guides the research in a certain direction. It is important to not make it too broad of a scope of questioning so that a specific answer can be found.

Which of the following is true about including a Works Cited page?

It is required if you have borrowed words or ideas from any sources. Explanation All sources in which you borrowed words or ideas must be included on a Works Cited page.

Peter is referencing a study in the Journal of Anthropology for his History 102 paper. Why is this an example of a secondary source?

He is quoting information from an existing study. Explanation If someone is quoting another person, this is called a secondary source. Because Peter is quoting from an existing study that was published in the Journal of Anthropology, we consider this to be a secondary source.

Your research question is 'Do violent people watch violent television, and do nonviolent people watch nonviolent television?' We decide to remove 'do nonviolent people watch nonviolent television?' from this question. Why?

It makes the question too broad. Explanation Violent people are typically easier to identify than nonviolent people because they are more likely to have police involvement or other type of evidence of their actions.

Why do some individuals prefer the CMS style?

It offers flexibility. Explanation CMS is preferred by many because it has built-in flexibility within the style, something appreciated by creative individuals.

Which of the following areas is the last step in your writing process?

Make it your own. Explanation We can't produce a writing made completely of citations from other people. We have to add something unique and new, building upon the information we learned in our research, in order to make it our own.

What does MLA stand for?

Modern Language Association Explanation MLA stands for Modern Language Association, and MLA format refers to the format the association created that is commonly used in many areas of academic writing, particularly in the humanities.

For which type(s) of reference materials does Google News have indexes?

Newspaper and online news information; Explanation Google News has indexes of newspapers and scanned images of articles.

What name is given to a piece of research which is reviewed by experts in a field review before it is published in an academic periodical?

Peer-reviewed research. Explanation It is called peer-reviewed research because expert peers of the author will read and review the article judging it worthy to be published in an academic periodical.

MLA has a series of rules for documenting your sources and completing a Works Cited page. Which of the following is NOT one of MLA's rules for creating a Works Cited page?

Single space the entries in your Works Cited page. Explanation Single spacing entries is NOT one of the MLA rules. However, it is required to double space the entire Works Cited page with no extra spaces between separate source entries.

A student is writing a research question. What should his/her first step be?

Specifying what the question is about; Explanation Specifying a research question must be the first step in the process. It will help to ensure a correct answer for the question and guide the direction of the information that is needed.

There are a variety of reasons why an author may choose to include a bibliography with their work; all of the following are reasons to write a bibliography except

The author feels that the topic isn't important enough to do further research. Explanation The major reason for using a bibliography is to inform your reader on how widely you researched the topic on which you're writing; therefore, an author feeling as if the topic is not important enough to due further research is NOT a reason to write a bibliography.

Where should your bibliography appear?

The bibliography should be the last page before the index. Explanation Your bibliography should be the last page of your paper before the index. It should be labeled 'Bibliography' if using a bibliography and notes style.

Which of these applies to checking for the accuracy of a source?

The information can be verified. The information is supported by facts. The information is free of bias. There are no spelling or grammar errors. Explanation An accurate source is verifiable, supported by facts, free of bias, and also free of spelling or grammar errors.

In a footnote, what is the size of the footnote number?

The same size as the rest of the text. Explanation This question is asking about the footnote section at the bottom of the page, not the in text numbering of the note.

What differentiates academic journal articles from magazines?

They are peer-reviewed. Explanation Magazines are written by journalists and published for the general audience. They are not peer-reviewed and usually are not as well received for supportive documentation, unlike academic journal articles.

When checking for plagiarism, what is the purpose of searching a piece of information in a search engine?

To find the sources which published the information you are using. Explanation Doing a search of information you originally thought you just made up will let you realize you may have been exposed to it before and allow you to find the sources that actually published the information.

What does it mean to plagiarize?

To steal or pass off the ideas or words of another as your own. Explanation Plagiarism means 'to steal or pass off the work of others as your own' - to not give credit where credit is due.

Do you need to cite a source when paraphrasing information using your own words?

Yes, always. Explanation The answer is always yes. Although you are paraphrasing information, you are still using knowledge you gained from the work of someone else. Even if you are evaluating, critiquing or discounting the work of someone else, you need to cite the information you got from that individual.

When writing a paper, a student finds a really great paragraph in a book he is reading. Since this paragraph would help support the student's thesis statement he incorporates it into his paper, but changes three of the words. Is this plagiarism?

Yes, it is plagiarism if a student uses the words or ideas of others without giving them proper credit. Explanation Plagiarism occurs when a writer or speaker presents the words or ideas of another as if they were his or her own and doesn't credit the source.

What is the correct order of the 5 steps to selecting and refining a research topic?

brainstorm, preliminary research, analyze research, plan for the project, thesis; Explanation This is the correct order of the 5 steps. You need to start with a general list of brainstormed ideas, narrow it down through preliminary research and analysis, and then refine your idea to a specific aim. The final step is to write a thesis statement.

Which step involves writing down any ideas that come into your head?

brainstorm; Explanation To brainstorm is the first step to choosing a topic. This involves writing down all ideas you can think of that have to do with the prompt or assignment you are given.

Your Works Cited page should _____.

include all of the sources that you cited in the body of your paper. Explanation A citation is a way of showing the source from which you've borrowed information that appears in your paper.

Plagiarism is...

never acceptable in any form. Explanation Remember, plagiarism is never acceptable in any form. It is a serious charge that has some pretty stiff consequences. It is your responsibility, as the author, to avoid plagiarizing other people's work.

During which step do you narrow your ideas down to only one topic?

preliminary research; Explanation During the brainstorm stage, you write down many ideas and then narrow it down to a few. The next step is to do some preliminary research to see which one topic is the best to choose.

Which step involves writing one statement that contains your main idea and the purpose of the project?

thesis; Explanation The final step in selecting and refining a topic for a research project is to write a thesis, which is the statement that declares your main idea for the whole project. This is necessary in order to maintain a clear focus throughout the project.