Basic concepts in academic research and writing

1. What is a peer-reviewed article?

•    An article published in a newspaper

• An article checked by friends for mistakes

• An article that’s free to access online

• An article checked by experts before publication for mistakes

2. What does “plagiarism” mean in academic writing?

• Citing a source incorrectly

• Writing in your own words 

• Using too many sources

• Presenting someone else's work as your own

Which of the following is an example of a primary source?

• • A historical document, like a diary or letter

• • A review article

• • A newspaper editorial

• • A textbook

What is a ‘thesis statement’?

• • A question guiding the research

• • A summary of the entire paper

• • A sentence stating the main argument or claim of a paper

• • A list of references

In academic research, what is the purpose of an abstract?

• • To present the conclusion

• • To introduce the author

• • To list the references

• • To provide a brief overview of the study

Which of the following is considered a reliable source?

• • A blog post with no citations

• • A research article from a reputable, peer-reviewed journal

• • A Wikipedia page

• • A personal opinion article

What is the difference between paraphrasing and quoting?

• • Paraphrasing is shorter; quoting is longer

• • Paraphrasing requires quotation marks; quoting does not

• • There is no difference

• • Paraphrasing is restating in your own words; quoting is using the exact words

What is a common pitfall when forming research questions?

• • Making the question specific

• • Making the question interesting

• • Making the question too broad or vague

• • Ensuring it relates to a real-world issue

What’s the purpose of a literature review in a research paper?

• • To summarize existing research on a topic

• • To discuss the results

• • To present the author’s opinion

• • To conclude the paper

What does ‘bias’ in research mean?

• • When data is collected randomly

• • When a study has multiple authors

• • When a study is objective and fair

• • When a study favors certain results or viewpoints