Research Paper Writing Quiz

What is the purpose of citations in a research paper?

• to convince readers that the topic has been well-covered by the media and is therefore important

• to define difficult or technical vocabulary words that some readers will not have seen before

• to demonstrate what a correctly formatted report looks like, for readers who plan to write a report

• to show readers that the writer of the report based his or her claims on reliable sources of information

Which of the following must be included when citing a website, but not a print source?

• the author’s name

• the location where it was published

• the date you accessed the source

• the publishing company

How should note-taking vary, based on the length of a passage?

• Copy or paraphrase short passages, but summarize longer ones.

• Summarize short passages, and paraphrase longer ones.

• Note source information for longer passages, but not for short ones.

• Skip long passages and look for shorter ones you can use.

Why might you want to annotate your notes as you record information from sources?

• to provide additional information about the process you used to find sources

• to teach yourself some new and interesting words used in some of your sources

• to provide mostly accurate citation information for sources used in your project

• to begin forming your own ideas about the topic, based on what information you find

How should you use your thesis statement as you are writing a research report?

• to remind you of the claim that your source information and examples must support

• to provide a list of the sources you plan to use as support in your report

• to summarize the researched facts that you will include in your report

• to help you recall viewpoints on your topic that may differ from your own

Which of the following provides the strongest thesis statement?

• The settlement and reparations from World War I helped cause World War II.

• Both World War I and World War II were fought on European soil.

• World War I lasted from 1914 to 1918, while World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945.

• Many European cities and much of the countryside were destroyed during the wars.

Which source would provide the best support for the following thesis statement? Carefully adjusting the aerodynamics of a vehicle can substantially improve its gas mileage.

• an interview with the designer of a classic car

• an article explaining the factors that affect gas mileage

• a diagram showing the key systems of a car

• a book that discusses well-known sports cars

Which sentence is the BEST example of how to use a fact to support this thesis statement? Carefully adjusting the aerodynamics of a vehicle can substantially improve its gas mileage.

• Wind resistance refers to the force exerted on a car by the air that moves around it as the car moves.

• Aerodynamics is the branch of science that studies how air moves over and around objects, such as cars.

• As wind resistance decreases on a car as it drives down the road, the aerodynamics of the car improve.

• As aerodynamics improve, gas mileage improves--since an aerodynamic car encounters less wind resistance.

What information should always be included in the introductory paragraph of a research report?

• the point of view you plan to use

• the main sources used for research

• the reason why you selected the topic you did

• a thesis statement identifying your main points

How does a conclusion contribute to a strong research report?

• It wraps up the main points of the report and causes the reader to think about the topic in a new way.

• It causes the reader to think about the topic in a new way by pointing out new sources of information.

• It wraps up the main points of the report and connects the information to the reader’s previous knowledge.

• It connects the research report to the reader’s previous knowledge and points out new sources of information.