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WorksheetsTestWNE
Total questions: 196
Worksheet time: 2hrs 47mins
Which of the following is the most appropriate exploratory research question for this scenario?
Is social media harming young people?
How do students aged 14-18 describe the influence of social media on their study habits and focus?
How can schools stop students from using social media during study time?
Why do students use TikTok so much?
Which of the following research questions is too broad or unfocused for a student research project?
How do students perceive the benefits and drawbacks of using study apps that include social media features?
What is the psychological impact of all social media platforms on global education outcomes?
What strategies do students report using to manage distractions while studying?
How do high-achieving and low-achieving students describe their screen time routines during term-time?
What is a key weakness in the question: "Should students be banned from using TikTok during the school week?"
It is not specific to educational settings
It only applies to TikTok, not all social media
It is opinion-based and prescriptive, rather than exploratory or research-focused
It is a very popular topic
Which of the following are features of a good research question in the social sciences?
It connects to real-world concerns or debates
It is specific enough to be manageable
It allows for systematic exploration of experiences, behaviours, or beliefs
It can be answered in a yes/no format
It is designed to prove a hypothesis
Which of the following best explains why the research question "Do students who use Instagram study less because they are addicted?" is problematic from a social science research perspective?
It narrows the focus too much by selecting only one social media platform
It fails to define "study less" in operational terms
It conflates correlation with causation and introduces a value-laden term
It lacks a proposed method for data collection
What is the main weakness in this literature review excerpt?
It uses outdated sources
It summarises studies without analysing them
It doesn’t cite enough articles
It’s too focused on one topic
Which of the following would most improve this literature review?
Replacing old studies with newer ones
Adding more citations from different countries
Identifying gaps in current findings and linking them to the proposed research question
Including a personal opinion about social media use
Which of the following best describes what this paragraph lacks?
A comprehensive reference list
A theoretical framework
Synthesis and critical engagement
A review of statistical methods
Why is simply summarising previous studies not enough in a literature review?
It can lead to plagiarism if not referenced
It makes the writing too long
It fails to show how your research contributes to the field
It’s not allowed in academic writing
Imagine you are revising this paragraph. Which of the following would be the best sentence to add?
"More studies are needed in the future."
"These studies suggest a link, but few explore how specific platforms may affect adolescents differently."
"The studies use different sample sizes and ages."
"I think social media is probably bad for mental health."
Which type of research approach best suits Jamal’s interest in exploring lived experiences?
Quantitative
Qualitative
Mixed methods
Experimental
Which philosophical worldview is most aligned with Jamal’s goal of empowering underrepresented students?
Postpositivism
Pragmatism
Constructivism
Transformative
Which qualitative research design is the most appropriate for studying how students experience the transition to university?
Ethnography
Phenomenology
Case study
Grounded theory
What type of data will Jamal most likely collect to answer his research question?
Quantitative survey responses measuring student satisfaction on a rating scale
Narrative accounts from participants describing their personal experiences
Institutional data on student retention and graduation rates
Behavioral observations of student study habits in the library
Which combination of strategies would best support Jamal in managing his time effectively while completing a small-scale qualitative study?
Begin collecting data immediately to maximize time for analysis later.
Create a detailed schedule that includes deadlines for each stage, but allows flexibility for unexpected delays.
Focus primarily on data collection and leave analysis and writing until all data are gathered.
Set a loose overall deadline and adjust tasks as the project progresses.
Fill in the missing word. Due to the __________ nature of qualitative research, there is no agreed process in designing a qualitative research project. To this end, researchers can use certain design principles in designing their qualitative projects.
Unstructured
Numerical
Rigid
Structured
Fill in the missing word. All researchers commence their research with an issue or __________, investigate the relevant empirical evidence and literature to identify relevant research evidence which will help in designing the qualitative questions, collect data and analyse them.
Methods
Solution
Data set
Problem
Several aspects of a qualitative research project vary from researcher to researcher… Another consideration regarding qualitative research is the structure and writing of the qualitative project. This varies across different approaches such as __________ and performances including theatre and poems.
Focus groups
Storytelling
Interviews
Problem-solving
Fill in the blank word. The in-depth __________ does not have the restrictions of a group process and in this vein, new streams of __________ and questioning can be developed at any time.
Questionnaires
Interviews
Participants
Advice
__________ interviews offer more flexibility and new ways of gathering insights. The close and personal interaction permits the interviewer to be more sensitive and open to nonverbal feedback and body language.
Group
Personal
Quick
Structured
The success of an in-depth interview depends on the ________ of the interviewer.
Skills
Accent
Questions
Charisma
The unstructured nature of the interview necessitates the researcher to have the competence in gathering and __________ the information collected.
Writing
Interpreting
Remembering
Paraphrasing
Qualitative research is popular in market research due to the fact that there is no better way to understand the in-depth motivations and feelings of consumers.
True
False
The design of a qualitative study commences with broad __________ regarding the qualitative __________ and the theoretical lens which shape and direct the study.
Assumptions. Inquiry
Inspirations. Assumptions
Dreams. Assumptions
Details. Structure
Soon after the collection and storing of the data, the research team proceeds with the analysis of such data in relation to different perspectives such as A. ________ themes, B. ________ dimensions, codes or categories.
Hypotheses. Propositions
Themes. Dimensions
Groups. Segments
Markets. Units
The sampling design procedure commences with a number of steps which are interrelated. These steps include the definition of the target population, the __________, and the selection of sampling approaches.
Sampling frame
Individuals
Research
Items
__________ refers to the representation of the various elements of the target population. It consists of a set of guidelines in specifying the target population.
Sampling frame
Research
Dimension
Item
__________ is adopted in order to make the collected data more representative of the target population regarding certain attributes.
Weighting
Fixing
Analysing
Experimenting
__________ sampling is a probability sample which is distinguished by the following processes: the original population is divided into two or more mutually exclusive and exhaustive subsets (e.g., males and females) and simple random samples of elements from two or more subsets are selected independently of each other
Systematic
Stratified
Single Random
Cluster
In __________ sampling the target population is initially divided to mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive subpopulations.
Stratified
Cluster
Systematic
Single Random
__________ sampling is a type of non-probability sampling which is also known as chain-referral sampling.
Cluster
Snowball
Random
Experimental
A well-developed research instrument can enhance the response rate and reduce __________ to participate in the research study.
Refusals
Willingness
Follow-ups
Suggestions
Well-trained researchers can enhance response rates and increase __________ and persuasion of key informants.
Follow ups
Conversion
Suggestions
Refusals
Response rates can be increased through the adoption of __________ to research participants.
Questionnaires
Incentives
Promises
Suggestions
__________ sampling is considered as a two stage restricted judgemental sampling which is adopted extensively in street interviewing.
Probability
Quota
Convenience
Non probability
__________ refer to organisations which gather and sell pools of data and information which are developed to address information requirements and needs.
Data
Texts
Syndicated sources
Analyses
__________ focus on electronic devices which automatically record behaviour and are supplemented by a diary. Such data are used for creating media programmes on air time and developing viewer profiles.
Diary media panels
Focus groups
Interviews
Discussions
Market research assists companies in moving in the right manner, and in this vein, companies can use the collected information in order to improve strategic decision making and to improve customer __________.
Metrics
Satisfaction
Appearance
Focus
Gathered market research data should be integrated with other research data coming from both __________ and external sources to make the most of their use and to make more confident strategic decision making.
Internal
External
Mixed
Experimental
A __________ include(s) a collection of different and integrated databases developed in supporting decision making and solving of problems. The data which are included can be accessed through data mining approaches.
Datawarehouse
Warehouse
Record
Research document
__________ is defined as the procedure of placing key informants to a continuum regarding their attitude towards a certain product or product line.
Measuring
Assessing
Scaling
Reconfiguring
A __________ scale is a figurative labelling scheme in which numbers serve as labels or tags in order to identify and classify objects.
Nominal
Ordinal
Ratio
Interval
__________ scale is a scale where the numbers used to rank objects such as numerically equal distances on the scale demonstrate equal distances in the attribute being measured.
Interval
Nominal
Ordinal
Ratio
__________ scaling focuses on two objects which the respondents are asked to select one according to some criterion.
Paired comparison
Ordinal
Likert
Nominal
The development of a __________ scale commences with a concept which should be rated, such as the image of a brand or the quality of a service. The market researcher chooses opposite pairs of words or phrases (for instance, reliable (1) to unreliable (7)) which could be used to capture the concept.
Semantic differential
Nominal
Likert
Ordinal
In __________ scale a single adjective (e.g., user friendly, high quality) is located in the centre of the scale which usually is a 10 point scale that ranges from +5 to -5. The approach is designed to operationalise the direction and the intensity of the attitudes at the same time.
Likert
Stapel
Ordinal
Nominal
The ______ scale consists of a number of statements that communicate a favourable or unfavourable attitude toward the concept that is under investigation.
Likert
Stapel
Ordinal
Semantic differential
__________ scale is a comparative scale in which key informants are requested to assign a constant sum of units such as points, euros, or dollars among a set of stimulus objects regarding some criterion.
Ordinal
Nominal
Semantic differential
Likert
Constant sum
Under the spectrum of a __________ case study, the researcher concentrates on an issue or concern and as a next step chooses a bounded case study to depict the case.
Longitudinal
Attitudinal
Single instrumental
Random
In a collective case study or __________ case study the issue to be investigated is selected but the researcher chooses a number of case studies to depict the issue. Such an action helps to investigate different aspects of the issue under investigation.
Attitudinal
Random
Multiple
Experimental
Phenomenologists identify a phenomenon which serves as an object or the unit of analysis and is related to an individual __________.
Experience
Feelings
Observation
Stories
The intrinsic case study focuses on the case itself due to the fact that the case presents an unusual or unique situation. Such a situation may be to study a customer who is unique or evaluating a marketing programme.
Extrinsic
Multiple
Single
Intrinsic
Extensive
Under the spectrum of __________ phenomenology, everything is perceived as ‘fresh’ and the experiences of the researchers are left aside.
Hermeneutical
Natural
Intrinsic
Extrinsic
In depth
The __________ process is based upon the stages of the action research cycle which consists of a number of different stages.
Action research
Case study
Focus groups
Interviews
Experiments
Two popular types of ethnography include realist ethnography and __________ ethnography.
External
Critical
Similar
Internal
__________ ethnography represents an objective picture of a situation such as customer reactions towards a branded product, with the objective of reporting the information learned by research participants in the research field.
Positivist
Realist
External
Internal
Critical ethnography is researchers who are politically minded people who aim to use their research to speak against __________.
Criticality
Inequality
Similarity
Assessment
Which of the following statements about research are valid?
Research is only a hobby of talented individuals, who can afford investing their time and effort in it.
Research may generate new knowledge. New knowledge may generate innovations that may favor progress of society.
Research has to be purely speculative, disconnected from practical concerns that would only be distractions.
Research is only inspired by practical problems observed in the physical world.
Research does not require other investments than salaries for researchers.
Which of the following statements about societal investments in research are valid?
Society invests in research because it may generate new knowledge and knowledge is a human aspiration.
Society invests in research as a way to reduce unemployment
Research is a luxury. Investments are only justified in periods of economic growth.
Research is a burden for taxpayers. Investments in research should only be made if achievement of practically useful results is guaranteed upfront.
Investments are made because research can lead to useful innovations and progress of society.
This question is about originality. When can a research result be defined original?
The process through which the research lead to the result is novel.
The research result was not known before.
The research result was very hard to achieve.
The research result was unexpected.
The research result can lead to a useful product.
This question is about significance. When can a research result be defined significant?
The research result may lead to an improvement of a certain practical process, which reduces its cost and improves its performance.
The research result may be used by other researchers to advance their research.
The research that produced the result required a very substantial funding.
The research result was unexpected.
The research result was not known before.
This question is about rigor. When can a research result be defined rigorous?
The research result is of theoretical nature
The research result may be used by other researchers to advance their own research.
The research result is a new artifact, whose design and validation are clearly and thoroughly described.
The research result is properly formalized in mathematical form, and definitions and proofs are described clearly, correctly, and elegantly.
The research result solves an open problem that has been studied for many years.
Which of the following statements about the distinction between basic and applied research are acceptable?
The spectrum between basic and applied research is continuous and a researcher may engage in both kinds of research during his/her work.
Basic research only requires “paper and pencil”. No special equipment is needed.
Applied research is a less valuable (and prestigious) kind of research than basic research.
Basic research inevitably leads to discoveries that can then be transformed by applied research into practical industrial innovations.
Basic research is so fundamentally different from applied research that a researcher has to specialize and choose between the two upfront.
Which of the following statements about funded research programs are appropriate?
A top-down research program only funds research that aims at an empirical evaluation in a practical setting of previously achieved theoretical results.
A top-down research program gives researcher maximum freedom in selecting research topics.
A bottom-up research program allows researchers to select any possible research topic, and proposals are selected for funding only based on their originality, significance, and rigor.
A top-down research program defines precisely the research topics that can be funded and should be addressed by applicants.
A bottom-up research program only supports research that is motivated by current, practical needs of industry.
Tick one or more of the following statements, which properly describes the scientific method, originated in the 17th century by scientists like Galileo, Newton, and others.
The method assures that a certain theory explaining a natural phenomenon is valid (i.e., it is an undisputable truth) after carefully chosen experiments confirm it.
The method is purely theoretical, and does not require any experiments.
The method requires explaining the natural phenomenon under study avoiding the use of mathematics
The method consists of observing a natural phenomenon under study, postulating a theory that explains it, and devising carefully chosen experiments to confirm or disprove the theory.
The method is based on validation of a theory by randomly generated experiments.
What is a null hypothesis? Tick the correct answer.
No hypothesis made.
An obviously wrong hypothesis that does not explain a certain phenomenon.
Hypothesis framed in a negative form, which researchers try to reject to confirm a theory.
Hypothesis that further experiments disprove.
Hypothesis made by inexperienced scientist.
A scientific theory… (tick one)
Must always be described as a set of mathematical formulae.
Is valid until further findings disprove it.
Is valid if a majority vote of researchers approves it.
Is guaranteed to be unfalsifiable when it is published.
Must be stated as an absolute truth. It is guaranteed that it will never be falsified by further experiments.
Deduction vs. induction. Tick the correct statements:
In deductive inference, the consequences are guaranteed to be true if premises are true.
Modus ponens is a typical deductive inference rule.
Inductive inferences always lead to necessary conclusions.
Deductive inferences can be used to generate predictions from a given theory.
In deductive inference, the consequences of true premises must be further validated by experiments before they can be accepted as a truth.
Consider the following statements:
All beans in the bag are white
These beans are from the bag
These beans are white
Which of the following statements about inferences are correct?
The inference rule a ∧c ⊢ b is an induction and leads to a non-necessary conclusion.
The inference rule b ∧c ⊢ a is a deduction and leads to a necessary conclusion.
The inference rule b ∧c ⊢ a is an induction and leads to a non-necessary conclusion.
The inference rule a ∧ b ⊢ c is a deduction and leads to a necessary conclusion.
The inference rule a ∧c ⊢ b is an deduction and leads to a necessary conclusion.
Soundness vs. completeness of a theory of a certain phenomenon. Tick the correct statements.
A theory for a given phenomenon is complete if all its predictions are possible manifestations of the phenomenon.
A complete theory for a given phenomenon can predict impossible manifestations.
A theory for a given phenomenon is complete if it predicts all the possible manifestations.
Ideally, a theory should be both sound and complete.
A theory for a given phenomenon is sound if all its predictions are possible manifestations of the phenomenon.
Consider an algorithm that is supposed to find all possible occurrences in a text of person’s names... Which of the following statements are correct?
The algorithm does not find the occurrence of certain person’s names. This is a false positive.
The algorithm may both find a name that is not a person’s name and may fail to find the occurrence of certain person’s names. In this case the algorithm is simply an unacceptable approximation.
The algorithm may find a name that is not a person’s name and may fail to find the occurrence of certain person’s names. In this case the algorithm can generate both false positives and false negatives.
The algorithm finds a name that is not a person’s name. This is a false negative.
The algorithm finds a name that is not a person’s name. This is a false positive.
Consider the following statements about precision and recall of an algorithm. Which are correct?
Precision is less than one for algorithms that compute false positives
Precision and recall are equal to one for algorithms computing exact solutions.
Either precision or recall must be equal to one for an approximate algorithm to be acceptable.
Recall is less than one for algorithms that produce false negatives.
If we are given two approximate algorithms for the same problem, they can they differ in precision and recall.
Consider the following statements about case studies in research. Tick the pertinent answers.
A case study is a study of a legal action.
A case study never requires threat analysis.
A case study may concern the use of a proposed new artifact or method in a given context to validate its usability in a practical setting.
A case study is never applied in research. It is only used as a didactic aid.
Threat analysis should be applied to assess internal and external validity of the conclusions drawn from a case study.
You are asked to review a survey paper. In which of the following dimensions you are not expecting the paper to be particularly strong? Tick one.
Originality
Significance
Rigor
You are asked to review a theoretical research paper. In which of the following quality dimensions you expect the paper to be particularly strong? Tick one.
Significance
Originality
Rigor
The following statements are about journal and conference publication. Tick the ones that are valid:
Conference publication has no scientific value. It is only done as a social activity. This is true for all scientific areas.
The publication process for conferences normally takes longer than for journals, and duration can be unpredictable.
The publication process for journals normally takes longer than for conferences, and duration can be unpredictable.
Journals are always more selective and prestigious venues than conferences.
In certain scientific areas conferences and journals are equally selective and respected publication venues.
The publication process relies on peer review. Which of the following statements are valid? Tick them.
To reach better insights into a submitted paper, it is advisable that peer review is delegated to close colleagues of the authors, especially those who have been previous collaborators.
The main goal of peer review is to ensure proper balance among different nationalities of contributors of accepted papers.
The goal of peer review is to ensure that published results meet certain quality standards.
To avoid bias, peer reviewers should not be experts in the field of the contribution.
Peer review is a voluntary service activity done to support the research community.
Which of the following are valid statements about peer review? Tick them.
The typical situation is that the author of a paper knows the identity of peer reviewers and interacts with them throughout the review process, if necessary.
A “double blind” review process requires exactly two anonymous reviewers for each submitted paper.
The typical situation is that the identity of reviewers is unknown to the author of a submitted paper.
In a “double blind” review process not only the identity of the reviewers is undisclosed to the authors, but also the identity of the authors is hidden to the reviewers, to reduce bias.
A “double blind” review process allows authors to submit two related papers to the same venue and have them reviewed by the same set of anonymous reviewers.
Which of the following are valid statements about publications? Tick them.
A DOI allows unique access to digital objects, including papers and datasets.
Publication has a legal purpose: it ensures 100% correctness of the reported results.
The only possible form of publication is in printed form.
Every published book is uniquely identified by its ISBN.
Most professional societies publish journals and conference proceedings in their respective technical areas.
Which of the following statements about research artifacts are valid? Tick them.
Peer review only applies to papers. Artifacts cannot be peer reviewed.
Making artifacts publicly available requires additional effort by researchers. As a benefit, their research may become more visible and their research impactful.
Research artifacts can be an essential complement to papers as a form of research diffusion.
Research artifacts, such as datasets, software tools, or simulations, only serve an ancillary purpose in the preparation of a paper and should be kept private. They have no use for others.
Repeatability and replicability of research is supported by sharing artifacts.
Which of the following statements about Open Access are valid? Tick them.
The notion of Open Access only applies to research papers and not to artifacts.
In an Open Access scheme, authors can publish papers without undergoing any form of peer review.
No implementation of Open Access can charge a fee to a researcher to publish her product.
Open Access means that a research product is accessible on-line in digital form, free of charge, and free of “most” copyright and licensing restrictions.
Open Access means that a research product is accessible on-line in digital form, only subject to a minimal access fee.
Gold vs Green Open Access: which statements are correct? Tick them.
A Green Open Access journal allows the author to publish a paper l and then charge for accessing the related artifacts.
Gold Open Access means that the author publishes his or her work on an Open Access journal, which makes the work immediately, publicly, and freely available to others.
A Green Open Access journal allows the author to publish a paper and share it with a selected set of people who must register to get access to it.
Gold Open Access is a special label indicating the most downloaded papers from an online archive.
A Green Open Access journal allows the author to publish a paper and then self-archive a copy in a freely accessible institutional or specialist online archive (e.g., arXiv), or on the personal website.
How can we judge whether one is fit for research? Tick the pertinent answers.
Interest in a job that will make one rich.
Ability to think out of the box.
Persistence in achieving results.
Interest in independent work.
Consider the following factors one may consider when choosing to enter a PhD program. Tick the three most important.
Presence of strong researchers in the areas in which you would like to work
Lively and competitive research environment.
No checks on progress made by the department
Short distance from home.
Funding available for salary and travel.
This is a list of possible goals of a PhD student. Tick the three most important.
Publish as many papers as possible.
Find opportunities to get some teaching experience and/or student supervision.
Publish in top venues.
Make the software tool you develop as part of your research a visible and impactful artifact, downloaded by a large number of other researchers
Work in complete isolation, to just focus on your own research.
These are statements about networking as a PhD student. Tick the two most pertinent.
Networking is only a distraction from your main activity, which is doing research.
Networking allows you to establish possible research collaborations.
Networking is only important when required by the funding agency supporting the research, as in the case of multi-site research programs.
By networking, you may become known to other, more experienced researchers who may help you in the future (e.g., write reference letters for you).
You should only network for social events with the other PhD students inside your department.
These are statements about research funding. Tick the three most pertinent.
Success in competitive research funding programs is an important achievement, which counts in a researcher’s evaluation for hiring or promotion.
Successful competition in research funding programs can be vital for a researcher’s progress because in most cases their appointment does not include a research funding budget.
Research funding is highly competitive
Research funding is only needed to support acquisition of expensive research equipment.
Research is a purely intellectual activity. Funding may be needed only to cover a researcher’s salary, if no other institution covers it.
These are possible achievements of a junior researcher who is applying for a tenure-track position in a research-oriented academic environment. Tick the three most relevant for hiring.
Presenter of papers in average-quality conferences.
Very prolific author of papers published in average-quality venues with high acceptance rate.
Author of a very impactful paper, which describes a solution to an important open problem.
Successful applicant in a very selective research funding program.
Advisor of Master students in research projects.
A junior researcher, after the PhD and a short period as a post-doc, applies for junior tenure-track position in an academic institution. Reference letters are asked to external experts. Tick the items in the following list which are expected to be in a reference letter.
Comments on the applicant’s personal life (e.g., family, hobbies, …).
In the case where the expert is an editor of a journal and the candidate acted as a peer reviewer, comments on how accurate and helpful the reviews were.
Comments on the applicant’s presentation skills based on personal experience (e.g., having heard the candidate present in a conference or in a seminar).
Comparison of scientific achievements of the candidate with top individuals in the same field with similar seniority.
A justified opinion about the candidate’s potential to become a research leader in his/her area.
Consider the case where a researcher applies for promotion from a non-permanent to a permanent academic position. The following statements refer to reference letters asked to external experts to support the promotion case. Tick the pertinent statements.
The applicant can suggest names of potential external reviewers and should select among scientists from other institutions who are not familiar with his work.
Reference letters should only be asked to scientists who have worked directly with the candidate in the past.
Reference letters should never comment on the candidate’s performance as a peer reviewer.
Reference letter should contain an assessment of the candidate’s proven skills as a supervisor and mentor of younger researchers.
The applicant can suggest names of potential external reviewers and should select well known and respected scientists who are familiar with his work and who are likely to express a positive opinion.
Which of the following statements on paper citations are valid? Tick them.
A paper which did not receive citations, or only received a few, ten years after publication is likely to have very low significance. This, however, has to be confirmed by further scrutiny.
The previous statement is true if we exclude self-citations
The previous statement is true if we also assume that the two papers have been published in the same venue and in the same year.
The sole number of citations received by a paper does not offer any ground for judgement about its quality.
The number of citations received by a paper precisely measures impact of the research presented in a paper. If two papers have different numbers of citations, the one with a higher number has more scientific impact than the other.
Which of the following statements on Impact Factor (IF) are valid? Tick them.
IF is an aggregate bibliometric indicator which is ultimately based the citations of papers published in a journal or conference.
If two papers are published by journals with different IF, the paper published in the journal with higher IF has a higher quality.
IF cannot be applied to conferences.
IF is an objective and undisputable measure of the scientific reputation of a journal and should replace any subjective judgement of experts. If two journals have even slightly different IF values, a researcher should always try to publish in the one with higher IF.
IF for a journal is a constant value. It does not change over time.
Which of the following statements on H-index are valid? Tick them.
H-index is a bibliometric indicator that applies to researchers.
H-index for a researcher X is defined as the maximum value of h such that X has published h papers that have each been cited at least h times.
H-index for a researcher X is defined as the average value h of citations received by all published papers by the researcher in the past ten years.
H-index is an objective and undisputable measure of the scientific quality of researchers and should replace any subjective judgement of experts, especially when they are involved in hiring or promotion processes. If two candidates have different H-index values, the one with higher H-index should always be ranked higher.
H-index for a researcher X is defined as the median value h of citations received by all published papers by the researcher in the past ten years.
Which of the following statements on quantitative evaluation via bibliometrics are valid? Tick them.
Bibliometric indicators have no bias: they are objective, undisputable, and cannot be tweaked.
Ultimately, bibliometric indicators are automatically computed numbers and may be used for automatic ranking. Despite minor pitfalls, they are always preferable to human judgement.
Bibliometric data are especially valuable for cross-sector comparisons. For example, to decide about allocation of funding among very different sectors (such as Mechanical Engineering or Biology) a reasonable choice might be to assess the average quality of researchers in the different sectors (e.g., averaging H-indexes) and allocate funding accordingly.
Bibliometric indicators can be used to inform evaluation, but should never be a substitute for personal, detailed, and rigorous judgement by experts.
A strength of bibliometrics is that all sources of bibliometric data (such as Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus) provide identical values for the same item (e.g., H-index).
Which of the following statements on ethics are correct? Tick them.
Ethics is the philosophical study of beauty and taste.
A misconduct is a deviation from ethical principles.
Ethics is the philosophical study of wrong and right conduct, according to an ideal model.
Misconducts can differ in severity.
Ethical principles do not apply to scientific research.
Which of the following statements on research misconduct are correct? Tick them.
Fabrication is a research misconduct that refers to artifacts. It means that an artifact has defects and cannot be reused by other researchers.
Manually tweaking some experimental results to make experiments look better is a case of falsification misconduct.
A submitted paper that reports fabricated data must be rejected.
Reporting results of a made-up experiment that has never been done is a case of fabrication misconduct.
A falsification misconduct may consist of designing experiments that try to falsify a theory.
Which of the following statements on plagiarism are correct? Tick them.
An author is allowed to copy text portions from a previous own paper into a new paper and is not required to cite the original paper. Because these texts are from the same author, this is not a case of plagiarism.
Including in a paper fragments of text from a paper by other authors, without giving credit, is an example of plagiarism.
Plagiarism consists of not explicitly citing a highly related previously published paper.
Whatever is found on electronic archives through Web browsing can be freely included in own papers without incurring in plagiarism.
Including figures from other papers can be done without giving credit. Copying figures is not a case of plagiarism.
Which of the following behaviors are clearly unethical? Tick them.
You review a paper in an area in which you are active and have already published. The paper under review has no specific relation with your earlier contributions; it just happens to be in the same general area. You strongly object to publication and ask for a major revision, requiring that the authors extensively cite your previous contributions in a “related work” section.
One of your students helped you in implementing a simulation, whose results will appear in the experimental section of your paper. He is not listed as a co-author, but you decide to explicitly mention her in an acknowledgements section.
One of your junior colleagues will soon be evaluated for promotion to a tenured position, and needs to strengthen his CV with more publications. To help him, you tell your PhD student who has done very good work to write a paper which includes also your colleague as a co-author, although he has not contributed.
A visiting researcher in your department gives a seminar on her on-going work and mentions a conjecture. She believes that a mathematical proof exists for it, but has not properly demonstrated it. You come out with a proof and submit a paper without citing her idea.
To maximize probability of acceptance, you submit the same paper in parallel to two conferences.
A researcher is a member of a program committee which decides acceptance of papers submitted to a conference and one of her PhD student submits a paper. Can the researcher be one of the reviewers of the paper?
Yes
No
A researcher is a member of a program committee which decides acceptance of papers submitted to a conference and one of her PhD student submits a paper. Can the researcher be present in the discussion about acceptance of the paper?
Yes
No
A researcher is acting department chair. She is a member of a national committee which decides about funding. A member of her department submits a proposal. Can she participate in discussions that involve the proposal?
Yes
No
A researcher ‘s promotion case is discussed in a department. Her partner in life is a senior member of the department. The two are not officially married. Should the senior member participate in the discussions and vote?
Yes
No
Your department decides to recognize the best PhD thesis of the year with a special award. All members of the department vote their preferences. Should one be allowed to vote for the thesis of own students?
Yes
No
You are asked to review a paper submitted for publication in a journal. Can you freely copy and circulate it to your students who are working on a project on the same topic?
Yes
No
You submit a paper to conference which adopts a double-blind review process. Is your identity confidential information that the conference organizers cannot disclose to reviewers?
Yes
No
You are a member of the program committee of a conference and participate in the discussions about acceptance of submitted papers. Later you chat with an author of an accepted paper. Can you disclose the names of the reviewers of the papers?
Yes
No
You are a member of the program committee of a conference and participate in the discussions about acceptance of submitted papers. Later you chat with an author of a rejected paper. Can you disclose the names of the reviewers of the papers?
Yes
No
You are a member of a panel in charge of selecting research projects for funding. A researcher who did not succeed in the competition contacts you, asking for advice on how to write a better proposal in the future. Can you pass a copy of a successful application for reference as a good example?
Yes
No
You are asked to review a paper submitted for publication in a journal. The paper is an identical copy of a paper you previously reviewed for another journal. The paper was rejected for several serious concerns raised by the reviewers. Can your review, which recommends rejection, mention that the paper has been resubmitted with no change, completely ignoring the careful reviews received previously?
Yes
No
You are asked to review a paper. Suppose you become aware of the identity of the other reviewers. Before you form your own opinion and write your review, you would like to contact the other reviewers asking their opinion about the paper, so that your review report can be in line with theirs. Is this an acceptable practice?
Yes
No
You always say no to requests to review papers from journals with very low reputation and in all cases of predatory publishing. Is this an acceptable practice?
Yes
No
You are a successful researcher, coordinating a group with several PhD students and post-docs, and coordinating three funded research projects. You submit for publication several papers a year. To maximize your research productivity, you decide that for a few years you will not accept to review any papers. Is this an acceptable practice?
Yes
No
You have just completed your PhD and you receive a kind invitation from journal you never heard of before to become a member of their international editorial board. This is the first invitation you receive. Without any hesitation, you accept the invitation. Is this an acceptable practice?
Yes
No
Human subjects can only be the subjects of research in life sciences and social sciences.
Yes
No
Humans participating as subjects in research must be paid.
Yes
No
In your research you use your students as subjects for a research experiment. Participation in the experiment is a mandatory requirement for students to pass the exam. There is nothing wrong in what you do.
Yes
No
Children can never be participating subjects in a research.
Yes
No
Informed and uncoerced consent are required preconditions for participation of human subjects in research.
Yes
No
Once human subjects sign an informed consent form, the data they provide as research subjects can be freely used and disclosed by researchers, without any restriction.
Yes
No
The data collected from human subjects must be anonymized prior to disclosure.
Yes
No
Once human subjects sign an informed consent form, no special procedures must be put in place to researchers to protect the data they provide as research subjects.
Yes
No
Once human subjects sign an informed consent form, all personal data collected by researchers about participating human subjects can be transferred without any additional constraint only to other researchers. Any other kind of disclosure is not permitted.
Yes
No
To prevent identification of a participating human subject, you decide to anonymize the collected data by not disclosing the name, address and phone number. Does this always solve the problem?
Yes
No
My research focuses on development of new technology. Shouldn’t it be intrinsically insensitive to ethical concerns?
Yes
No
My research focuses on game design, more specifically on usability of a new interactive device. May this raise ethical concerns?
Yes
No
My research focuses on the use of humanoid robots as a possible aid to support interaction with autistic children. May this raise ethical concerns?
Yes
No
My research focuses on generating optimal machine code for a new special-purpose hardware. May this raise ethical concerns?
Yes
No
My research focuses on sentiment analysis. I try to identify and extract subjective information by monitoring online conversations in social media and help business to understand the social sentiment. May this raise ethical concerns?
Yes
No
What is a good way to make your academic essays longer?
Use some different types of paragraphs to add more body paragraphs.
Repeat my major points several times in the essay in exactly the same words.
Use a bigger font so the paper looks longer than it is.
Argument essays should have at least how many reasons to support the argument?
0
2
3
1
Which sentence below has a correctly formatted quotation (using MLA format)? (Be sure to check the punctuation carefully.)
He explains that they “edit and re-edit digital messages as much as they like until they decide they’ve perfectly conveyed their thoughts” (Ghuman).
He explains that they “edit and re-edit digital messages as much as they like until they decide they’ve perfectly conveyed their thoughts.” (Ghuman)
He explains that they “edit and re-edit digital messages as much as they like until they decide they’ve perfectly conveyed their thoughts (Ghuman)."
He explains that they “edit and re-edit digital messages as much as they like until they decide they’ve perfectly conveyed their thoughts.” (Ghuman).
Which of the following are types of paragraphs (modes of discourse) that you can use to help develop an argument essay?
illustration, argument, cause/effect, discussion
description, argument, compare/contrast, narrative
discussion, illustration, narrative, classification
argument, discussion, development, illustration
What type of body paragraph is this?
compare/contrast
process
description
narration
Which of the following are features of an advanced argument essay? Check all that apply.
It uses short body paragraphs to support the argument.
It uses personal stories to develop the argument.
It uses outside sources to support the argument.
It uses a variety of paragraph types to develop the argument.
What do you have to remember to do when you use an outside source in your academic essays? Check all that apply.
Use quotation marks if copying words.
Cite the source.
Make the borrowed words seem like my own words.
Use correct formatting, such as MLA.
Integrate or blend the quoted words with your own words.
To avoid plagiarism, which of the following should you do? Check all that apply.
Change a few of the words in the source so that the ideas look like my ideas.
Put quotation marks around words that I copy exactly from the source.
Put quotation marks around my own words.
Cite the source either in an attribution or in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
True or False? It's OK to borrow some ideas from an outside source without citing it as long as you don't copy the exact words in your own essay.
True
False
Which citation format are you learning to use in this course?
Chicago Style
APA (American Psychological Association)
Vancouver Style
MLA (Modern Language Association)
Read the original source on the left and the student's writing on the right and decide if the student plagiarized or not.
Yes, there is plagiarism.
No, there is not plagiarism.
Read the original source on the left and the student's writing on the right and decide if the student plagiarized or not.
Yes, there is plagiarism.
No, there is not plagiarism.
True or False? It's ok to borrow some ideas from an outside source as long as you don't copy the exact words in your own essay.
True
False
To avoid plagiarism, which of the following should you do? Check all that apply.
Use quotations on all borrowed phrases and sentences.
Cite the source for any borrowed words or ideas.
Use quotations on all paraphrased phrases and sentences.
Which of the following can happen if a student is caught plagiarizing in an American college? Check all that apply.
The student can be kicked out of the school
The student can fail the class.
The student can be fined up to $100.
The student can fail the assignment.
What does synthesis mean in a synthesis essay?
to blend
to quote
to paraphrase
to bend
What are sources used for in a synthesis essay?
They make important points for the writer.
They help to support the writer's ideas.
They show the reader what articles the writer read.
They make your essay longer.
Is the following quote well-integrated, or blended with the writer's own words?
It was not surprising to many people that a judge decided that Robin Thicke had "noticeably ripped off Marvin Gaye's 1977 hit 'Got to Give It Up' when he wrote the smash hit 'Blurred Lines' with Pharrell Williams and T.I." (Grow).
Yes
No
Is the following quote well-integrated, or blended with the writer's own words?
Roger Friedman explains that Mariah Carey has been in this situation before and because the "work tapes and notebooks of writing sessions have haunted Carey in other plagiarism cases," this case does not look good for her.
Yes
No
Is the following quote well-integrated, or blended with the writer's own words?
However, they are a "representative of a different generation, one that freely mixes and matches from the whirring flood of information across new and old media, to create something new" (Kulish).
Yes
No
Is the following quote well-integrated, or blended with the writer's own words?
Nicholas Kulish reports that "the controversy did not appear to be hurting book sales" as it was "ninth over all among books on the German Amazon site."
Yes
No
Is the following quote well-integrated, or blended with the writer's own words?
The University of Virginia honor code clearly states its rules and "requires students to pledge not to cheat, lie or steal, or tolerate those who do" ("UVa Expels").
Yes
No
True or False? A documented essay can be written without using any sources.
True
False
True or False? A Works Cited entry usually starts with an author's last name.
True
False
True or False? A parenthetical in-text citation should always use the author's last name.
True
False
True or False? A documented essay is usually an illustration or an argument essay.
True
False
True or False? Sources are used in documented essays to make or introduce important points in the essay.
True
False
True or False? Academic essays should have only 5 paragraphs.
True
False
True or False? You should use a variety of types of body paragraphs in a documented essay.
True
False
How do you integrate a quote well?
Use only the important part of the quote and blend it with my own words.
Introduce it with a phrase, such as "Smith says," and then use only the important part of the quote.
Use several important sentences of a source.
What is the key to choosing good search terms?
use the same terms as the general topic your teacher gives you
think of several different general phrases to search
think of one search term to use for all of your research
think of several specific phrases to search
Choose the best search terms for a more specific topic under the following general topic: urban development
urban development
smoking rules in public housing
Choose the best search terms for the following topic: national security
immigration
visa screening policies
Search engines like Google.com and Yahoo.com are the best places to do all your academic research.
True
False
According to the lecture, where is the best place to look for sources for a research paper?
library databases
Google Scholar
All of the following are questions to ask when determining reliability of a a source EXCEPT which one?
Who wrote the source?
What is the date of the source?
What is the purpose of the source?
How long is the source?
Is the source biased?
What is the first thing to do after you receive a research paper assignment?
Think of a research question.
Make an outline.
Write the thesis statement.
Most research papers share all of the following characteristics EXCEPT which one?
The have considerable length.
They use sources.
They are complex.
They are worth 150 pts.
True or False? Every research assignment you will be assigned in college will have different requirements.
True
False
According to the lecture, why should you take notes during your research?
so you can avoid writing the research paper
so you can organize your research
so you can practice writing the research paper
True or False? Most research assignments tell you the exact topic you should write about.
True
False
True or False? A thesis statement is optional in your research paper.
True
False
True or False? Creating an outline, either formal or informal, can help you organize your ideas so that you write a more logical research paper.
True
False
True or false? For academic research, you should write complete sentences when you take notes on an article.
True
False
True or false? Most school library webpages have databases that anyone is free to use as long as they have an Internet connection.
True
False
Which of the following is the most academic kind of source?
news sources
library databases
popular sources
True or False? You must always use a formal outline to plan an effective research paper.
True
False
Which of the following would be the most effective thesis statement for a research paper?
The tooth fairy and Santa Claus are imaginary characters for children.
The U.S. government should require that all companies pay men and women the same amount of money for equal work.
It's hotter in the oceans now than it was a few years ago, so something should be done about climate change.
Terrorism is really awful, so governments should prevent it.
True or False? An annotated bibliography for a college class is always written in MLA format.
True
False
True or False? Every research paper must have at least one statistic to make the essay effective.
True
False
All of the following are important to do in your writing to make your research paper academic and effective EXCEPT which one?
Avoid overly emotional language in your writing.
Avoid specific examples in your writing.
Use academic vocabulary instead of informal language.
Avoid slang and cliché expressions in your writing.
True or False? Statistics can be used to start body paragraphs.
True
False
Is this phrase appropriate for an academic essay? "drunk as a skunk"
Yes
No
Is this expression appropriate for an academic essay? "It's a piece of cake."
Yes
No
Is this word appropriate for an academic essay? "y'all"
Yes
No
Is this word appropriate for an academic essay? "therefore"
Yes
No
True or False? You should use as many academic words as possible in your research paper even if you don't know what all of them mean.
True
False
Which of the following is not a reason to use a statistic in your research paper?
to support your point
to make your paper longer
some subjects depend on them
Which of the following is not an appropriate place to use a statistic in your research paper?
as one of several statistics in a statistics paragraph
in the thesis statement
as a detail to support your own point
as a hook in the introduction
Which of the following groups of words is definitely not on the Academic Word List?
fund, contribute, imply
maintain, range, consume
snooze, nerdy, lame
context, identify, major
What is the Purdue Owl?
It is the mascot of a famous soccer team.
It is a website with information to guide students in formatting their essays in MLA or APA format.
It is a website that will create a Works Cited page or References list for your research paper.
Which of the following is optional in MLA formatting?
the location of the source
date of access
title of the source
author
If you were using EasyBib to help you create a Works Cited entry for a YouTube video, and EasyBib gave you the results below, what additional information would you have to provide?
the author of the video and publication date
the title and author of the video
the author of the video and date accessed
the title and date accessed
True or False? EasyBib always creates a correctly formatted Works Cited entry when you give it the correct information.
What is EasyBib?
It's a piece of cloth...
It's a website that helps students format their Works Cited page or References list.
It's a website that will create a Works Cited page or References list for you.
True or False? If you paste a link to your online source in the EasyBib website, EasyBib will always supply all of the information you need to format your Works Cited entry.
True
False
In this Works Cited page using MLA 9th ed., which kinds of sources are A, B, and C?
A. article with an author from an electronic source / B. article with no author from an electronic source / C. printed book
Different combination...
True or False? According to MLA 9th ed., you should write the complete publisher's name for a book in your Works Cited page, but it's all right to omit words like "Inc." or "Corp."
True
False
