CHAPTER 6: Responsible and Productive Research
Multiple-Choice Questions
1.
hough organic foods are free of pesticides and
idea he will be examining, Mick has formulated a __________ to help guide his investigation.
A) general purpose
B) working thesis
C) mind map
D) cognitive map
2. Audrey has conducted some exploratory reading regarding why so many combat troops
battle depression after returning home. She believes she could suggest the following in her
both of which must be treated
attempting to articulate the overall idea she will be examining, Audrey has formulated a
__________ to help guide her investigation.
A) general purpose
B) working thesis
C) mind map
D) cognitive map
3. Rumi has identified her topic and now is at the library, ready to research. How should she
proceed?
A) Skim through titles, abstracts, and readings to determine which are most valuable.
B) Carefully read every article that seems promising, taking comprehensive notes.
C) Photocopy or print out every article that seems promising, pausing to read the best.
D) Begin by reading books, then locate and read articles and encyclopedia entries.
4. At what point do you begin constructing your speech?
A) once you start revising significant portions of your speech-in-progress
B) o
C) once you have gathered information and taken notes
D) once you have begun contemplating your topic
5.
psychologists recommend that he do?
A) abandon the topic for another
B) continue on task, forging ahead
C
D) return to the library to research
6. Steffi worked on her speech until late in the night, puzzled about how she should organize
some of the materials in her speech. The next morning, while walking her dog, she suddenly hit
y sudden inspiration?
A) A break can be time well spent.
B) Insufficient planning hindered her progress.
C) Her delayed progress suggests a lack of genuine commitment to her topic.
D) Her lack of creativity means she needs an even earlier start on future projects.
7. Laurent worked on his speech until late in the night, puzzled about how he should organize
some of the materials in his speech. The next morning, while out for a run, he suddenly hit upon
how best to organize his speech. What explains Laurent
A) A break can be time well spent.
B) Insufficient planning hindered his progress.
C) His delayed progress suggests a lack of genuine commitment to his topic.
D) His lack of creativity means he needs an even earlier start on future projects.
8. While dining out with a friend, you begin explaining what you are trying to accomplish in
your upcoming speech. In the process, you suddenly hit upon new insights for your speech and
the best words to express some of your ideas. You have just experienced the benefit of
___________.
A) intensive thinking
B) mind mapping
C) incorporation
D) skimming
9. Jason took notes while listening to the two Senators debate whether we should create a jobs
program in economically depressed regions of the country. As he went back through his notes,
he thought about the speech he was writing and whether he could use any of their statements
and if so where. This part of the creative process, while composing, is known as
__________.
A) revision
B) restriction
C) incorporation
D) excision
76
10. Evaluate the usefulness of the following entry on a note card for a speech about what goes
into a successful resolution for self-improvement.
Newsweek (24 Dec. 2012) ke
Newsweek also quotes self-help author,
i
A) The card contains much useful information, and it is a good blend of statistics and testimony.
B) The card contains information for two separate ideas, which defeats the purpose of using
cards.
C) The card contains good statistical information, but the testimony deals with conjecture rather
than proof.
D) The information is provocative but ironically provides little hope to the listener, even though
it is a self-help topic.
11. To draft your speech most productively and efficiently, you should draft it as you research.
To do so, you should __________.
A) think about the meaning of the information you encounter, recording the idea it suggests
while mindful of how it contributes to the goals of your speech
B) record as much information as possible, accumulating a large collection of note cards that
you can later sort through, make sense of, and categorize
C) confine your attention to sources that contain the most information that seems helpful to your
speech, then if time allows take notes from the other sources
D) confine your attention to evaluating the ethos of each source y
12. In light of what we know from cognitive psychology, which of the following would
constitute the best advice for a speechwriter?
77
A) Work as rapidly as possible, drafting the entire speech if possible in one sitting, avoiding
breaks.
B) Work slowly, but draft the entire speech if possible in one sitting.
C) Gather materials and take notes, processing the information as you go. Sketch out and
periodically revise.
D) Work backwards, drafting the conclusion first and the introduction last. Impose a 14-hour
deadline for completion.
13. __________ is not an autopsy; it does not merely occur after you have a complete first draft
of your speech.
A) Concept Mapping
B) Incorporation
C) Retrieval
D) Revision
14. Professional speechwriters, such as former presidential speechwriter Peggy Noonan,
typically compose a speech by __________.
A) producing a draft that is pretty much ready as written
B) producing an introduction that makes possible the need for minimal drafts
C) working through multiple drafts, likely a dozen or more
D) working through a draft, conducting some research, and then finalizing
15. Xun is reading through his research materials and asks you for advice on the best way to
take notes. How would you advise him?
78
A) Xun should take notes as he works through each source, using headings, good formatting,
B) Xun will get the most out of the materials if he focuses first on reading, then on note taking.
C) Xun is an exceptionally bright student; he does not need to take notes.
D) Xun should underline relevant passages in whatever book or article he is reading, so that he
can refer back to these passages at a later time.
16. Information literacy involves __________.
A) the ability to locate information using traditional means such as foot searches and the use of
LOC subject headings
B) the ability to locate information using electronic means, and send findings to oneself via e-
mail
C) the ability to paraphrase information from sensational sources so that it is credible enough to
be used in a speech
D) the ability to recognize when information is needed and how to locate it, evaluate it, and use
it effectively
17. Baxter locates an article in Time magazine about the nutritional value of frozen foods. What
type of source has he found, and how would we judge its quality?
A) scholarly source and good quality
B) substantive news source and good quality
C) popular source and good quality
D) sensational source and good quality
18. Qihan locates an op-ed in the New York Times that argues against mandatory vaccinations.
What type of source has she found, and how would we judge its quality?
79
A) substantive news source and good quality
B) sensational source and good quality
C) popular source and questionable quality
D) substantive news source and questionable quality
A) to be fair to the original author, individuals in the academy should not distribute any amount
of copyrighted material without consent.
B) in this day and age, with information flowing freely throughout the Internet, as long as a
person is not misrepresenting the material, anyone can use any materials and disregard
copyright.
C) individuals in the academy may use small amounts of copyrighted information without
permission, so long as the use is not for profit.
D) copyright laws in the U.S. are outdated and restrictive; this has replaced it entirely.
20. Spencer is using Google to search the Internet for information on his speech topic. Google
returns a list with no helpful items. What should Spencer do?
A) Launch the same engine again to see if it produces a better list on its second try.
B) Launch another search engine, such as Bing, to see if it produces a better list.
C) Abandon his search of the Internet as nothing of value likely exists there.
D) Type in random URLs with the appropriate extensions to see what might turn up.
21. Meg wants to see how various major media outlets have reported on a particular news item.
How might she most efficiently proceed?
A) Yahoo!
B) Launch a metasearch engine, using a series of relevant search terms common to the news
item as it is popularly discussed.
C) Search .com extensions, utilizing a metasearch engine in order to cast a wide net.
D) Type in what you would guess to be the URLs of major news entities, since Web addresses
are kept simple enough to enable users to guess.
22. What should every researcher keep in mind about the Internet?
A) The Internet has such a diverse array of quality information that it often can provide one-stop
shopping for information.
B) Bias is so apparent on the Internet that faulty sites are easily distinguished from credible
sites.
C) Sites that are newly erected are likely more credible than sites that have been around for a
while.
D)
source of information.
23. __________ has/have become a central tool in modern research a tool every student would
be wise to learn to use proficiently.
A) Subject directories
B) Database searching
C) Interviewing by e-mail
D) Interviewing by telephone
81
24.
checked the catalog at his local public library, but it likewise does not have the book. How
should he proceed?
A)
interlibrary loan if he finds the book listed.
B) Search the Internet Public Library, using subject terms to direct the search.
C) Search a library subscription database, using subject terms to direct the search.
D) website and request that they provide an e-copy of the
publication.
25. If you need assistance in the library to determine which indexes would prove most helpful
as you shop around for information, where should you go for help?
A) the circulation desk
B) the reference desk
C) the multimedia center
D) the periodicals area
26.
index, which should you use?
A) the printed version, since it allows you to thumb through the pages physically
B) the electronic version, since it likely is more efficient in speed and expanse
C) either one, because neither offers any substantive advantages over the other
D) either one, because both are produced by the same source
27. Scott is interested in local discussion regarding whether his hometown should become part
of Tree City U.S.A. He has read local newspapers and transcripts about the matter, and he now
has the opportunity to interview a city official whose department oversees the planting and
should you respond?
A) Do the interview. The official could furnish a perspective that otherwise could be lacking or
absent.
B) Do the interview. The official may offer to ghostwrite your speech for you, ensuring you will
have a good speech.
C) Forget the interview. If you have already read newspaper accounts of the issue, there is no
D) Forget the interview. The official obviously will have a biased view, and you will want to
keep your speech free from bias and influence.
28. While interviewing an expert about the debate over whether to raise the minimum wage,
Ron noticed the expert would talk at great length while responding to open questions, often
wandering off track. Which of the following questions might Ron ask to lessen this tendency of
the interviewee?
A) What problems might arise from increasing the minimum wage?
B) What is the chief concern economists have for increasing the minimum wage?
C) What alternatives exist to raising the minimum wage?
D) What benefits might result from increasing the minimum wage?
29. Tyrone just interviewed an expert about his topic. When should he review his notes?
A) i
B) after he has written and mailed a thank you note to the person and gatekeeper
C) several hours later, to allow his mind time to accommodate the information
D) the next day, to allow his mind time for reflection and incubation
30. Makiko is researching whether proposed changes to regulations governing bids for
contrac
position on proposed changes. She is sending an email to an officer at the union hall to see if
she might interview him. Which of the following would constitute the best subject line?
A)
B) I would like to meet with you.
C) Student re: proposed regs for bids
D) Dear Sir: Would you please help me research proposed regulations for bids?
31. Yukiko is researching whether local runners would prefer an asphalt or concrete surface for
a propose
What would be the best way she could gather information from them?
A) survey shoppers at a popular shoe store specializing in athletic footwear
B) e-mail a few runners she knows and have them speak for the running community
C) visit a local track and interview several runners who are there working out
D) post an inquiry to a Facebook group for area runners, requesting their input
32. The following sentence is a good example of a workin
Behind has yielded gains in some subjects, it has taken an unacceptable toll on other, equally
33. A break can be time well spent.
84
34. Your best friend phones to check in and see how things are going with school. During the
conversation, you begin explaining what you are trying to accomplish in your upcoming speech.
While explaining what you wish to achieve, you suddenly hit upon new insights for your
speech. You made the best choice by asking your friend to hold for a short moment while you
jotted your ideas down.
35. The following entry on a note card for a speech about orphans in South Africa due, in large
measure, to the AIDS epidemic there, contains useful information, and a good blend of
statistics, facts, and testimony:
Time (3 Dec. 2012)
[have lost] one or both parents, accor
-year-
36. In a fruitful speechwriting process, the writer drafts the speech, line by line, word for word,
from start to finish.
37. Information literacy involves the ability to recognize when you need information, the ability
to evaluate information, the ability to contribute to the abundance of available information, and
the ability to use information effectively.
85
38. Information is important to use in speechwriting, but the best speakers rely mostly on their
own experiences and cite very little.
39. If you are using a search engine (such as Google) to search the Internet, and it returns a list
with no helpful items, you should launch another search engine to see if it produces a better list
of findings.
40 rnet sources because they
are free from bias.
41. A library subscription database can produce superior information and quicker results than a
Web search.
42.
development of very young children. She launched a search of
Complete
6,200 entries, and most did not seem to be on target in terms of the information she desired.
Brandi proceeded in the right way by quitting the subscription database and search via Google,
using the same search terms.
43.
orks, told me in a recent interview that the
44.
icial, the soccer
goals are not heavy enough to harm a child if they were to tip over, plus they are well anchored
45. Social networks are hotbeds of bias and unwarranted opinions and should therefore never be
used as part of the research process.
46. While things like special fonts, font colors, and emoticons may be part of your normal way
of communicating online, it is best to avoid these elements in emails you send for research
purposes.
87
Essay Questions
47
48. While doing his research, Naoise came across an op-ed in a major newspaper that strongly
supported his speech, which intended to argue that vaccines cause autism. How would you
advise Naoise on the use of this source? Your ability to distinguish the type of source and its
quality shows that you have developed what skill?
49. Your friend and cl library. I
Would you agree or disagree with Nick? Justify your
answer with detailed reasoning from your textbook.
88
university maintenance workers, you find that a professor at your university studies this topic in
her research and who was rumored to be part of a hunger strike on behalf of wage fairness.
Including a subject line, write a draft of the e-mail you would send this professor requesting an
interview.
A Rhetoric of Motives (Berkeley:
University of California Press).
n the arousing of pity, the rhetorician is most effective if
he can bring before the audience the actual evidence of hardship and injustice suffered. Thus, in
speak of an appeal to the imagination in many instances which classical theory might have
89
Would you advise the speaker to quote this passage or paraphrase it? Justify your answer. What
are the major differences between quoting and paraphrasing? Additionally, write two different
ways you would introduce this source during your presentation.