AQL Research and Information Literacy 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'peer-reviewed' mean in relation to academic journal articles?
- The article was evaluated and approved by other experts in the field before publication (Correct answer)
- The article was written by a group of students
- The article has been read by at least 100 readers
- The article was published in a school newspaper
Correct answer: The article was evaluated and approved by other experts in the field before publication
Peer review is a rigorous evaluation process in which other qualified experts in the field assess the accuracy, methodology, and significance of research before it is published.
Question 2: Which of the following is the LEAST reliable source for an academic research paper?
- An anonymous blog post with no cited sources (Correct answer)
- A peer-reviewed journal article
- A government health agency's official website
- A published textbook from a university press
Correct answer: An anonymous blog post with no cited sources
An anonymous blog with no cited sources has no accountability, no editorial oversight, and no verifiability—making it the least reliable source for academic work.
Question 3: What is a 'Boolean operator' in database searching?
- A word like AND, OR, or NOT used to combine or exclude search terms (Correct answer)
- A type of citation format
- A subject heading used in library catalogs
- A term for searching only within a date range
Correct answer: A word like AND, OR, or NOT used to combine or exclude search terms
Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) are logical connectors used in database and search engine queries to narrow or broaden results.
Question 4: The CRAAP test for evaluating sources assesses Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and:
- Purpose (Correct answer)
- Plagiarism
- Presentation
- Popularity
Correct answer: Purpose
The CRAAP test evaluates five criteria: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose—helping researchers assess whether a source is appropriate to use.
Question 5: What is an 'abstract' in an academic journal article?
- A brief summary of the article's purpose, methods, results, and conclusions (Correct answer)
- The full list of references at the end
- The introduction section of the paper
- A footnote explaining technical terms
Correct answer: A brief summary of the article's purpose, methods, results, and conclusions
An abstract is a concise summary (typically 150–300 words) placed at the beginning of a research article that outlines the study's key elements.
Question 6: What is plagiarism in academic contexts?
- Presenting another person's words, ideas, or work as your own without proper attribution (Correct answer)
- Using too many direct quotations in a paper
- Writing an essay that is too similar in topic to another student's
- Failing to reach the minimum word count
Correct answer: Presenting another person's words, ideas, or work as your own without proper attribution
Plagiarism is the unethical act of using someone else's intellectual property—words, ideas, or data—without giving proper credit to the original source.
AQL Research and Information Literacy 1
What does 'peer-reviewed' mean in relation to academic journal articles?