Rise Placement Test Critical Analysis and Sourcing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A news article cites 'a recent study' without naming the institution or authors. What is the most significant problem with this sourcing?
- The study may be too technical for general readers
- The claim cannot be independently verified or fact-checked (Correct answer)
- Recent studies are less reliable than older research
- Anonymous sources are protected by journalism ethics
Correct answer: The claim cannot be independently verified or fact-checked
Without a named institution or authors, readers cannot locate the original study to verify its methods, sample size, or conclusions.
Question 2: Which logical fallacy occurs when someone argues that a policy must be wrong because the person proposing it has bad character?
- Straw man
- Ad hominem (Correct answer)
- False dilemma
- Slippery slope
Correct answer: Ad hominem
Ad hominem attacks the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.
Question 3: A graph shows rising ice cream sales and rising drowning rates occurring simultaneously. What critical thinking error would it be to conclude that ice cream causes drownings?
- Confirmation bias
- Confusing correlation with causation (Correct answer)
- Cherry-picking data
- Appeal to authority
Correct answer: Confusing correlation with causation
Both variables are linked to a third factor (hot weather), illustrating that correlation does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
Question 4: When evaluating an online source, which domain extension most reliably indicates a peer-reviewed academic institution?
- .com
- .org
- .edu (Correct answer)
- .net
Correct answer: .edu
.edu domains in the US are restricted to accredited educational institutions, making them more likely to host scholarly content.
Question 5: A politician says, 'You're either with us on this bill, or you're against the country.' This is an example of which fallacy?
- Red herring
- False dilemma (Correct answer)
- Bandwagon appeal
- Hasty generalization
Correct answer: False dilemma
A false dilemma presents only two options when more exist, forcing an artificial either/or choice.
Question 6: Which element of a source is MOST important for determining whether its information is still accurate?
- Author's educational background
- Number of citations it has received
- Publication or last-updated date (Correct answer)
- Length and depth of the content
Correct answer: Publication or last-updated date
The publication or last-updated date tells you whether the information reflects current knowledge or has been superseded by newer research.
Question 7: A student finds two sources: one peer-reviewed journal article and one popular magazine article on the same topic. For a research paper, why is the journal article generally preferred?
- Journal articles are always longer and more detailed
- Journal articles have been reviewed by subject-matter experts before publication (Correct answer)
- Magazine articles are written for entertainment, not information
- Journal articles are always free to access online
Correct answer: Journal articles have been reviewed by subject-matter experts before publication
Peer review means independent experts have evaluated the methodology and conclusions, lending greater credibility to journal articles.
Rise Placement Test Critical Analysis and Sourcing 2
A news article cites 'a recent study' without naming the institution or authors.
What is the most significant problem with this sourcing?