Research Skills Flashcards

What is the purpose of a bibliography or works cited page in a research paper?

Answer: To list all sources used so readers can find and verify them

A works cited page credits the sources used and allows readers to locate and verify the original information.

Which question would be MOST useful when evaluating whether a source is biased?

Answer: Does the author present only one side of the issue without acknowledging other viewpoints?

Bias often appears when an author presents only one perspective without fairly representing opposing views.

A student is researching water conservation in California. Which keyword combination would produce the MOST targeted results?

Answer: California water conservation drought solutions

Combining several specific, relevant terms produces the most targeted and useful search results.

What does 'paraphrasing' mean in the context of research writing?

Answer: Restating information from a source in your own words while keeping the meaning

Paraphrasing means expressing someone else's ideas in your own words while preserving the original meaning.

Which of the following is an example of plagiarism?

Answer: Copying three paragraphs from a website and submitting them as your own writing

Copying text without attribution and presenting it as your own work is plagiarism.

A student wants to find scholarly articles about ocean pollution for a science report. Which resource is BEST suited for this?

Answer: A peer-reviewed academic database like JSTOR or Google Scholar

Peer-reviewed academic databases contain scholarly articles that have been evaluated by experts in the field.

Why is it important to use multiple sources when conducting research?

Answer: To confirm facts, see different perspectives, and avoid relying on a single potentially flawed source

Using multiple sources strengthens research by confirming facts and exposing a range of perspectives.