Information Skills Self-assessment
Take this brief quiz to get a quick self-assessment of your level of skill in handling information and conducting academic-level research. The quiz is based on the commonly used ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education: http://www. Ala. Org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency
- 1.
In developing a thesis or research question, which of the following statements is FALSE?
- A.
Your thesis may change as you start reading the literature.
- B.
It's important to think about what types of information (articles, books, statistics,etc.) may be useful to meeting your information needs.
- C.
You shouldn't change your thesis once you begin researching.
- D.
You may want to start by searching encyclopedias to get an understanding of the scope and terminology of your topic.
Correct Answer
C. You shouldn't change your thesis once you begin researching.Explanation
It is OK to change the focus or even topic of your thesis once you start reading the literature. In fact, it's only once you start doing that research and reading that you'll gain enough knowledge to craft a final thesis that is supported by the evidence and also shows your personal reflections on that evidence.Rate this question:
-
- 2.
The name of the primary library database (search tool) for nursing literature is:
- A.
JSTOR
- B.
ProQuest
- C.
Academic Search Complete
- D.
CINAHL
Correct Answer
D. CINAHLExplanation
CINAHL stands for "Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature" and the library contains an EBSCOHost version that contains full-text for hundreds of thousands of those journal articles: CINAHL Plus with Full-TextRate this question:
-
- 3.
When evaluating a web page, what things should you look for, if available, to determine if the information is reliable? Choose all that apply.
- A.
Author credentials.
- B.
References to methodology or where the information on the page came from.
- C.
The visual design of the page.
- D.
When the information or page was created.
- E.
The organization that hosts or sponsors the site.
Correct Answer(s)
A. Author credentials.
B. References to methodology or where the information on the page came from.
D. When the information or page was created.
E. The organization that hosts or sponsors the site.Explanation
On the web, anyone can create impressive looking pages and graphics, so that should not be a factor as to the quality of the information. More details: http://tinyurl.com/escrattrapRate this question:
-
- 4.
If you want to find information on teen suicide, which search below will get you the most accurate results?:
- A.
Teenager AND suicide
- B.
Teenager NOT suicide
- C.
Teenager OR suicide
- D.
"teen suicide"
Correct Answer
A. Teenager AND suicideExplanation
The AND connector means you'll only get results that contain both of the key words. Probably the most accurate search in this case. The OR connector will get you any results that contain either of the terms; too many non-relevant results. NOT will exclude any results that contain "suicide" in them. Double quotes can be useful, but in this case it will only get results that include that exact phrase and you will probably miss out on many useful results. Search tutorial (video)Rate this question:
-
- 5.
Given the following citation, what kind of publication is it? Last, R. (2012). Using patient stories to shape better services. Practice Nurse, 42(13), 33-37.
- A.
Book
- B.
Book chapter
- C.
Journal article
- D.
Web site
Correct Answer
C. Journal articleExplanation
The volume, issue and page information, 42(13), 33-37 are indicators that it's from a journal.Rate this question:
-
- 6.
Given the following citation, what kind of publication is it? Overfelt, F. (1988). The fixed-reimbursement perspective on patient care services: an enlightened view of nursing. In J. Scherubel, J. Scherubel (Eds.) , Patients and purse strings (pp. 27-38). National League for Nursing.
- A.
Book
- B.
Book chapter
- C.
Journal article
- D.
Web site
Correct Answer
B. Book chapterExplanation
If you see the indication of editors (Eds.) in the citation, most likely it's from a book. The "In J. Scherubel..." tells you it is a chapter from the book "Patients and purse strings."Rate this question:
-
- 7.
What definition below most accurately describes a "peer-reviewed" journal article?
- A.
The article is reviewed by a journal editor before publication.
- B.
The article is reviewed by subject experts before publication.
- C.
The article has been proof-read.
- D.
The author has a PhD.
Correct Answer
B. The article is reviewed by subject experts before publication.Explanation
"Peer-reviewed" literally means the articles published in that journal are reviewed by a group of the article author's peers/subject experts. Because most scholarly writing is very specialized in nature, only other experts in that field (rather than generalist editors) can tell if the research/information is relevant to the field and that the methods/arguments used are valid. Peer-review in 5 minutes (video)Rate this question:
-
- 8.
What description best describes a "literature review?"
- A.
A scholarly review of a book.
- B.
A comparative examination of two or more works of literature.
- C.
An in-depth analysis of a primary source document.
- D.
An overview of significant literature published on a topic.
Correct Answer
D. An overview of significant literature published on a topic.Explanation
A literature review is typically part of most research writing. It assembles and summarizes relevant prior writings on the topic of the article, to give the original research/information being presented some context for the reader. Writing the Literature Review tutorialRate this question:
-
- 9.
Which description below best describes information that is considered a "primary source."
- A.
A source that has been "peer-reviewed."
- B.
The best resource you have found.
- C.
A first-hand account of an event, or information generated by the event (such as data from an experiment).
- D.
The source that has been cited the most by other papers in the field.
Correct Answer
C. A first-hand account of an event, or information generated by the event (such as data from an experiment).Explanation
"Primary" typically refers to information being presented by someone who has witnessed where that information came from (e.g. an event or the person(s) who conducted original research). Examples, and description of "secondary sources" can be found here: http://commons.esc.edu/informationskills/search-strategy/primary-secondary/Rate this question:
-
- 10.
Which of the following scenarios describe acts that would be considered plagiarism or a violation of academic integrity? Check all that apply.
- A.
Forgetting to cite where you got a piece of information used in your paper.
- B.
Neglecting to cite a fact that is common knowledge.
- C.
Rewriting someone's words or information in your own words and presenting them as your own.
- D.
Stating your opinion.
- E.
Listing references that you haven't read at all.
Correct Answer(s)
A. Forgetting to cite where you got a piece of information used in your paper.
C. Rewriting someone's words or information in your own words and presenting them as your own.
E. Listing references that you haven't read at all.Explanation
1. Even accidental plagiarism is still plagiarism. You must cite each piece of information used. 2. Common knowledge and opinions do not need to be cited. 3. Rewriting (paraphrasing) someone's ideas without attribution (citing them) is indeed plagiarism. 4. You can only cite those materials you have read, at least the parts that you cite. If it's an indirect quote (i.e., the author cites someone else) you still cite the item you have in hand and use the in-text portion to notify the reader of the original source. Plagiarism tutorialRate this question:
-
Quiz Review Timeline +
Our quizzes are rigorously reviewed, monitored and continuously updated by our expert board to maintain accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.
-
Current Version
-
Apr 15, 2013Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team -
Feb 13, 2013Quiz Created by
Disobedientlib
Back to top