Research Methods and Academic Skills Flashcards
6 cards from real BA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Research Methods and Academic Skills flashcards as text
What is the purpose of a 'research question' in an academic study?
Answer: To focus the investigation on a specific, answerable problem that the research addresses
A research question precisely defines the problem under investigation, guiding every subsequent decision about methodology, data collection, and analysis.
What is 'citation management software' (e.g., Zotero, Mendeley) used for?
Answer: Organizing, storing, and automatically formatting bibliographic references
Citation management tools like Zotero and Mendeley help researchers collect, organize, and automatically generate properly formatted bibliographies in multiple citation styles.
In research design, what is a 'control group'?
Answer: A comparison group that does not receive the experimental treatment, used as a baseline
A control group provides a baseline for comparison by receiving no treatment or a placebo, allowing researchers to isolate the effect of the independent variable.
What is 'academic dishonesty' beyond plagiarism in US university contexts?
Answer: Cheating on exams, fabricating data, unauthorized collaboration, and submitting work from another class
Academic dishonesty encompasses a range of violations including cheating, data fabrication, unauthorized collaboration, and self-plagiarism (reusing prior work), all governed by honor codes.
What is the CRAAP test used for when evaluating sources?
Answer: Assessing sources by Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose
The CRAAP test is a widely used information literacy tool that guides students to evaluate source quality by examining how current, relevant, authoritative, accurate, and purposeful a source is.
What is 'note-taking' using the Cornell method designed to do?
Answer: Organize notes into cues, main notes, and summary sections to facilitate active review
The Cornell note-taking method divides a page into a cue column, a notes column, and a summary section at the bottom, promoting active engagement and efficient review.