CAASPP Research Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a bibliography or works cited page in a research paper?
- To fill space at the end of the paper
- To list all sources used so readers can find and verify them (Correct answer)
- To show how many books are in the library
- To summarize the main argument of the paper
Correct 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.
Question 2: Which question would be MOST useful when evaluating whether a source is biased?
- How long is the article?
- Is the website colorful and easy to read?
- Does the author present only one side of the issue without acknowledging other viewpoints? (Correct answer)
- Was the article written in the current year?
Correct 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.
Question 3: A student is researching water conservation in California. Which keyword combination would produce the MOST targeted results?
- water
- California water
- California water conservation drought solutions (Correct answer)
- conservation environment nature
Correct answer: California water conservation drought solutions
Combining several specific, relevant terms produces the most targeted and useful search results.
Question 4: What does 'paraphrasing' mean in the context of research writing?
- Copying text exactly as it appears in the source
- Restating information from a source in your own words while keeping the meaning (Correct answer)
- Adding your own opinions to change the author's meaning
- Summarizing an entire book in one sentence
Correct 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.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of plagiarism?
- Quoting a sentence and putting it in quotation marks with a citation
- Paraphrasing an idea and naming the source
- Copying three paragraphs from a website and submitting them as your own writing (Correct answer)
- Using a fact you learned in class during a discussion
Correct 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.
Question 6: A student wants to find scholarly articles about ocean pollution for a science report. Which resource is BEST suited for this?
- A general internet search engine
- A peer-reviewed academic database like JSTOR or Google Scholar (Correct answer)
- A news entertainment website
- A personal blog about ocean travel
Correct 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.
Question 7: Why is it important to use multiple sources when conducting research?
- To make the bibliography look longer
- To confirm facts, see different perspectives, and avoid relying on a single potentially flawed source (Correct answer)
- Because teachers will only accept papers with ten or more sources
- To ensure all sources agree with each other
Correct 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.
CAASPP Research Skills 3
What is the purpose of a bibliography or works cited page in a research paper?