Rise Placement Test Critical Analysis and Sourcing 3

Question 1

Which technique best helps a reader identify the author's bias in an opinion piece?

Accepted Answer

Noting which evidence is included and which is omitted

Answer

Bias is often revealed not only by what an author says but by what evidence they choose to leave out.

Question 2

A company publishes a study showing its own product is superior to competitors. Which sourcing concern does this raise?

Accepted Answer

The publisher has a financial conflict of interest

Answer

When the funder stands to profit from a favorable result, the study has a conflict of interest that may bias its design or reporting.

Question 3

What does it mean to 'triangulate' information when researching a topic?

Accepted Answer

Confirming a claim with multiple independent sources

Answer

Triangulation means checking a claim against at least two or three independent sources to confirm its accuracy before accepting it.

Question 4

An author uses the phrase 'everyone knows that…' without providing evidence. This is an example of which rhetorical weakness?

Accepted Answer

Unsupported appeal to common knowledge

Answer

Claiming 'everyone knows' substitutes assumed consensus for actual evidence and discourages readers from questioning the claim.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes 'primary source' material?

Accepted Answer

The original data, document, or firsthand account being analyzed

Answer

A primary source is the original material—such as raw data, a historical document, or an eyewitness account—rather than a secondary interpretation of it.

Rise Placement Test Practice Test

Rise Placement Test Practice Test

Rise Placement Test Critical Analysis and Sourcing 3