VCLA Research and Information Literacy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the key difference between a primary source and a secondary source?
- Primary sources are longer than secondary sources
- Primary sources are firsthand accounts; secondary sources analyze or interpret them (Correct answer)
- Secondary sources are more reliable than primary sources
- Primary sources are only from the 19th century or earlier
Correct answer: Primary sources are firsthand accounts; secondary sources analyze or interpret them
Primary sources provide direct, firsthand evidence from the original event or time period, while secondary sources interpret or analyze primary sources.
Question 2: When paraphrasing a source, a writer must:
- Use the exact same words as the original text
- Copy the text but change a few words
- Restate the idea in their own words and still cite the source (Correct answer)
- Only paraphrase sources that have no copyright
Correct answer: Restate the idea in their own words and still cite the source
Paraphrasing requires restating the author's ideas entirely in your own words, but you must still cite the original source because the idea belongs to that author.
Question 3: Which citation style is most commonly used in education, social sciences, and psychology?
- MLA (Modern Language Association)
- APA (American Psychological Association) (Correct answer)
- Chicago/Turabian
- Harvard Referencing Style
Correct answer: APA (American Psychological Association)
APA format is the standard citation style used in education, psychology, and the social sciences, focusing on the date of publication as a key element.
Question 4: What is an annotated bibliography?
- A list of sources with a brief summary and evaluation of each one (Correct answer)
- A bibliography written by the original author
- A list of sources organized by topic rather than alphabetically
- A bibliography that includes only online sources
Correct answer: A list of sources with a brief summary and evaluation of each one
An annotated bibliography includes each citation followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph (annotation) that explains the source's relevance and quality.
Question 5: Which of the following is the BEST strategy when a research topic is too broad?
- Use fewer sources to limit the scope
- Narrow the topic by focusing on a specific aspect, time period, or population (Correct answer)
- Change the topic to something easier to research
- Increase the page length of the paper to cover all aspects
Correct answer: Narrow the topic by focusing on a specific aspect, time period, or population
Narrowing a topic by selecting a specific aspect, time period, location, or group allows a researcher to go deeper and produce a more focused, manageable paper.
Question 6: When is it most appropriate to use a direct quote in a research paper?
- When you want to add more words to meet the length requirement
- When the author's exact wording is particularly powerful or precise and cannot be improved by paraphrasing (Correct answer)
- Whenever you find information relevant to your topic
- When you are unsure how to paraphrase correctly
Correct answer: When the author's exact wording is particularly powerful or precise and cannot be improved by paraphrasing
Direct quotes are best used when the original author's exact language is especially significant, unique, or would lose important meaning if paraphrased.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of a secondary source?
- A photograph taken at a historical event
- A letter written by Abraham Lincoln
- A biography of Abraham Lincoln written by a historian (Correct answer)
- Raw data collected in a scientific experiment
Correct answer: A biography of Abraham Lincoln written by a historian
A biography written by a historian is a secondary source because it interprets and analyzes information gathered from primary sources rather than providing firsthand evidence.
VCLA Research and Information Literacy 2
What is the key difference between a primary source and a secondary source?