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Business Communication Today, 12e (Bovee/Thill)Chapter 13 Finding, Evaluating, and Processing Information

1) At the beginning of a research project, you need toA) develop a formal outline that you plan to stick to throughout your researching and writing.B) familiarize yourself with the subject.C) just jump in by finding resources on the Internet and taking notes from them.D) develop the conclusion you want to reach and start looking for evidence that supports that conclusion.Answer: BExplanation: B) As you begin a research project, the most important thing to do is to familiarize yourself with the subject. Read general, rather than specialized sources to get a broad, non-detailed view of the subject and identify critical gaps in your knowledge.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 1AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

2) A problem statementA) outlines all the potential drawbacks of your research.B) defines the purpose of your research.C) is an unsupportable claim or assertion.D) should be long and complex.Answer: BExplanation: B) A problem statement expresses the main idea that your research is pursuing. You may find it convenient to express your problem statement as a question, such as, "How likely is it that nuclear fusion will be an important energy source in the future?"Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 1AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

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3) Sources of secondary information includeA) first-hand observation.B) in-person interviews.C) newspapers and periodicals.D) experiments.Answer: CExplanation: C) Secondary research uses already existing sources of data and evidence and compiles them to draw conclusions. An example of a secondary research source is a published research paper that measures the effectiveness of a new drug for migraine headaches.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

4) Primary research refers toA) new research done specifically for your current project.B) the evidence that stands out in your report.C) the research you conduct first.D) research that is fairly easy to conduct.Answer: AExplanation: A) Primary research is research that is done specifically for the project you are working on. For example, primary research for a childhood obesity project might collect data on how often kids eat and watch TV at the same time.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

5) Which of these documents would not qualify as primary research?A) A recent survey of your company's top clientsB) The most recent issue of a trade magazine in your industryC) Notes from a conversation you recently had with a local government officialD) Your company's latest balance sheetAnswer: BExplanation: B) If a data source is published it does not qualify as primary research. Primary research involves data that you or people working on your project collect themselves. Data from published sources is secondary research.Diff: 2Skill: ApplicationObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


6) In evaluating material you have gathered for a report, you shouldA) assume that those who've written the material are credible.B) shun information with any hint of bias because such information is inherently unethical.C) check to make sure you're using the most current information available.D) avoid using government documents.Answer: CExplanation: C) The data you have found might be relevant and convincing, but it might not be the latest data out there. Before completing your report, make sure you're using the most current information available. Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

7) Regarding the five-step research process, the planning step includes all of the following elements except A) developing a problem statement.B) prioritizing research needs.C) documenting your sources.D) maintaining standards of ethics and etiquette.Answer: CExplanation: C) Step one, planning, includes maintaining research ethics and etiquette, getting familiar with the subject and developing a problem statement, identifying information gaps, and prioritizing research needs. Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

8) Which of the following is not true of conventional search engines?A) They travel the web automatically, identifying new websites.B) They access the deep Internet or hidden Internet.C) They return to previously identified websites to look for changes.D) Not all search engines operate in the same way.Answer: BExplanation: B) Search engines don't have access to all webpages on the Internet. The most obscure pages in the "deep" Internet cannot be accessed by conventional search engines. Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


9) A web directory differs from a search engine in thatA) it doesn't include Usenet newsgroups.B) it doesn't provide as precise results as a search engine.C) human editors find and index the websites to include.D) it usually locates more sites than a search engine.Answer: CExplanation: C) Search engines get results from computer algorithms that rank webpages. Web directories have human editors who find and evaluate useful websites.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

10) A metacrawler isA) a highly specialized directory that focuses on a specific subject matter area.B) a search engine that examines only newsgroup messages.C) a type of aggregator that offers subscribers all-day information on their desktops.D) a special type of engine that searches several search engines at once.Answer: DExplanation: D) To account for the particular biases of search engines, metacrawlers aggregate results from multiple search engines and rank their websites. The result is a search that is not biased by any one particular method of ranking and evaluating webpages.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

11) Which of the following is not a characteristic of online databases?A) They often categorize information by subject area.B) They offer access to many materials that are not accessible through standard search engines.C) Using them requires knowledge of basic search techniques.D) Most of them are available free of charge.Answer: DExplanation: D) Many online databases require a subscription or feature limited access that is restricted to members of various societies and organizations.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


12) Unlike Internet search engines, online databasesA) can be accessed only from a library.B) often provide access to various parts of the hidden Internet.C) are rarely up to date.D) do not require a subscription.Answer: BExplanation: B) If you suspect that standard search engines are missing sources because they arepart of the hidden Internet, use an online database to conduct searches.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

13) Possible uses of online monitoring tools include all of the following exceptA) subscribing to newsfeeds from blogs and websites.B) following people on Twitter and other microblogs.C) entering key terms into general-purpose search engines.D) setting up alerts on search engines and online databases.Answer: CExplanation: C) Uses of online monitoring tools include subscribing to newsfeeds from blogs and websites, following people on microblogs, setting up alerts on search engines and online databases, and using specialized monitors to track tweets. Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication Abilities, Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

14) Documenting the sources that you use in your writingA) properly and ethically credits the person who created the original material.B) shows the audience that you have sufficient support for your message.C) helps readers explore your topic in more detail.D) all of the above.Answer: DExplanation: D) Proper documentation of your sources fulfills your ethical responsibility, builds your credibility, and enables your readers to pursue their own research goals. Diff: 2Skill: Critical ThinkingObjective: 2AACSB: Communication Abilities, Ethical Understanding and Reasoning AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


15) After you've developed a problem statement to define the problem or purpose of your research, your next step will involveA) evaluating sources of information.B) analyzing numerical data and textual information.C) creating a knowledge manipulation system to categorize your research.D) discovering the specific information gaps that your research must fill.Answer: DExplanation: D) Once you've developed a problem statement, focus your research by identifyingthe most important gaps in your information. Diff: 2Skill: Concept/ApplicationObjective: 2AACSB: Communication Abilities, Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages

16) Innovations in research technology allow you to A) completely avoid unreliable information on the web.B) rely exclusively on standard search engines, regardless of your needs.C) access all online databases free of charge.D) find webpages and also the documents webpages that are linked to those sites.Answer: DExplanation: D) The search engine Yolink specializes in finding links. Yolink will conduct a normal search, then it will find all webpages and documents that are linked to your site. For example, if you search for a research paper on toxic waste, the engine will give you all other sources that are referenced by that paper as well as those that reference the paper itself.Diff: 3Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

17) You would not need to cite a source if you haveA) used a direct quotation of under 250 words from a book titled Modern Economics.B) used a table from the 1985 Farmer's Almanac.C) described, in your own words, a plan for organizing production lines, which appeared in a professional journal.D) provided general knowledge about your topic.Answer: DExplanation: D) General knowledge need not be cited. For example, stating that the nuclear meltdown in Japan in 2011 was caused by a tsunami is something you would not need to reference. You would assume that your readers would accept this fact as a given.Diff: 2Skill: ApplicationObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


18) According to the fair use doctrineA) plagiarism is not an issue in the business world—it is a problem only in schools and academiccircles.B) crediting sources is all that is necessary to avoid legal problems.C) once material is made public, it no longer belongs to the author.D) you can use other people's work only if you don't prevent them from benefiting as a result.Answer: DExplanation: D) For example, if you publish a cartoon without attribution that gets widely picked up by newspapers and other sources, you are preventing the cartoonist from benefiting—since the cartoonist could have sold the rights to the cartoon in each instance that it was picked up.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Ethical Understanding and Reasoning AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

19) The answers you receive from a person you're interviewing will be influenced by A) the types of questions you ask.B) the way you ask your questions.C) his or her cultural and language background.D) all of the above. Answer: DExplanation: D) The answers you receive in an interview are influenced by the types of questions you ask, by the way you ask them, and by each subject's cultural and language background. Diff: 2Skill: Critical ThinkingObjective: 3AACSB: Communication Abilities, Multicultural and Diversity UnderstandingLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

20) Ask ________ to solicit opinions, insights, and information; ask ________ to elicit yes or no answers. A) indirect questions; direct questionsB) closed questions; open-ended questionsC) open-ended questions; closed questionsD) reflective questions; descriptive questionsAnswer: CExplanation: C) Open-ended questions solicit opinions, insights, and information. Closed questions elicit specific answers, such as yes or no. Diff: 2Skill: ApplicationObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


21) When you're selecting people to participate in a survey, be sure to get a ________ of the population you want to survey. A) stratified sampleB) representative sampleC) cross-sectional sampleD) small sampleAnswer: BExplanation: B) When selecting people to participate in a survey, the most critical task is gettinga representative sample of the population in question. Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication Abilities, Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

22) Ronnie has just started an internship with Finedum & Sellum, Inc., a provider of online surveys for retailers. One of her first assignments involved drafting an online questionnaire for a local apparel store. After reviewing the questions she had written, her manager told her to revise a question that read, "Do you prefer that we extend our weekend hours for the convenience of customers?" Why did Ronnie's manager want her to revise that question?A) It is an open-ended question.B) It is a leading question.C) It is an ambiguous question.D) It is a closed-loop question.Answer: BExplanation: B) Leading questions are framed so that they evoke a specific response from the individual being questioned.Diff: 3Skill: Critical ThinkingObjective: 3AACSB: Reflective Thinking skillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


23) An online survey is vulnerable to ________ because it captures only the opinions of those who visit the site and choose to complete the survey.A) sampling biasB) backchannel staticC) circular reasoningD) transactional dysfunctionAnswer: AExplanation: A) An online survey is susceptible to sampling bias because it captures only the opinions of those who visit the site and choose to participate, which might not be a representativesample of the population. Diff: 2Skill: Critical ThinkingObjective: 3AACSB: Communication Abilities, Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

24) The two most common primary research methods in the social sciences areA) not appropriate for test marketing.B) experiments and observations.C) surveys and interviews.D) test panels.Answer: CExplanation: C) Primary research involves collecting your own data. Surveys and interviews in which you query people with respect to their views on a topic are the most common forms of primary research.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

25) You create a survey and administer it five times under identical conditions. Because it yielded completely different results each time, you should conclude that this survey is A) not valid.B) not reliable.C) valid.D) reliable.Answer: BExplanation: B) The reliability of a survey measures how reproducible it is. If the survey yields consistent results in different trials, it is deemed reliable. A survey that yields inconsistent results is judged to be unreliable.Diff: 2Skill: ApplicationObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


26) A survey is not valid if itA) does not include at least 50 responses.B) is more than one year old.C) fails to measure what it is intended to measure.D) lacks secondary evidence to supplement it.Answer: CExplanation: C) Validity is a measure of whether or not a survey measures what it is intended to measure. For example, if a survey is intended to measure attitudes about the economy and it endsup reflecting people's views on immigration, you would judge that survey as not valid.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

27) People are more likely to respond to a questionnaire ifA) they can complete it within a short time.B) you allow them plenty of time to research their answers.C) the questions are open ended.D) all of the above are the case.Answer: AExplanation: A) The completion of a questionnaire is typically a disruption in people's lives. Few busy people are willing to spend more than a few minutes completing a questionnaire, so questionnaires should be limited to taking up 10 or 15 minutes of time.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

28) Questions such as, "Do you shop at the mall often?" areA) perfect for most surveys.B) too ambiguous to yield useful information.C) likely to offend your respondents.D) too personal and will offend most audiences.Answer: BExplanation: B) Vague questions yield vague and ambiguous results. Rather than ask a vague question, it would be better to quantify the results by asking: Do you shop at the mall: (a) once a week or more, (b) once a month, (c) less than once a month, (d) not at all? The data from this question could be compiled and displayed in graphical form.Diff: 2Skill: Critical ThinkingObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


29) "How do you spend your leisure time on the weekends?" is an example ofA) a closed-ended question.B) an open-ended question.C) a restatement question.D) an inappropriate question.Answer: BExplanation: B) An open-ended question allows the respondent to fill in the blanks, providing a wide range of answers. Answers to this question might include gardening, bowling, sleeping, hiking, playing poker, and any number of other responses.Diff: 3Skill: ApplicationObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

30) Which of the following is a closed-ended question?A) Would you rate the proposed expansion plan as likely to succeed or unlikely to succeed?B) What do you see as the primary benefit of the proposed expansion plan for your family?C) What corporate goals does the expansion help achieve?D) How will the expansion affect day-to-day operations?Answer: AExplanation: A) A closed-ended question gives the respondent only a few answer choices to select from. Here, the correct answer has only two answer choices: likely to succeed or unlikely to succeed.Diff: 3Skill: ApplicationObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

31) A disadvantage of using too many closed questions in an interview is that theyA) do not take full advantage of the interview format.B) prevent any important information from being revealed.C) diminish the interviewer's control over the interview.D) none of the above.Answer: AExplanation: A) An interview format allows the researcher to probe a respondent's views in depth. Too many closed questions put too narrow of a limit on how respondents can respond. Adding more open-ended questions takes advantage of the interview format, allowing a wide range of responses that truly reflect the attitudes and beliefs of the respondents.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


32) When conducting an information interview, it is a good idea toA) learn about the person you are interviewing ahead of time.B) stick to using just one type of question.C) save the most important questions for last.D) avoid making an appointment, since you don't want the subject to think ahead about answers.Answer: AExplanation: A) The more you know about your interview subject, the better your interview will be. So take time to learn about your subject and develop interview questions that take advantage of what you learn.Diff: 1Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

33) Researchers, who are analyzing numeric data, look for ________ to identify patterns that tend to repeat over time. A) trendsB) causationsC) correlationsD) cross-differentiationsAnswer: AExplanation: A) Trends represent growth, decline, and cyclical patterns that take place over time.Diff: 1Skill: ConceptObjective: 4AACSB: Communication Abilities, Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

34) Unlike a summary, a paraphraseA) restates the original material in your own words and with your own sentence structures.B) presents the gist of the original material in fewer words by eliminating some of the original words.C) does not require complete documentation of sources.D) is never acceptable in business documents.Answer: AExplanation: A) Paraphrasing is much more of an interpretation than summarizing. To paraphrase you read or listen to the original, then write your impression and interpretation of what you heard in your own words. To summarize you simply rewrite the original in a much shorter, condensed form.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 4AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages


35) To paraphrase effectivelyA) avoid using any business language or jargon.B) check your version against the original to make sure that you didn't alter the meaning.C) make sure your version is the same length as or longer than the original.D) do all of the above.Answer: BExplanation: B) When paraphrasing it is possible that you will begin to substitute your own ideas for those of the original speaker. To make sure that you aren't distorting the speaker's original ideas, check your paraphrased version of the text against the original text.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 4AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages

36) What would be the median for the following set of monthly salaries: $1200, $1200, $1300, $1500, $1700, $2000, $2800?A) $1200B) $1500C) $1671.43D) $1700Answer: BExplanation: B) The median value in a set of data is the value that has an equal number of data points that are greater than itself and less than itself. In this set, there are three values greater than$1500 and three values that are less than $1500.Diff: 2Skill: ApplicationObjective: 4AACSB: Communication Abilities, Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

37) To find out your company's average monthly utility bill over the last year, you would need to calculate the ________ of the last twelve bills.A) meanB) medianC) modeD) highestAnswer: AExplanation: A) An average, or mean value is calculated by dividing the sum of the values by the number of values there are. For a utility bill you would divide the total amount you paid in utilities over the year by 12 since there are 12 months in the year. Diff: 3Skill: ApplicationObjective: 4AACSB: Communication Abilities, Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


38) The number 29 is the ________ in this set of figures: 25, 29, 34, 29, 29, 42, 8. A) meanB) medianC) modeD) correlationAnswer: CExplanation: C) The value in a set of data that appears most frequently is termed the mode. Here, the value 29 appears three times, more than any other value, so it is the mode.Diff: 3Skill: ApplicationObjective: 4AACSB: Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

39) Applying the findings of your research can involve all of the following exceptA) summarizing your results.B) making recommendations.C) drawing conclusions based on your results.D) developing a problem statement that defines your research.Answer: DExplanation: D) Applying the findings of your research can involve summarizing the results, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations. Diff: 2Skill: SynthesisObjective: 5AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages

40) A ________ is an unbiased condensation of the information uncovered in your research.A) problem statementB) research summaryC) cause and effect analysisD) primary collationAnswer: BExplanation: B) A research summary is an unbiased condensation of the information uncovered in your research.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 5AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


41) A ________ is a logical interpretation of the facts and information in a report; a ________ is a suggested course of action.A) recommendation; conclusionB) problem statement; summaryC) conclusion; recommendationD) trend analysis; synthesisAnswer: CExplanation: C) A conclusion is a logical interpretation of the facts and information in a report; arecommendation is a suggested course of action.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 5AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Revise, complete, and distribute business messages

42) A ________ is a set of technologies, policies, and procedures that can allow a company to capture and share information throughout the organization. A) process superstructureB) desktop search protocolC) cross-departmental interchangeD) knowledge management systemAnswer: DExplanation: D) Knowledge management systems help organizations share research results and other valuable information and insights. Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 5AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

43) When drawing conclusions for a report, you shouldA) introduce new information that wasn't discussed in the report.B) avoid getting input from other members of your research team.C) ignore information in the report that doesn't support your point of view.D) interpret your research results logically, based strictly on the information in your report.Answer: DExplanation: D) Your conclusions must be logical, relevant, and based on evidence that you gathered in your research. Don't introduce any new information, yet don't ignore information in your report, just because it doesn't support your conclusion. Also, don't expect all team members to reach the same conclusion, after examining the evidence.Diff: 2Skill: Concept/ApplicationObjective: 5AACSB: Communication Abilities, Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages


44) Unlike conclusions, recommendationsA) suggest a clear course of action.B) interpret evidence.C) are always acceptable to readers.D) always come at the end of the report.Answer: AExplanation: A) A conclusion is an evaluation that you make, based on your data. A conclusion does not specify a course of action. A recommendation, on the other hand, specifies a course of action, usually based on conclusions drawn from the research.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 5AACSB: Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages

45) The recommendations you make in a report shouldA) interpret the results of your research.B) not be limited by the report's conclusion.C) tell audience members what they want to hear.D) adequately describe the steps that come next.Answer: DExplanation: D) Don't leave readers wondering what they need to do in order to act on your recommendation. For example, rather than saying, "Buy Stock A if the price drops," a much better recommendation would say, "Buy 100 shares of Stock A if the price drops below $10 per share."Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 5AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages

46) To help guide your research, you should develop a problem statement that defines the problem or purpose of your research.Answer: TRUEExplanation: A problem statement boils down the purpose of your research into a single statement or question. For example, a clear problem statement might be, "Are Apple laptop computers worth the extra cost to consumers?" Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 1AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages


47) The difference between primary sources and secondary sources is that primary sources are those you create specifically for your project.Answer: TRUEExplanation: Secondary sources typically are published data sources (professional journals, periodicals, newspapers) that already exist and can be accessed. Primary sources involve you collecting data to answer specific research questions for your project.Diff: 1Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

48) When you need to consult government documents, your only option is to go to the appropriate government office in your city.Answer: FALSEExplanation: The vast majority of government documents that are not classified are available online.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 1AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

49) When using the Internet to conduct research, you can be reasonably sure that any informationyou find will be accurate.Answer: FALSEExplanation: When using the Internet, your basic assumption should be that the information you find is not particularly reliable. With care, however, you can locate official sources, such as the U.S. Department of Labor, and well known sources, such as The Wall Street Journal, that you can rely on, as well as blogs and other websites. The key is to cross reference any fact that seemsdubious—if you can find it in a variety of reliable sources it is likely to be credible. If you can find it only, for example, in a single blog it is likely not to be credible.Diff: 1Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


50) The best general purpose search engines are capable of reaching information on the hidden Internet.Answer: FALSEExplanation: General purpose search engines such as Google cannot access the hidden Internet. The only practical way to access the hidden Internet is through specialized databases.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

51) Some of the most useful and up-to-date resources available at libraries are online databases.Answer: TRUEExplanation: Some databases require a subscription, so if you find a need to use them, go to a public library.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

52) Search engines and directories use different approaches to find and index websites.Answer: TRUEExplanation: Search engines use computer algorithms to find websites. Directories are organizedand set up by human editors. In both types of search, you use key words to find what you are looking for.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

53) Unlike most search engines, a web directory yields results that have been screened by humaneditors.Answer: TRUEExplanation: Human editors set up web directories based on specialized interests. An example ofa web directory is the Open Directory Project.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


54) A metacrawler enables you to use multiple search engines simultaneously.Answer: TRUEExplanation: Rather than simply search for websites, a metacrawler searches the results of different search engines and compiles them into a single listing. A metacrawler gives you the ranked results from various search engines such as Google and Bing.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

55) Boolean operators include terms such as AND, OR, and NOT.Answer: TRUEExplanation: Given search terms cute and puppy, the operator AND (cute AND puppy) will include sites that include both cute and puppy, while the OR operator (cute OR puppy) will include sites that feature just one or both of the terms. The NOT operator (NOT cute) will eliminate all sites that include the term cute. Note that you can replace NOT with a minus sign, as in -cute.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

56) A work is not considered copyrighted until it is legally registered.Answer: FALSEExplanation: Copyright protection is granted as soon as an author puts the copyright symbol onto the text or item.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

57) According to the fair use doctrine, you can use other people's work only as long as you do not unfairly prevent them from benefiting as a result.Answer: TRUEExplanation: The fair use doctrine would go into effect if you reproduced someone's copyrightedmaterial and were subsequently asked to appear on radio and TV talk shows to discuss the material. The author of the material could claim that she was denied the opportunity of benefitingfrom her work because she was not the one invited to make media appearances.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Ethical Understanding and Reasoning AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


58) Observations, surveys, and experiments are all considered secondary sources of information.Answer: FALSEExplanation: Observations, surveys, and experiments are all primary information sources if you conducted them as part of your ongoing research project.Diff: 1Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

59) A survey is considered reliable if it measures what it is intended to measure.Answer: FALSEExplanation: Reliability is defined as how reproducible a study is. If the results are consistent in different situations at different times, the study can be labeled as reliable.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

60) A survey is valid if it produces identical results when repeated.Answer: FALSEExplanation: Validity is a measure of whether a study measures what its author intended it to measure. For example, a study that was intended to measure health insurance coverage that ends up measuring poverty levels instead would be labeled not valid.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

61) "Do you watch sports and news shows on TV?" is a compound question.Answer: TRUEExplanation: The respondent may watch sports shows but not news shows—or the respondent may watch news and not sports shows. This compound question fails to differentiate between thetwo choices.Diff: 3Skill: ApplicationObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


62) "Do you think the styling of the new Mini Cooper is a departure from previous styling?" is an example of an open-ended question.Answer: FALSEExplanation: The question is closed because it has only two possible responses: yes, the styling is a departure, or no it is not a departure.Diff: 2Skill: ApplicationObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

63) If you plan to quote your interview subject in writing, it is a bad idea to provide him or her with a list of questions a day or two ahead of time.Answer: FALSEExplanation: Unless you plan on using hostile "ambush" questions to catch your subject being untruthful or inconsistent, there is nothing wrong with providing questions ahead of time. That said, your interview may turn out to be more spontaneous if your subject is hearing the questions for the first time when you ask them.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

64) It is always preferable for interviews to take place in person rather than to conduct them via email.Answer: FALSEExplanation: There are distinct advantages to electronic interviews. For example, online an interview subject gets to think about a response for as long as he or she likes and edit the response if it does not accurately reflect the person's feelings about a topic.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

65) Paraphrases do not require documentation of sources.Answer: FALSEExplanation: As with quotations or summaries, when you paraphrase a source, that source must be identified.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 4AACSB: Ethical Understanding and Reasoning AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages


66) If the price of a baseball cap in six different stores was $22, $20, $18, $20, $19, and $21, the mean price would be $21.Answer: FALSEExplanation: The mean price, computed by dividing the sum of the prices by the number of items, comes to $20, not $21.Diff: 2Skill: Concept/ApplicationObjective: 4AACSB: Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

67) The median value of a group is the sum of all the values in a series divided by the number of values in that group.Answer: FALSEExplanation: The median is the central value in the group that has as many values greater than itself as it has values that are less than itself.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 4AACSB: Communication Abilities, Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

68) If you find a strong correlation between employee use of company stress-reduction programsand increased worker productivity, you can conclude that such programs do indeed cause increased productivity, without considering any other variables.Answer: FALSEExplanation: In this situation, a correlation between stress programs and productivity has been found. However, there is no cause and effect relationship that has been proven here. Any number of other factors could be causing the increase in productivity, such as personnel changes, new equipment, scheduling changes, policy changes, and so on. Until these factors can be ruled out asthe cause of the productivity increase, stating that the stress programs caused an increase in productivity is wrong.Diff: 2Skill: Concept/ApplicationObjective: 5AACSB: Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


69) You should assume that everyone who examines the evidence you present in your report will arrive at the same conclusion.Answer: FALSEExplanation: You should aim to make your conclusions "bullet proof"—that is, so well-reasonedthat no one could argue with them. However, most conclusions, no matter how rigorously arrivedat, still have an element of subjectivity to them. So do not be surprised if other people look at your data and draw different conclusions.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 5AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages

70) An example of a recommendation would be "Given the state of the economy, now is a good time to invest in precious metals."Answer: FALSEExplanation: The statement is a conclusion, not a recommendation. A recommendation would specify a course of action, such as, "You should invest at least 20 percent of your portfolio in gold or silver, keep it for six months, then put the money into bonds."Diff: 3Skill: Concept/ApplicationObjective: 5AACSB: Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages

71) A(n) ________ ________ defines the purpose of your research.Answer: problem statementExplanation: A problem statement can be a statement or a question. A problem statement should express what you aim to find with your research.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 1AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages

72) Books, periodicals, newspapers, and websites are all examples of ________ sources.Answer: secondaryExplanation: Secondary sources of data are published sources or sources that you didn't specifically compile or collect for your research project.Diff: 1Skill: Concept/ApplicationObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


73) Online ________ ________ identify individual webpages that contain a specific word or phrase you've asked for.Answer: search enginesExplanation: Well-known search engines include Google and Bing.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

74) Online ________ provide access to journals, electronic books, and other resources often unavailable through general purpose search engines.Answer: databasesExplanation: Unlike search engines, which are entirely automated, databases are often compiled and organized by human editors.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

75) You can narrow or broaden an Internet search by using ________ operators such as AND, OR, and NOT.Answer: BooleanExplanation: Given search terms chocolate and cake, the operator AND (chocolate AND cake) will include sites that include both chocolate and cake, while the OR operator (chocolate OR cake) will include sites that feature just one or both of the terms. The NOT operator (NOT chocolate) will eliminate all sites that include the term chocolate.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

76) A Boolean ________ operator placed between restaurant and Louie's will find all sites that include both the word restaurant and Louie's.Answer: ANDExplanation: An AND operator searches for only those sites that contain both search terms.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


77) A(n) ________ ________ search lets you ask questions in normal, everyday English.Answer: natural languageExplanation: Natural language searches allow users to ask questions such as, "Which dog breed is the most popular one in the United States?" and get reliable answers.Diff: 3Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

78) ________ law covers printed materials, audiovisual material, many forms of artistic expression, computer programs, maps, mailing lists, and even answering-machine messages.Answer: CopyrightExplanation: Note that once the author affixes the copyright symbol on an item, that item is protected from being copied. Note also that some things, such as slogans, names, and phrases, are not protected by copyright.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

79) A survey is considered ________ if it produces identical results when repeated. A survey is considered ________ if it measures what it's intended to measure.Answer: reliable, validExplanation: Reliability measures reproducibility. Validity measures how well the study measures what it was intended to measure.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

80) When conducting an interview, you use ________ questions to get the interviewee to offer anopinion and not just a yes-or-no answer.Answer: open-endedExplanation: Open-ended questions give the person being interviewed the freedom to respond inany way he or she likes.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


81) Unlike a paraphrase, a(n) ________ presents the gist of the material in fewer words than the original.Answer: summaryExplanation: A summary is a condensed version of the original. A summary should contain all ofthe key ideas in the text using the same phrasing as the author. A paraphrase, on the other hand, may express ideas using phrasing that is very different from that used by the author.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 4AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages

82) When analyzing data, look for ________, which are definite patterns taking place over time, such as growth and decline.Answer: trendsExplanation: A common way to spot trends is to represent data on a graph and look for visual patterns of upward and downward change.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 4AACSB: Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

83) A(n) ________ is a simultaneous change in two variables that you're measuring.Answer: correlationExplanation: A correlation shows that two trends seem to coincide in time. Correlation does not indicate cause and effect. For example, if it rains every time you forget your umbrella that does not mean that forgetting your umbrella caused the rain.Diff: 3Skill: ConceptObjective: 4AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

84) A(n) ________ is a logical interpretation of the facts in your report.Answer: conclusionExplanation: The aim of your report is to draw conclusions based on your data. If your data show no definite trends, correlations, or cause and effect relationships, you can still conclude thatyour data failed to reveal any meaningful relationships. That in itself can be viewed a meaningfulfact.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 5AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages


85) A(n) ________ suggests what ought to be done in response to the information you have presented in your report.Answer: recommendationExplanation: Recommendations are specific suggestions to take action. If a statement does not specify an action, it is a conclusion, not a recommendation.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 5AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages

86) List three guidelines to follow in order to avoid ethical lapses when conducting research.Answer: (Answers may include any three of the following.) (1) Don't force a specific outcome by skewing your research. (2) Respect the privacy of your research participants. (3) Document sources and give appropriate credit. (4) Respect the intellectual property and digital rights of your sources. (5) Don't extract more from your sources than they actually provide. (6) Don't misrepresent who you are or what you plan to do with the research results.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 1AACSB: Ethical Understanding and Reasoning AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

87) You have been asked to help a company find ways to reduce the amount it spends on employee health and dental benefits. Write a problem statement for the report that you will produce.Answer: "How can we decrease Company A's expenses on employee health and dental benefits?" (Answers may vary.)Diff: 2Skill: Critical ThinkingObjective: 1AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages

88) Explain why it is important to prioritize your research needs early in the process of conducting business research.Answer: Prioritizing your research needs is important because you won't have the time or moneyto answer every question you might have. Moreover, if you'll be using interviews or surveys, you'll need to limit the number of questions you ask to respect participants' time.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 1AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages


89) Briefly explain the difference between primary research and secondary research.Answer: Primary research is new research conducted specifically for your current project. Secondary research involves consulting sources such as magazines, newspapers, public websites,books, and other reports.Diff: 2Skill: SynthesisObjective: 2, 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages

90) Briefly explain the difference between trade journals and academic journals.Answer: Trade journals provide information about specific professions and industries. Academicjournals, on the other hand, offer research-oriented articles from researchers and educators.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages

91) What illusion should you resist when using search engines to find information on the Internet?Answer: The neatly organized results you get from a search engine can create the illusion that the Internet is a neatly organized warehouse of all the information in the universe. In reality, the Internet is an incomplete, unorganized hodge-podge of millions of independent websites with information that ranges in value from priceless to utter rubbish. Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

92) Briefly explain the main difference between an Internet search engine and a web directory.Answer: Whereas Internet search engines use no human editors to evaluate the quality of the content they yield, web directories use human editors to categorize and evaluate websites and other media.Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


93) What is the difference between a reliable survey and a valid survey?Answer: A reliable survey produces identical results when repeated. A valid survey measures what it's intended to measure.Diff: 3Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

94) Provide an example of an open-ended question, and then give an example of a closed question on the same topic.Answer: "What do you see as the future of digital rights management (DRM)?" is an open-ended question. "Do you support digital rights management?" is a closed question on the same topic. (Answers will vary.)Diff: 2Skill: ApplicationObjective: 3AACSB: Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

95) Provide an example of a conclusion, and then give an example of a recommendation on the same topic.Answer: "Our company's last 12 utility bills clearly indicate a spike in energy use during the winter months" is a conclusion. "We should invest in a more efficient climate control system" is a recommendation on the same topic. (Answers will vary.)Diff: 2Skill: ApplicationObjective: 5AACSB: Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Compose and shape business messages

96) List in order each part of the five-step research process that will help you gather and use information efficiently.Answer: (1) Planning, (2) locating information and data, (3) processing data and information, (4) applying your findings, and (5) managing information. Diff: 2Skill: ConceptObjective: 1AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


97) What are some criteria you can use in evaluating the credibility of an information source?Answer: In evaluating the credibility of sources, it is important to determine whether the source has a reputation for honesty and reliability. You should also be sensitive to any potential bias in the source. Knowing the purpose of the source can help you decide whether it is appropriate for your project. You should also find out whether the author is credible and where he or she got the information included in the source. Another important issue is whether or not you can verify the material independently. You should also check to make sure that the material is current and complete, and that all claims are supported with evidence. Finally, it is important to see how wellthe sources claims stand up to scrutiny.Diff: 3Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

98) List the three major disadvantages of Internet search engines; then, briefly describe other electronic research tools that overcome those shortcomings.Answer: The three disadvantages of Internet search engines are (1) no human editor screens and evaluates the content of the websites they list; (2) various engines use different search techniquesso one engine might miss a site or page that another finds; and (3) search engines can't reach all of the content on many websites. One other type of electronic research tool that helps to overcome these drawbacks is the web directory, which uses human editors to categorize and evaluate website content. Another is the online database, which offers access to the newspapers, magazines, and journals you can't access via search engines. Finally, metacrawlers or metasearchengines address the third shortcoming by automatically formatting your search request for the specific requirements of multiple search engines and telling you how many hits each engine was able to find for you.Diff: 3Skill: ConceptObjective: 2AACSB: Use of ITLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


99) Describe six strategies for producing surveys that are both valid and reliable.Answer: To produce valid and reliable surveys, provide clear instructions so that respondents know exactly how to fill out your questionnaire. You should also keep the entire survey short andeasy to answer—all questions should be relevant, and respondents should be able to complete thesurvey quickly and easily. Whenever possible, it is important to design questions to provide answers that will be easy for you to analyze; numbers, for example, are easier to analyze than opinions. Leading questions (which will bias the results of your survey) should be avoided. Likewise, avoid ambiguous questions such as, "Do you shop at the mall often?" Ask only one thing at a time rather than using compound questions, and adapt the question sequence based on audience responses.Diff: 3Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Communication AbilitiesLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages

100) Explain important considerations to keep in mind when deciding whether to conduct an interview face-to-face or via email.Answer: Face-to-face interviews give you the opportunity to gauge the reaction to your questions and observe the nonverbal signals that accompany the answers, but email interviews are becoming more common, partly because they give subjects a chance to think through their responses thoroughly rather than rushing to fit the time constraints of a face-to-face interview. Also, email interviews might be the only way you will be able to access some experts.Diff: 3Skill: ConceptObjective: 3AACSB: Analytical SkillsLearning Outcome: Find and evaluate data to support business messages


Documents

Business Communication Today, 12e (Bovee/Thill) …docshare02.docshare.tips/files/30243/302435074.pdf · Business Communication Today, 12e (Bovee/Thill) Chapter 13 Finding, Evaluating,