Business Research Methods
CHAPTER 6
Exploring the Literature
Student Questionnaire Answer sheet
Look at these only after you have completed the whole questionnaire.
Question 1
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
A literature review is important because
a) it proves you have read something related to the topic
b) it helps to frame the research question
c) it shows what methods have been used by others
d) it helps you find chunks of text that you can paste in to your work
e) it helps you to identify the main authors in the area
Responses to:
a) Yes.
b) Yes.
c) Yes.
d) No.
e) Yes.
Question 2
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
Primary sources of secondary data are
a) the first ones that you come across
b) where data and information appear for the first time
c) where data has been gathered from primary schools
d) where the data gathered is the most important to your research
e) seldom used in business research projects
Responses to:
a) No.
b) Yes.
c) No.
d) No.
e) No.
Question 3
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
The abbreviation URL stands for
a) United Resources Ltd
b) Unique Reading List
c) Unique Resource Locator
d) Undiscovered References Locator
e) Universal Research Log
Responses to:
a) No.
b) No.
c) Yes.
d) No.
e) No.
Question 4
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
Wikipedia is
a) a valid source of academic data and information
b) a social networking site
c) a means through which you can find bona fide references
Responses to:
a) No.
b) No.
c) Yes.
Question 5
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
The limitations of professional journals as a source of data and information are that
a) they are littered with advertisements
b) they often included overly complex research methods
c) they are written in a particular way for a particular audience
d) the articles are written to create a positive impression
e) they are generally unreliable
Responses to:
a) No.
b) No.
c) Yes.
d) Yes.
e) No.
Question 6
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
A good way to start reviewing the literature is to
a) gather everything you can on the subject and read it all
b) identify key words and use these to search for relevant pieces
c) take the entire bibliography from an academic paper and review each reference
d) identify two to three main constructs to search on
e) create a general sense of direction and use this to frame your search
Responses to:
a) No.
b) Yes.
c) No.
d) Yes.
e) Yes.
Question 7
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
A useful reading technique when selecting your literature is
a) scattering
b) skimming
c) scoping
d) scanning
e) skipping
Responses to:
a) No.
b) Yes.
c) No.
d) Yes.
e) No.
Question 8
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
When referencing a direct quotation you should
a) just include the reference in the bibliography at the back
b) use bold, a larger font size, underline and italics
c) include the authors and year in the text
d) include the author’s name, year of publication, and the page number in the text
e) present the quotation in quotation marks (‘....’)
Responses to:
a) No.
b) No.
c) No.
d) Yes.
e) Yes.
Question 9
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
Boolean logic is
a) a type of algebra
b) a way of constructing an argument
c) a counter-intuitive approach to debate
d) a system for focusing a literature search
e) a type of mind map
Responses to:
a) No.
b) No.
c) No.
d) Yes.
e) No.
Question 10
Put a Y (for ‘Yes’) against all statements that you believe correct:
Bona fide sources of data and information include
a) information off the intranet
b) information off the Internet
c) academic journals
d) your own diary
e) textbooks
Responses to:
a) Yes.
b) Yes.
c) Yes.
d) Yes.
e) Yes.