Research Writing and Source Evaluation — Grade 11 Quiz

Grade 11 · English · Quiz

Test your ability to evaluate sources, avoid plagiarism, and construct research arguments.

Questions

Which of the following is an example of a primary source for a research paper on the civil rights movement?
1. A textbook chapter on the civil rights movement
2. A biography of Martin Luther King Jr. published in 2005
3. A speech delivered by MLK in 1963
4. A documentary film about Rosa Parks
Show answer
Answer: A speech delivered by MLK in 1963
The 1963 speech is an original document from the period being studied — a direct, first-hand primary source. Textbooks, biographies, and documentaries are secondary sources that analyze events after the fact.
A well-written research thesis should be arguable — reasonable people could disagree with it.
Show answer
Answer: True
A strong thesis is arguable — it takes a position that requires support and that someone could reasonably challenge. 'The Civil War happened' is a fact, not a thesis. 'Economic factors were more important than moral ones in causing the Civil War' is arguable.
The 'C' in the CRAAP test evaluates a source's ___ — asking when it was published and whether the information is still current.
Show answer
Answer: currency
Currency evaluates how recent a source is and whether time-sensitive information (scientific findings, statistics, current events) is still accurate and relevant.
Paraphrasing a source without citing it is:
1. Acceptable because you used your own words
2. Still plagiarism because the ideas are not originally yours
3. Only required for direct quotations
4. Unnecessary for online sources
Show answer
Answer: Still plagiarism because the ideas are not originally yours
Paraphrasing without attribution is plagiarism — the ideas, argument, or information came from someone else, and that intellectual debt must be acknowledged regardless of whether you use their exact words.
MLA, APA, and Chicago are all different citation style formats used in academic writing.
Show answer
Answer: True
Different academic disciplines use different citation formats — MLA (humanities), APA (social sciences), Chicago (history, publishing). Each has specific rules for formatting citations.
Which question is most appropriate as a research thesis?
1. Was slavery wrong?
2. How did the GI Bill of 1944 transform the American middle class?
3. What is the American Dream?
4. Did Hemingway drink too much?
Show answer
Answer: How did the GI Bill of 1944 transform the American middle class?
This is specific, historical, and arguable — it requires research and analysis to answer. The other options are either too broad, subjective without scholarly substance, or require only a yes/no answer.
When you integrate ideas from multiple sources and connect them to your own argument, you are performing ___.
Show answer
Answer: synthesis
Synthesis is the advanced skill of weaving multiple sources together into a cohesive argument — it requires identifying relationships between sources and subordinating them to your own analytical purpose.
Which characteristic makes a source least credible?
1. Published by a university press
2. Peer-reviewed by experts
3. Anonymous author with no cited sources
4. Updated within the last two years
Show answer
Answer: Anonymous author with no cited sources
Authority and Accuracy are both compromised when an author's credentials are unknown and no sources are cited. Without these, there is no way to verify the information.
The 'Purpose' criterion in the CRAAP test asks you to consider whether a source has a bias or commercial agenda.
Show answer
Answer: True
The Purpose criterion asks: Why was this written? To inform? To sell? To persuade? A source funded by an industry group evaluating its own products has an obvious bias that affects its reliability.
A Wikipedia article is generally not accepted as a citable academic source primarily because:
1. It contains too much information
2. It can be edited by anyone and lacks guaranteed expert oversight
3. It doesn't include enough images
4. Academic writing doesn't allow online sources
Show answer
Answer: It can be edited by anyone and lacks guaranteed expert oversight
Wikipedia's open-editing model means that even well-written articles can contain errors introduced by non-experts. It is excellent for background knowledge but does not meet the Authority standard for academic citation.

Get a personalized course on Research Writing and Source Evaluation built around your child.