S. Graves - Geography

Quiz: Chapter 29 - Writing Essays, Reports and Dissertations

Writing Essays, Reports and Dissertations

After you have read, or as you read, chapter 29 in your text, please take the quiz below. The quizzes are designed to encourage you to read the chapters and to occasionally help you focus your attention on items that may be more important..

*Note: A word of caution. The British authors of this text use words differently that we do here in America. There are several references to things such as, "markers", "setting an essay" and even "University Challenge". Hopefully, you can navigate this dialect shift and you are welcome to contact me anytime a word or phrase is just too British for you. The most important dialect shift is the term dissertation. In the U.S. "dissertation" is the word used to describe the research document produced by a doctoral candidate. In the U.S., a "thesis" is frequently the term for the research document produced by those working on a master's degree. Many also call any paper that is research driven and argues a point or set of points "a thesis". In fact any argument can be called a "thesis".

You will be required to write several papers with a thesis before you leave CSUN. Some of them will be essays, in which you support a "thesis" largely through the construction of a logical argument. Some professors here will call any research paper in which you argue a point or try to sway someone's opinion about something a thesis.

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Quiz Table
Answer	Letter	Questions and Answer Options
Answer 1	1.	Which of the follow is more common outside academia?
	a.	essay
	b.	report
	c.	dissertation
	d.	all three of these are equally common inside and outside academia
Answer 2	2.	The term discursive has several meanings. Which of these does the chapter's author mean when he writes: The essay is discursive while reports are written in a concise and precise style, with paragraphs numbered for easy reference.
	a.	like a discussion
	b.	rambling and covering many fields
	c.	lengthy and detailed
	d.	well reasoned and logical
Answer 3	3.	What does the author suggest the first thing a writer (student) do before beginning a report, essay or thesis?
	a.	study what is expected of the writer, including the guidelines for judging success
	b.	pick a topic
	c.	write first, then go back and fix problems
	d.	find the data
Answer 4	4.	Which of the following is (are) cited by the author as the purpose of the introduction to an essay?
	a.	to preview your argument
	b.	to catch the attention of the reader
	c.	to indicate the structure of the essay
	d.	all of these are useful components of an introduction
Answer 5	5.	Which of the following is (are) cited by the author as the purpose of the conclusion to an essay?
	a.	to review and synthesize your argument
	b.	to discuss implications of your argument
	c.	to ask related questions and call for additional argument
	d.	all of these are cited by the author.
Answer 6	6	Words like "discuss", "evaluate", "compare and contrast" or "explain" are classified as ___________ words according to the author.
	a.	demand
	b.	prompter
	c.	command
	d.	task
Answer 7	7.	According to the author, what are two of the most common comments made by those who grade or evaluate student essays?
	a.	good point and illogical
	b.	irrelevant and order
	c.	spelling and syntax
	d.	punctuation!! And grammar!!!
Answer 8	8	Bradford writes: When making major points of an argument, it is important to_________
	a.	present supporting evidence
	b.	use examples to illustrate the point
	c.	develop and sustain the argument without letting the examples overwhelm the argument itself
	d.	all of these
Answer 9	9.	Which of the following does the author suggest be conducted first, prior to writing a report? (this probably applies to other research based writing as well)
	a.	analysis and interpretation
	b.	methods of analysis
	c.	introduction
	d.	executive summary
Answer 10	10.	Bradford suggests that writers do the following as they construct paragraphs
	a.	avoid short sentences because they make the author sound less sophisticated
	b.	make sure you know exactly what you want to say in each paragraph.
	c.	try to make at least two important points per paragraph.
	d.	all of these are important.
Answer 11	11.	Which of these components are not among the items Bradford suggests should be in an introduction?
	a.	a brief statement of methodology
	b.	reasons why the author is interested in the topic
	c.	geographic perspective on the topic
	d.	overall aims and an outline of the structure of the thesis/dissertation.
Answer 12	12.	Which of these count among the purposes of a literature review? PAY ATTENTION TO THIS!!
	a.	identifying a gap in the literature
	b.	outlining sides of a debate within the subject you are researching
	c.	a critical review of the existing research that informs the research question(s) to be posed by the author
	d.	all of these are among the purposes of a literature review.
Answer 13	13.	Which of these count among the purposes of the methods chapter/section?
	a.	to explain why a certain study site or area of investigation were chosen
	b.	the methods used to collect the data
	c.	the reasons for choosing one style of analysis rather than another
	d.	all of these are among the purposes of a method chapter.
Answer 14	14.	What points should you know about references?
	a.	Though the text suggests the "Harvard Convention", most American Geographers use the Chicago Manual of Style as a guide to referencing sources and for style rules.
	b.	there should be no reference in the text that is not in the bibliography AND vice verse.
	c.	references should be made when writers use the facts someone else has collected, the opinion of another, or when quoting another's work.
	d.	all students should know these things.
Answer 15	15.	What does one normally find included in a research paper's conclusion?
	a.	limitations of the work
	b.	implications of the research findings
	c.	further questions are posed
	d.	all of this, plus a summary of major findings are often in the conclusion

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Geography 300

Quiz: Chapter 29 - Writing Essays, Reports and Dissertations

Writing Essays, Reports and Dissertations

Instructions:

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