SLO Pre-Test: Research

You are conducting an essay on improvisational theater. Which topic would you be least likely to include in your research?

• whether there are currently more men or women acting in improvisational theater groups

• the history of improvisational theater

• how improvisational theater differs from stage plays

• examples of famous improvisational theater groups

In Step 2 of the research process, you identify and evaluate sources for the information you need. These sources may be print, like books or newspapers, or digital, like websites. You might even use interviews with people in your research. Which source would be the most likely to contain useful, current information?

• a recent article in a professional theater journal about the history of improvisational theater

• an encyclopedia article about theater

• an interview with a member of a local improv group

• a review of a show put on by a local improvisational theater group

Which type of graphic organizer would best organize your notes on the topic of the history of improvisational theater?

• timeline

• Venn diagram

• a problem-solution chart

• a plot diagram

Your teacher says that you can focus your research on any aspect of improvisational theater you find interesting. You want to know more about what personal qualities actors should have to participate.

What would you do next?

• Add more notes from sources that describe the kind of people who are most comfortable with improvisational theater.

• Throw away all your notes that aren't related to personal qualities of actors.

• Add more information on all aspects of improvisational theater so all the sections of your paper will be the same size.

When finished with the research process, you will have collected facts, quotes, charts or graphs, statistics, and anecdotes about improvisational theater.

These won't help you write an engaging and well-organized paper.

• True

• False

You're doing research for a presentation comparing electric cars to gasoline-powered cars. Which source should you use?

• A blog post by a car designer who has driven both kinds of cars

• A 1939 speech in which an auto executive makes a prediction about the future of electric cars

You're researching how electricity is produced in your state. Which source should you use?

• the website of the electricity provider for your town or city

• a 2012 encyclopedia article about electricity

You're researching how to open your first checking account. Which source should you use?

• the “Creating a Checking Account” page on the website of your local bank

• a book called Finances for Teens, published in 2007

You're researching the effect of television viewing on viewers under the age of 12. Which source should you use?

• a 2012 report about advertising and adolescents, posted online by a consumer advocacy group

• a 2012 New York Times article on how food advertisers aim their commercials at very young TV viewers

You're researching the history of women's basketball. Which source should you use?

• “From Hoop Skirts to Hoops,” a chapter of History of Women’s Sports, written by a former athlete

• a 2008 newspaper article about the women’s basketball competition at the Beijing Summer Olympics