Chapter 05

Clarifying the Research Question through Secondary Data and Exploration

 
 

Multiple Choice Questions

 

1. Which of the following is not a type of secondary sources used during the exploratory phase of the research
process? 
 

A. Research studies
B. Group discussions
C. Case studies
D. Books
E. Information from organization's database
 
2. What is the first step in conducting a literature search? 
 

A. Define the management dilemma or question

B. Identify key terms, people, or events
C. Search indexes, bibliographies, and the Web
D. Locate and review secondary sources
E. Evaluate the value and credibility of secondary sources
 
3. _____ are original works of research or raw data without interpretation that represent an official opinion or
position. 
 

A. Secondary sources
B. Primary sources
C. Statistical sources
D. Bibliographies
E. Indexes
 
4. Which of the following is an example of a primary source of information? 
 

A. Census data
B. Newspaper articles
C. Encyclopedias
D. Google searches
E. Internal sales reports
 

5-1
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
5. All of the following are examples of primary sources of information except _____. 
 

A. memos
B. letters
C. transcripts of speeches
D. Google searches
E. economic data
 
6. Micah is reviewing encyclopedia entries, textbooks, handbooks, and magazine and newspaper articles to
gather information for her project. These are all examples of _____ sources of information. 
 

A. secondary
B. primary
C. tertiary
D. statistical
E. external
 
7. Which information source may be interpretations of a secondary source but is generally represented by
indexes, bibliographies, and Internet search engines? 
 

A. Secondary
B. Primary
C. Tertiary
D. Statistical
E. External
 
8. A Google search can be classified as which type of information source? 
 

A. Secondary
B. Primary
C. Tertiary
D. Statistical
E. External
 
9. Timothy wants to identify and locate books and journal articles from a large set. What type of information
source should he use? 
 

A. index
B. Bibliography
C. Encyclopedia
D. Handbook
E. Dictionary
 

5-2
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
10. Which of the following is a reason researchers use encyclopedias? 
 

A. To verify spelling
B. To find authors and titles of prior works
C. To locate articles from a large set
D. To find historical information
E. All of the above
 
11. Which of the following is not included in a good handbook? 
 

A. Statistics
B. Directory information
C. A glossary of terms
D. Lists of consultants in the field
E. References
 
12. Contact information for professional organizations and companies in a field may be located in a(n) _____. 
 

A. index
B. bibliography
C. handbook
D. dictionary
E. directory
 
13. All of the following are factors useful in evaluating a source except _____. 
 

A. purpose
B. scope
C. cost
D. authority
E. audience
 
14. When researchers consider the explicit or hidden agenda of an information source, the source's _____ is
under evaluation. 
 

A. purpose
B. scope
C. authority
D. audience
E. format
 

5-3
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
15. All of the following questions address the authority of a source except _____. 
 

A. What are the credentials of the author or institution?

B. What is the reputation of the sponsoring organization?
C. Does the source give you a means of contacting anyone for further information?
D. How old is the information?
E. If facts are supplied, where do they come from?
 
16. When evaluating an information source, the time period and geographic limitations are considered as part of
the _____ factor. 
 

A. purpose
B. scope
C. authority
D. audience
E. format
 
17. In Nicolas Perricone's first book, his affiliation with the Yale School of Dermatology was identified on the
front cover of the book. This enhanced the perceived credibility of the information in the book using the
_____ factor. 
 

A. purpose
B. scope
C. authority
D. audience
E. format
 
18. Suppose you were starting a research study based upon secondary sources about the use of computers for
educational purposes in colleges. You should probably begin by: 
 

A. Checking your library's online catalog

B. Search Books-in-Print for new publications on this topic
C. Checking several bibliographic indexes
D. Since this is a new technology area, consult the appropriate Doctoral Dissertation Abstracts bulletins.
E. Consulting the government research librarian
 
19. Which of the following is NOT a good reason for using secondary data? 
 

A. Data on the past cannot be collected today.

B. Even if the definitions of variables being studied are not the same, research can be modified according to
secondary data available.
C. The time involved in primary data collection may render the study obsolete.
D. Authentic data required may already have been collected by other agencies.
 

5-4
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
20. For an organization, which of the following is NOT an example of an internal source of secondary data? 
 

A. The data stored in the records of the Management Information System.

B. Surveys collected by the internal sales staff, from the company's distributors.
C. A market survey commissioned by the organization, completed three years ago.
D. Inventory records of the materials department.
 
21. Data on a university's enrollments are available in all university departments through a client server
network. This data availability is best referred to as information available ____ 
 

A. Online
B. Internet-based
C. Data warehoused
D. Intranet-based (LAN)
 
22. Data originating from studies that are conducted by others and for a different purpose than the one for which
the data are being reviewed are called _____ data. 
 

A. primary
B. secondary
C. quantitative
D. statistical
E. descriptive
 
23. Which of the following is the first step in an exploratory study? 
 

A. Identifying the target population

B. Choosing a sample
C. Interviewing experts
D. Conducting a literature search
E. Writing interview questions
 
24. Maurice is beginning a new research project. As he begins the first phase of the process, Maurice will most
likely begin by _____. 
 

A. conducting a literature search

B. interviewing experts
C. designing a survey
D. preparing measurement questions
E. brainstorming
 

5-5
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
25. Capital One is lauded in the industry for its skill in discovering knowledge from its databases of customer
credit card expenditures using a technique called _____. 
 

A. process analysis
B. data mining
C. physical condition analysis
D. record analysis
E. trace evidence
 
26. An analysis of past sales data shows that the average household purchases a new vacuum cleaner
approximately every seven years. This data process is known as _____. 
 

A. process analysis
B. data mining
C. obtrusive measures
D. record analysis
E. trace evidence
 
27. Which term below refers to an electronic storehouse where vast arrays of collected, integrated data are
organized to facilitate retrieval and interpretation by end users? 
 

A. Data mine
B. Data mart
C. Decision support system
D. Decision assessment system
E. Data warehouse
 
28. Intermediate storage facilities that compile locally required information are called _____. 
 

A. data mines
B. data marts
C. decision support systems
D. decision assessment systems
E. data warehouses
 
29. The first step in the data mining process is to _____. 
 

A. identify relationships within the data

B. modify or transform data
C. decide between census data and sample data
D. develop a model to explain the data relationships
E. test the model's accuracy
 

5-6
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
30. Which of the following is a concern with data mining? 
 

A. The database was created for a reason that may not be compatible with the management question
B. It is secondary data
C. It provides the potential for extracting meaningful information
D. It is a starting point for decision-based research
E. It offers readily-available data
 
31. Elizabeth has just been named project leader on a research project about perceptions of bar soap and body
wash. To gain background information, Elizabeth searched for articles about consumer responses to body
cleansing products using the InfoSearch database. In this situation, Elizabeth relied on ____ data. 
 

A. news
B. reference
C. secondary
D. primary
E. pilot
 
32. Southwest Airlines applied mathematical models to determine which customers in its database were
currently responsible for most of its profitability and which customers were not currently profitable but had
similar characteristics to the most profitable customers. Southwest Airlines utilized _____ to identify these
customers. 
 

A. computer programming
B. data warehousing
C. customer relationships management
D. data mining
E. intervention
 
33. Which of the following is an example of secondary data? 
 

A. Transcripts from a series of focus groups conducted for the current research problem
B. Diaries kept by panel participants who are currently evaluating their consumption of milk
C. Sales records for the past 5 years
D. Completed questionnaires from a mail survey
E. Data file from a web survey deployed as part of the current research design
 
34. The problem or opportunity that requires a business decision is called the _____. 
 

A. research question
B. management-research-question hierarchy
C. management dilemma
D. management question
E. investigative question
 

5-7
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
35. The process of stating the basic dilemma and then developing other questions by progressively breaking
down the original question into more specific ones is called the _____. 
 

A. research question
B. management-research-question hierarchy
C. management dilemma
D. management question
E. investigative question
 
36. Which of the following questions is considered when discussing the management dilemma? 
 

A. How can management eliminate negative symptoms?

B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of action?
C. What is the recommended course of action?
D. What symptoms cause management concern?
E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?
 
37. Which of the following questions is considered when determining investigative questions? 
 

A. How can management eliminate negative symptoms?

B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of action?
C. What is the recommended course of action?
D. What symptoms cause management concern?
E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?
 
38. Which of the following questions is considered when developing measurement questions? 
 

A. How can management eliminate negative symptoms?

B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of action?
C. What is the recommended course of action?
D. What symptoms cause management concern?
E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?
 
39. BankChoice is concerned about stagnating profits and asks, "How can profitability be improved?" This is an
example of a(n) _____. 
 

A. management question
B. research question
C. investigative question
D. measurement question
E. management dilemma
 

5-8
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
40. One of the investigative questions identified in the BankChoice project questions the perceived service
quality associated with different bank branches. This is an example of a(n) _____. 
 

A. behavioral issues
B. performance considerations
C. attitudinal issues
D. measurement issues
E. managerial considerations
 
41. Questions that the researcher must answer to satisfactorily arrive at a conclusion about the research question
are called _____ questions. 
 

A. management
B. research
C. investigative
D. measurement
E. hypothetical
 
42. The actual questions that researchers use to collect data in a study are called _____ questions. 
 

A. management
B. dilemma
C. investigative
D. measurement
E. survey
 
43. Measurement questions are questions posed to _____. 
 

A. managers
B. researchers
C. field workers
D. study participants
E. pollsters
 
44. A researcher uses an expert interview when he or she wants _____. 
 

A. to better understand a management dilemma or management problem

B. to identify possible research questions
C. to define management questions
D. to finalize measurement questions
E. all but D above
 

5-9
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
45. Which of the following is NOT an objective of exploratory research 
 

A. Expand understanding of management dilemma

B. Gather information to refine the research question(s)
C. Identify possible sample frames
D. Gather information to formulate investigative questions
E. Finalize measurement questions
 
46. In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to identify any hidden agenda that
might bias the information in that source. 
 

A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format
 
47. In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to verify the credibility of the author of
the source. 
 

A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format
 
48. In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to evaluate the age of the data and its
comprehensiveness on the topic. 
 

A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format
 
49. In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to evaluate degree to which the data
might suit your necessary level of knowledge or expertise. 
 

A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format
 
 

5-10
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Essay Questions
 

50. Explain the five steps in conducting a literature search. 

 

 
51. What are the three levels of information? Provide examples for each level. 
 

 
52. What are the five factors a manager should consider when evaluating an information source? Explain each
one. 
 

5-11
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
53. The exploratory research phase of a research project allows a researcher to accomplish several objectives.
Name three of the objectives common to this stage. 
 

 
54. Explain the steps involved in the data mining process. 
 

5-12
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 05 Clarifying the Research Question through Secondary Data and
Exploration Answer Key

 
 

Multiple Choice Questions

 

1. Which of the following is not a type of secondary sources used during the exploratory phase of the
research process? 
 

A. Research studies
B. Group discussions
C. Case studies
D. Books
E. Information from organization's database
 
Level: Moderate

2. What is the first step in conducting a literature search? 

 

A. Define the management dilemma or question

B. Identify key terms, people, or events
C. Search indexes, bibliographies, and the Web
D. Locate and review secondary sources
E. Evaluate the value and credibility of secondary sources
 
Level: Moderate

3. _____ are original works of research or raw data without interpretation that represent an official opinion
or position. 
 

A. Secondary sources
B. Primary sources
C. Statistical sources
D. Bibliographies
E. Indexes
 
Level: Easy

5-13
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
4. Which of the following is an example of a primary source of information? 
 

A. Census data
B. Newspaper articles
C. Encyclopedias
D. Google searches
E. Internal sales reports
 
Level: Difficult

5. All of the following are examples of primary sources of information except _____. 
 

A. memos
B. letters
C. transcripts of speeches
D. Google searches
E. economic data
 
Level: Difficult

6. Micah is reviewing encyclopedia entries, textbooks, handbooks, and magazine and newspaper articles to
gather information for her project. These are all examples of _____ sources of information. 
 

A. secondary
B. primary
C. tertiary
D. statistical
E. external
 
Level: Moderate

7. Which information source may be interpretations of a secondary source but is generally represented by
indexes, bibliographies, and Internet search engines? 
 

A. Secondary
B. Primary
C. Tertiary
D. Statistical
E. External
 
Level: Moderate

5-14
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
8. A Google search can be classified as which type of information source? 
 

A. Secondary
B. Primary
C. Tertiary
D. Statistical
E. External
 
Level: Moderate

9. Timothy wants to identify and locate books and journal articles from a large set. What type of
information source should he use? 
 

A. index
B. Bibliography
C. Encyclopedia
D. Handbook
E. Dictionary
 
Level: Easy

10. Which of the following is a reason researchers use encyclopedias? 

 

A. To verify spelling
B. To find authors and titles of prior works
C. To locate articles from a large set
D. To find historical information
E. All of the above
 
Level: Moderate

11. Which of the following is not included in a good handbook? 

 

A. Statistics
B. Directory information
C. A glossary of terms
D. Lists of consultants in the field
E. References
 
Level: Moderate

5-15
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
12. Contact information for professional organizations and companies in a field may be located in a(n)
_____. 
 

A. index
B. bibliography
C. handbook
D. dictionary
E. directory
 
Level: Moderate

13. All of the following are factors useful in evaluating a source except _____. 
 

A. purpose
B. scope
C. cost
D. authority
E. audience
 
Level: Moderate

14. When researchers consider the explicit or hidden agenda of an information source, the source's _____ is
under evaluation. 
 

A. purpose
B. scope
C. authority
D. audience
E. format
 
Level: Easy

15. All of the following questions address the authority of a source except _____. 
 

A. What are the credentials of the author or institution?

B. What is the reputation of the sponsoring organization?
C. Does the source give you a means of contacting anyone for further information?
D. How old is the information?
E. If facts are supplied, where do they come from?
 
Level: Moderate

5-16
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
16. When evaluating an information source, the time period and geographic limitations are considered as
part of the _____ factor. 
 

A. purpose
B. scope
C. authority
D. audience
E. format
 
Level: Moderate

17. In Nicolas Perricone's first book, his affiliation with the Yale School of Dermatology was identified on
the front cover of the book. This enhanced the perceived credibility of the information in the book using
the _____ factor. 
 

A. purpose
B. scope
C. authority
D. audience
E. format
 
Level: Moderate

18. Suppose you were starting a research study based upon secondary sources about the use of computers for
educational purposes in colleges. You should probably begin by: 
 

A. Checking your library's online catalog

B. Search Books-in-Print for new publications on this topic
C. Checking several bibliographic indexes
D. Since this is a new technology area, consult the appropriate Doctoral Dissertation Abstracts
bulletins.
E. Consulting the government research librarian
 
Level: Easy

19. Which of the following is NOT a good reason for using secondary data? 
 

A. Data on the past cannot be collected today.

B. Even if the definitions of variables being studied are not the same, research can be modified
according to secondary data available.
C. The time involved in primary data collection may render the study obsolete.
D. Authentic data required may already have been collected by other agencies.
 
Level: Easy

5-17
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
20. For an organization, which of the following is NOT an example of an internal source of secondary data? 
 

A. The data stored in the records of the Management Information System.

B. Surveys collected by the internal sales staff, from the company's distributors.
C. A market survey commissioned by the organization, completed three years ago.
D. Inventory records of the materials department.
 
Level: Easy

21. Data on a university's enrollments are available in all university departments through a client server
network. This data availability is best referred to as information available ____ 
 

A. Online
B. Internet-based
C. Data warehoused
D. Intranet-based (LAN)
 
Level: Easy

22. Data originating from studies that are conducted by others and for a different purpose than the one for
which the data are being reviewed are called _____ data. 
 

A. primary
B. secondary
C. quantitative
D. statistical
E. descriptive
 
Level: Easy

23. Which of the following is the first step in an exploratory study? 

 

A. Identifying the target population

B. Choosing a sample
C. Interviewing experts
D. Conducting a literature search
E. Writing interview questions
 
Level: Moderate

5-18
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
24. Maurice is beginning a new research project. As he begins the first phase of the process, Maurice will
most likely begin by _____. 
 

A. conducting a literature search

B. interviewing experts
C. designing a survey
D. preparing measurement questions
E. brainstorming
 
Level: Moderate

25. Capital One is lauded in the industry for its skill in discovering knowledge from its databases of
customer credit card expenditures using a technique called _____. 
 

A. process analysis
B. data mining
C. physical condition analysis
D. record analysis
E. trace evidence
 
Level: Moderate

26. An analysis of past sales data shows that the average household purchases a new vacuum cleaner
approximately every seven years. This data process is known as _____. 
 

A. process analysis
B. data mining
C. obtrusive measures
D. record analysis
E. trace evidence
 
Level: Moderate

27. Which term below refers to an electronic storehouse where vast arrays of collected, integrated data are
organized to facilitate retrieval and interpretation by end users? 
 

A. Data mine
B. Data mart
C. Decision support system
D. Decision assessment system
E. Data warehouse
 
Level: Easy

5-19
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
28. Intermediate storage facilities that compile locally required information are called _____. 
 

A. data mines
B. data marts
C. decision support systems
D. decision assessment systems
E. data warehouses
 
Level: Easy

29. The first step in the data mining process is to _____. 

 

A. identify relationships within the data

B. modify or transform data
C. decide between census data and sample data
D. develop a model to explain the data relationships
E. test the model's accuracy
 
Level: Easy

30. Which of the following is a concern with data mining? 

 

A. The database was created for a reason that may not be compatible with the management question
B. It is secondary data
C. It provides the potential for extracting meaningful information
D. It is a starting point for decision-based research
E. It offers readily-available data
 
Level: Moderate

31. Elizabeth has just been named project leader on a research project about perceptions of bar soap and
body wash. To gain background information, Elizabeth searched for articles about consumer responses to
body cleansing products using the InfoSearch database. In this situation, Elizabeth relied on ____ data. 
 

A. news
B. reference
C. secondary
D. primary
E. pilot
 
Level: Moderate

5-20
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
32. Southwest Airlines applied mathematical models to determine which customers in its database were
currently responsible for most of its profitability and which customers were not currently profitable but
had similar characteristics to the most profitable customers. Southwest Airlines utilized _____ to identify
these customers. 
 

A. computer programming
B. data warehousing
C. customer relationships management
D. data mining
E. intervention
 
Level: Moderate

33. Which of the following is an example of secondary data? 

 

A. Transcripts from a series of focus groups conducted for the current research problem
B. Diaries kept by panel participants who are currently evaluating their consumption of milk
C. Sales records for the past 5 years
D. Completed questionnaires from a mail survey
E. Data file from a web survey deployed as part of the current research design
 
Level: Moderate

34. The problem or opportunity that requires a business decision is called the _____. 
 

A. research question
B. management-research-question hierarchy
C. management dilemma
D. management question
E. investigative question
 
Level: Easy

35. The process of stating the basic dilemma and then developing other questions by progressively breaking
down the original question into more specific ones is called the _____. 
 

A. research question
B. management-research-question hierarchy
C. management dilemma
D. management question
E. investigative question
 
Level: Easy

5-21
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
36. Which of the following questions is considered when discussing the management dilemma? 
 

A. How can management eliminate negative symptoms?

B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of
action?
C. What is the recommended course of action?
D. What symptoms cause management concern?
E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?
 
Level: Difficult

37. Which of the following questions is considered when determining investigative questions? 
 

A. How can management eliminate negative symptoms?

B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of
action?
C. What is the recommended course of action?
D. What symptoms cause management concern?
E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?
 
Level: Difficult

38. Which of the following questions is considered when developing measurement questions? 
 

A. How can management eliminate negative symptoms?

B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of
action?
C. What is the recommended course of action?
D. What symptoms cause management concern?
E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?
 
Level: Difficult

39. BankChoice is concerned about stagnating profits and asks, "How can profitability be improved?" This is
an example of a(n) _____. 
 

A. management question
B. research question
C. investigative question
D. measurement question
E. management dilemma
 
Level: Moderate

5-22
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
40. One of the investigative questions identified in the BankChoice project questions the perceived service
quality associated with different bank branches. This is an example of a(n) _____. 
 

A. behavioral issues
B. performance considerations
C. attitudinal issues
D. measurement issues
E. managerial considerations
 
Level: Easy

41. Questions that the researcher must answer to satisfactorily arrive at a conclusion about the research
question are called _____ questions. 
 

A. management
B. research
C. investigative
D. measurement
E. hypothetical
 
Level: Easy

42. The actual questions that researchers use to collect data in a study are called _____ questions. 
 

A. management
B. dilemma
C. investigative
D. measurement
E. survey
 
Level: Easy

43. Measurement questions are questions posed to _____. 

 

A. managers
B. researchers
C. field workers
D. study participants
E. pollsters
 
Level: Easy

5-23
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
44. A researcher uses an expert interview when he or she wants _____. 
 

A. to better understand a management dilemma or management problem

B. to identify possible research questions
C. to define management questions
D. to finalize measurement questions
E. all but D above
 
Level: Moderate

45. Which of the following is NOT an objective of exploratory research 

 

A. Expand understanding of management dilemma

B. Gather information to refine the research question(s)
C. Identify possible sample frames
D. Gather information to formulate investigative questions
E. Finalize measurement questions
 
Level: Moderate

46. In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to identify any hidden agenda that
might bias the information in that source. 
 

A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format
 
Level: Easy

47. In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to verify the credibility of the author
of the source. 
 

A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format
 
Level: Easy

5-24
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
48. In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to evaluate the age of the data and
its comprehensiveness on the topic. 
 

A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format
 
Level: Easy

49. In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to evaluate degree to which the data
might suit your necessary level of knowledge or expertise. 
 

A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format
 
Level: Easy

Essay Questions
 

50. Explain the five steps in conducting a literature search. 

 

The five steps are as follows: 1) Define the management dilemma or question; 2) consult encyclopedias,
dictionaries, handbooks, and textbooks to identify key terms, people, and events relevant to the
management question; 3) apply these key terms, names of people, or events in searching indexes,
bibliographies, and the Web to identify specific secondary sources; 4) locate and review specific
secondary sources; and 5) evaluate the value of each source and its content.

 
Level: Easy

5-25
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51. What are the three levels of information? Provide examples for each level. 
 

The three levels of information are primary sources, secondary sources, and tertiary sources. Examples
of primary sources include any original work of research or raw data that has not been interpreted by
another person such as letters, speeches, and labor data. Secondary sources are those that have been
interpreted. Examples include newspaper articles and textbooks. Tertiary sources are indexes used to find
secondary sources like [Link].

 
Level: Moderate

52. What are the five factors a manager should consider when evaluating an information source? Explain
each one. 
 

The five factors are purpose, scope, authority, audience, and format. Purpose refers to the explicit or
hidden agenda of the information source. Scope refers to the breadth and depth of topic coverage
including time period and geographic limitations. Authority refers to the level of the data and the
credentials of the source author(s). Audience refers to the characteristics and background of the people or
group for whom the source was created. Format refers to how the information is presented and the
degree of ease of locating specific information within the source.

 
Level: Moderate

53. The exploratory research phase of a research project allows a researcher to accomplish several
objectives. Name three of the objectives common to this stage. 
 

There are several objectives including 1) expand understanding of the management dilemma, 2) gather
background information to refine the research question, 3) identify information that should be gathered
to formulate investigative questions, 4) identify sources for and actual questions that might be used as
measurement questions, and 5) identify sources for and actual sample frames.

 
Level: Moderate

54. Explain the steps involved in the data mining process. 

 

The data mining process involves five steps. The first step is to decide whether to use census data or
sample data. The second step is to identify relationships with the data. The third step is to modify or
transform the data. In the fourth step, a model is developed to explain the relationships in the data.
Modeling involves the use of sophisticated tools such as neural networks and tree-based models. Finally,
the model is tested for accuracy.

 
Level: Moderate

5-26
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McGraw-Hill Education.
5-27
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.