The Research Process — Practice · Grade 9 English

Chapter: Research & Source-Based Writing

What this practice covers

By the end of The Research Process you should be able to:

11 questions, multiple choice and written answer, each with a worked explanation.

Vocabulary used: research question, thesis (research), scope, source.

Problem 1

Which is the MOST focused research question?
  1. What is video game addiction?
  2. Are video games bad?
  3. How does daily screen time above three hours affect sleep quality in teenagers, according to recent studies?
  4. Tell me about video games.
Answer and explanation

How does daily screen time above three hours affect sleep quality in teenagers, according to recent studies?

Only this option is specific enough — a measurable factor, a population, and a clear relationship to investigate — to guide real research.

Problem 2

Explain why a researcher might need to narrow OR broaden a question partway through a project.
Answer and explanation

If there's too much information to cover, the question needs to narrow to stay manageable; if there's barely any information available, the question needs to broaden so there's enough to research and support a thesis.

Problem 3

Why is it important to keep a running log of sources while researching, instead of only at the end?
  1. It is not important; sources can be found again easily later.
  2. It saves time and prevents errors, since tracking down a source after the fact is difficult and can lead to inaccurate citations.
  3. Logs are only required for informative essays, not research.
  4. Teachers require it only as busywork.
Answer and explanation

It saves time and prevents errors, since tracking down a source after the fact is difficult and can lead to inaccurate citations.

Reconstructing where information came from after finishing research is time-consuming and risks misattributing facts.

Problem 4

Take the broad topic 'sports' and narrow it into one focused research question.
Answer and explanation

Answers vary; accept any specific, answerable question, such as, 'How has the increase in youth specialization in a single sport affected injury rates among high schoolers?'

Problem 5

Midway through research, a student finds that their question, 'How does music affect people?' has thousands of contradictory studies with no clear focus possible. What is the BEST next step?
  1. Give up on research entirely.
  2. Narrow the question further, such as specifying a genre, an age group, or a specific outcome like focus during studying.
  3. Answer the question using only personal opinion instead of sources.
  4. Keep the question exactly as it is and hope for the best.
Answer and explanation

Narrow the question further, such as specifying a genre, an age group, or a specific outcome like focus during studying.

When a question is too broad to manage, the right move is to narrow its scope further with specifics, not abandon it or ignore the evidence problem.

Problem 6

Narrow the inquiry without presuming bias. Give a detail and explain its relevance.
Answer and explanation

Ask how the mural program represents a named worker’s role compared with the archive records. Analyze what each source includes, its purpose, and omissions; visitor comments may show responses but not the full audience.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 7

A learner writes: “Why are all public displays misleading?” Explain the problem and produce a better response.
Answer and explanation

The question assumes a universal answer. Specify a display and ask how excerpt selection affects the representation of speakers.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 8

Compare what you must inspect in these two cases. What can transfer, and what must be checked again?
Answer and explanation

Turn a broad topic into a question with a manageable place, time, population, and purpose. A question should require inquiry rather than assume its answer. The method transfers, but the particular detail, scope, and context must be read again. Ask how the mural program represents a named worker’s role compared with the archive records. Analyze what each source includes, its purpose, and omissions; visitor comments may show responses but not the full audience.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 9

Using an assigned reading or one exercise source, write a developed response applying the research process. Aim for 180–250 words; name the reading or reproduce the sentence you revise.
Answer and explanation

Ask whether a twice-weekly later opening at this school attracted enough use to justify its staffing cost during the trial. Compare the attendance log and budget, then interview staff about supervision limits. A complete response supplies context, a focused claim, a brief supporting detail, explanation, and a relevant qualification. Do not simply repeat this model.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 10

Write two specific feedback comments on a response to this unit: one on accuracy or meaning and one on evidence or language. Then state a revision priority.
Answer and explanation

Check whether the response explains turn a broad topic into a question with a manageable place, time, population, and purpose. a question should require inquiry rather than assume its answer. Ask for a relevant detail and the reason it supports the conclusion. Prioritize the mistaken assumption shown here: “Why are all public displays misleading?”

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 11

Choose a fresh sentence or detail from the assigned selection. Explain how this unit’s method applies, and identify one uncertainty or limitation.
Answer and explanation

The archive proposal values participation, the historian asks for traceable uncertainty, and the resident asks for consent. A labeled memory layer with dates and participant approval connects these concerns without turning memory into the original map. The response must supply its own precise detail and explain it; copying the model without fresh evidence is insufficient.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

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