Communication for Scientists
Question Bank
Course Introduction
Communication for Scientists is designed to equip science students with the essential skills required to effectively convey complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences. The course covers a range of communication strategies, from writing clear and concise research papers, reports, and grant proposals, to delivering engaging oral and poster presentations. Emphasis is placed on tailoring messages for both academic peers and the general public, fostering ethical communication, and utilizing digital platforms to disseminate scientific information. Through practical exercises and peer feedback, students develop the confidence and competency to communicate their scientific work with clarity, accuracy, and impact.
Recommended Textbook
Technical Communication 11th Edition by Mike Markel
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Technical Communication
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Q1) Chapter 1 cites three reasons for ensuring that technical communication is honest. The first is that being honest is the right thing to do. What is one other reason?
Answer: The other two reasons are that (1) if you are dishonest, readers can get hurt and (2) if you are dishonest, you and your organization could face serious legal charges.
Q2) Most technical documents are produced by professional technical communicators working alone.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Social-media posts such as tweets can be examples of technical documents. A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) As used in Chapter 1, what does correctness mean?
Answer: Correctness refers to a document's adherence to conventions of grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and usage.
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Chapter 2: Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations
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Q1) Chapter 2 states that you have five obligations to your employer. One obligation is honesty and candor. What are two of the other obligations?
Answer: The other four obligations are competence and diligence, generosity, confidentiality, and loyalty.
Q2) Systems Software, Inc. is introducing a new piece of sophisticated graphics software. A recently hired writer has been assigned to write the Getting Started manual for the product. Being a novice, the writer first pages through similar manuals written by other graphics software companies to get ideas about how to write the manual. Which of the following statements is true?
A) The writer has violated copyright law.
B) The writer has ignored an express warranty.
C) The writer has taken advantage of the fair-use concept.
D) The writer has done nothing ethically wrong.
Answer: D
Q3) saying that a new line of air fresheners is "guaranteed to stave off any and every odor that comes your house's way" would be an example of what?
Answer: Exaggeration.
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Writing Technical Documents
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Q1) Chapter 3 discusses three questions to ask about your audience during the planning stage of the writing process. One is "Why and how will the reader use your document?" What is another question to consider during planning?
A) What are your reader's attitudes and expectations?
B) How much time do you have to write the document?
C) Are your readers male or female?
D) Do you have enough money in the budget that you can afford usability testing?
Answer: A
Q2) Why is it important to plan your document before you start drafting it?
A) Planning can make the writing process more efficient.
B) Planning can make your final document more effective at fulfilling its purpose.
C) Planning can help you create a realistic schedule.
D) All responses are correct.
Answer: D
Q3) What are the two major ways to revise a document?
Answer: Studying the draft by yourself and seeking help from others
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Chapter 4: Writing Collaboratively
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Q1) Which of these guidelines will help you listen effectively?
A) Write down everything the speaker says.
B) Ask questions to clarify what the speaker said.
C) Keep your eyes down and avoid distracting the speaker.
D) Allow your mind to wander and trust that you will be able to refocus.
Q2) According to the research cited in Chapter 4, students from other cultures may be unwilling to respond with a definite "no" in a collaborative setting. What is one other behavior that students from other cultures might exhibit in a collaborative setting?
Q3) What is one of the advantages of collaboration mentioned in Chapter 4?
Q4) Which of these guidelines is NOT likely to help your team work effectively and efficiently?
A) Choose a team leader.
B) Establish procedures for resolving conflict productively.
C) Establish a work schedule.
D) Let team members assign themselves tasks.
Q5) Communicating diplomatically involves a critical tone.
A)True
B)False
Q6) In what way does collaboration allow an organization to grow?
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose
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Q1) Why are LinkedIn profiles a particularly useful resource for learning about one's audience?
Q2) Chapter 5 lists seven categories of cultural variables that lie "on the surface." Two of these categories of variables are political and economic. Name two more.
Q3) Why are graphics especially useful when communicating with people from other cultures?
Q4) Which of these is an example of a workplace document?
A) a podcast about Internet servers
B) an oral presentation about selecting appropriate insurance coverage
C) a video describing how a piece of equipment works
D) All responses are correct.
Q5) which approach is best when writing for multiple audiences?
A) a linear approach
B) an experiential approach
C) a modular approach
D) an attitudinal approach
Q6) Chapter 5 suggests that, in addition to education, you should consider five other individual characteristics of readers. What is one other individual characteristic listed in the chapter?
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Chapter 6: Researching Your Subject
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Q1) "How will China's rapid industrial development affect the global energy market over the next decade?" is more likely to be a workplace research question than an academic research question.
A)True
B)False
Q2) One stage of conducting an experiment is to establish a hypothesis. What is the next stage?
Q3) Government publications are not usually listed in indexes or by abstract services.
A)True
B)False
Q4) in which phase of the writing process is it best to conduct research?
A) editing
B) revising
C) proofreading
D) planning
Q5) You should select research methods before determining what research questions to pursue.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 7: Organizing Your Information
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Q1) Your supervisor has asked you to write a brief description of an abandoned silver mine that is slated for hazardous-waste cleanup. Of the organizational patterns discussed in Chapter 7, which would be most logical and effective for describing the mine?
A) classification or partition
B) general to specific
C) problem-methods-solution
D) spatial
Q2) what is classification?
Q3) It is always unethical to compare your company's product to a similar product by another company when trying to argue that your own company's product is superior.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Chapter 7 gives three guidelines for organizing information spatially. One is to provide signposts. What are the other two?
Q5) A proposal routinely makes use of which organizational pattern?
Q6) what is partition?
Q7) Why are cause-and-effect relationships difficult to describe?
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Chapter 8: Communicating Persuasively
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Q1) Which of these statements is true?
A) Writers who appeal to an audience's sense of reason never use graphics.
B) Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually do so dramatically.
C) Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually do not appeal to their sense of reason as well.
D) Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually appeal to their sense of reason as well.
Q2) What type of argument states that a claim is valid because many people think it is or act as if it is?
Q3) What does it mean to say that a report you are writing contains several logical fallacies?
A) The reasoning used in your report is supported by several effective examples.
B) The reasoning used in your report is logical and trustworthy.
C) The reasoning used in your report is illogical and untrustworthy.
D) The reasoning used in your report follows an effective pattern used in other good arguments.
Q4) Give an example of an informational constraint that you might confront in completing a project.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Emphasizing Important Information
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Q1) Which of the following options is the best lead-in for a sentence list?
A) Our three main competitive advantages are:
B) The reasons are the following:
C) We offer advantages over the competition.
D) We offer three main advantages over the competition:
Q2) Which of the following is an example of a coherence device?
A) replacing nouns with demonstrative pronouns
B) removing transitional words
C) repeating key words
D) None of the responses are correct.
Q3) The only proper way to create a sentence list is by using bullet points.
A)True
B)False
Q4) An effective topic sentence will reflect which of the following?
A) the character of the writer
B) the title of the document
C) the coherence devices used in the document
D) the organizational structure of the document
Q5) Identify two coherence devices discussed in Chapter 9.
Q6) what are the two types of paragraphs?
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Writing Correct and Effective Sentences
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Q1) The sentence "Employees who seek their supervisor's advice often can improve their performance" contains an example of which type of modifier?
Q2) Which type of modifier is NOT identified in Chapter 10 as a problem?
A) an adjectival modifier
B) a squinting modifier
C) a dangling modifier
D) a misplaced modifier
Q3) Chapter 10 describes six techniques for avoiding sexist language. What are two of them?
Q4) In what way is the following list flawed?
The Ventura Aquifer program objectives are the following: \(\bullet\)characterization of groundwater quality \(\bullet\)to provide data to support Best Management Practices (BMP) \(\bullet\)relating data to agricultural land-use practices
A) The list is not punctuated correctly.
B) The list is not parallel in structure.
C) The lead-in is not grammatically complete.
D) The list uses the wrong verb tense.
Q5) What is the past perfect tense used to describe?
Q6) What is a euphemism?
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Designing Print and Online Documents
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Q1) A technical writer is designing a manual to be used by technicians repairing stereo systems. Repair technicians will be seated at workbenches with bright lighting overhead. They will need both hands to work on the equipment while reading manual instructions. Which of the following design decisions is inappropriate?
A) using perfect binding
B) choosing a size of 6 x 9 inches for the manual
C) printing on nonglare, tinted paper
D) making the manual as concise as possible
Q2) Chunking is the practice of using visual patterns to distinguish types of information so that readers can decide what they want to read.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Chapter 11 discusses four basic principles for designing effective documents and websites. One is contrast. What are the other three basic principles discussed in the chapter?
Q4) margins serve four main purposes within a document. Identify two.
Q5) What is the design term for a straight line on a page or screen?
Q6) What is the difference between a serif typeface and a sans-serif typeface?
Q7) What is queuing?
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Creating Graphics
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Q1) Where is the stub located in a table?
Q2) A screen shot is a graphic showing what appears on a computer monitor. A)True
B)False
Q3) Chapter 12 provides seven guidelines for creating effective infographics. One is "Don't go on forever." Name two other guidelines mentioned in the chapter.
Q4) Chapter 12 offers six guidelines for using color in graphics. One is to use contrast effectively. Name two other guidelines mentioned in the chapter.
Q5) what is the most important characteristic of an infographic?
Q6) Chapter 12 suggests that you consider four factors when planning a graphic. One is your audience. What else should you consider?
A) the physical conditions in which readers will view the graphic
B) the kind of information you want to communicate
C) your purpose
D) All responses are correct.
E) None of the responses are correct.
Q7) Saving space is not an ideal reason for cropping a photo to be used in technical communication. What is a better reason?
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing Documents and Web Sites
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Q1) Reviewing a document or website is the same thing as testing it.
A)True
B)False
Q2) You are a technical writer for an electrical contractor. You have finished writing a draft of the procedures to be used by your company's electricians when installing gas dryers and water heaters. You have just learned that your county has updated the code that gives the allowable length of the gas-input pipe used for dryers and water heaters. What is the name of the process you will engage in when you look at your document to determine how to change it in light of the revised code?
Q3) Your company makes cell phones that are sold around the world. You have carried out several focus groups of users in China, with the help of an excellent interpreter. Unfortunately, although you are good at conducting focus groups, these focus groups have not yielded as much useful information as you had hoped. What might be the problem?
Q4) A printed form is the standard way to obtain informed consent from a test participant.
A)True
B)False
Q5) what is a prototype?
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Chapter 14: Writing Correspondence
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Q1) You are writing a research paper on the hydrological impacts of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on groundwater in your state. In your research, you have found that a professor at a university in another state, Dr. Thomas Henry Wright, has conducted similar research. You decide to write an inquiry letter to ask him some questions. Which salutation is most appropriate for your letter?
A) Dear Tom:
B) Dear Thomas Henry Wright:
C) Dear Dr. Wright:
D) Dear Professor:
Q2) three elements are always found at the top of the second and subsequent pages of a memo. One is the page number. What are the other two?
A) the writer's contact information
B) the date of the memo
C) the attention line
D) the name of the recipient
Q3) What types of incidents and developments related to your organization should be the subject of posts on a company-sponsored microblog?
Q4) What does the notation "cc" stand for in a letter, memo, or email?
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Writing Job-Application Materials
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Q1) Chapter 15 lists four questions you should ask before posting an electronic résumé on an Internet job board. One question is "Who has access to your résumé?" What is one of the other questions?
Q2) What are the four parts of the body of a job-application letter?
Q3) Chapter 15 lists four paragraphs that should appear in a job-application letter. One is the introductory paragraph. What are two other paragraphs listed in the chapter?
A) education paragraph
B) professional-interests paragraph
C) references paragraph
D) concluding paragraph
E) None of the responses are correct.
Q4) Any picture of yourself that you display on your LinkedIn profile or your portfolio must be taken by a professional.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In terms of how they are organized, what are the two major types of résumés discussed in the chapter?
Q6) what is an elevator pitch?
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Chapter 16: Writing Proposals
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Q1) In which situation might you present your proposal as a memo?
A) when your proposal is lengthy-more than 10 pages
B) when your audience is external
C) when your audience is internal
D) None of the responses are correct.
Q2) Hardy Grocery Store has published an RFP for the construction of a two-story warehouse addition to its main store. The warehouse must be built on 5,000 square feet of adjacent property, but it must have up to 9,000 square feet of storage space and have loading platforms for both North and East Street entrances. R&F Architects has responded with a proposal acknowledging the grocery's property restrictions and space requirements. R&F's proposal includes a sketch of the warehouse they propose to build, with multiple entrances to the exterior as well as entrances to the existing building. The proposal has a chart showing the phases of the project, including the completion date, and a section describing R&F's staff and similar past projects. The proposal ends with a bid. What should R&F add to the proposal to better compete with other organizations bidding on the project?
A) a description of its quality-control measures
B) a listing of the research methods to be used
C) a description of the problem or opportunity
D) a clearer focus on the readers' needs in an internal proposal
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Chapter 17: Writing Informational Reports
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Q1) You are an independent contractor. The due date for your current project falls fairly close to your vacation, which means you are going to miss a deadline to deliver some work to your client. Which of the following statements in a progress report sent before your deadline is most ethical?
A) I anticipate meeting the deadline.
B) Against my protestations, the project manager pressured me to accept an overly aggressive schedule.
C) I did not realize how much my vacation would affect my work hours. I might need 1-2 extra days to complete everything.
D) I have never missed a deadline with a client.
Q2) Why is it important to be honest in an informational report when you have to share bad news?
A) Failure to be honest in the short term could lead to more problems in the long term.
B) Being honest is the ethical thing to do.
C) Sponsors or supervisors of a project have a right to know what is going on.
D) All responses are correct.
Q3) What is another name for a status report?
Q4) what are the two organizational patterns frequently used in progress reports?
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Page 19
Chapter 18: Writing Recommendation Reports
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Q1) the methods section of a recommendation report answers the question "What equipment did you use in conducting this investigation?"
A)True
B)False
Q2) A feasibility report is an argument that answers three kinds of questions. One kind is questions of possibility. What is one other kind of question?
Q3) decision criteria fall into two categories: necessary and imperative.
A)True
B)False
Q4) You should always avoid recommending a course of action that is inconsistent with the conclusions you derived.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The back matter section of a recommendation report serves two primary purposes. Identify one.
Q6) What fundamental question does the results section of a recommendation report answer?
Q7) In a decision matrix, which factor demonstrates a criterion's importance?
Page 20
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Chapter 19: Writing Lab Reports
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Q1) In describing your methods, you might include a picture of the equipment in your lab as you used it.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Readers of abstracts often ask some typical questions. Which of these is NOT one of those typical questions?
A) What questions motivated your study?
B) What answers did you discover?
C) What implications do your findings have?
D) How much did your equipment cost?
Q3) The discussion section of a lab report is the appropriate section in which to interpret or explain your findings to readers.
A)True B)False
Q4) What does prepublication permit an author to do and what is it designed to take advantage of?
Q5) The discussion portion of a lab report is also called an analysis. A)True B)False
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Chapter 20: Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions
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Q1) the safety of your company's products (and the effectiveness of your company's instructions) is a matter of contract law.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Descriptions are rarely incorporated into longer documents; instead, they usually appear as separate documents.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Placing definitions directly in the text is a common practice. what are two other logical locations for definitions?
Q4) In what way is the definition "Booting a computer is when you turn it on" flawed?
Q5) The introduction to a set of instructions should answer six questions, one of which is "Why should the reader carry out this task?" what is one other question?
Q6) Part of the challenge of deciding where to put a definition lies in the fact that several places are viable options.
A)True
B)False
22
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Chapter 21: Making Oral Presentations
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Q1) A presenter is preparing to deliver a presentation at an annual conference. Over 200 people are expected to attend this presentation. Which of the following is the least effective technique for making a lasting impression on the audience?
A) Open with a joke.
B) Focus on the audience's interests.
C) Describe the topic in human terms.
D) Use specific numbers, dollars, or percentages.
Q2) there are four techniques for concluding a presentation. One is to look to the future. What is one other?
Q3) memorable language brings to mind things that people can see, touch, or easily imagine.
A)True
B)False
Q4) To invite questions after your presentation, a simple "Any questions?" is appropriate.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Chapter 21 describes four types of oral presentations, including impromptu presentations. What are two of the other three?
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