9

Set 6: Rhetorical Synthesis

Explanation

Answer: A

PASSAGE

A student is writing about the reproducibility crisis in science. The student wants to analyze the systemic factors contributing to irreproducible research. Notes: - Journals favor novel findings over replication studies. - Academic careers depend heavily on publication volume. - Funding agencies rarely support replication attempts. - Negative results are seldom published.

Which choice most effectively uses information from the notes to accomplish the student's goal?

A. The reproducibility crisis stems from systemic pressures: journals prioritizing novelty over replication, careers dependent on publication volume, funding biased toward new research, and unpublished negative results—all creating incentives that discourage verification.✓ Correct
B. Researchers should make their data and methods more transparent.
C. Negative results rarely get published in scientific journals.
D. Many published scientific findings cannot be replicated by other researchers.

Detailed Answer Explanation

This question asks you to effectively combine information to achieve a goal. The goal is SYSTEMIC factors. Journal bias, career pressures, funding gaps, and publication bias form an interconnected system of problematic incentives. The correct synthesis will use relevant details from the notes in a logical, purposeful way. Focus on what the question asks you to accomplish, then choose the answer that best achieves that goal using the provided information. Effective synthesis requires selecting and combining the most relevant information to achieve a specific purpose. Not all provided notes may be equally useful. Focus on what best accomplishes the stated goal while maintaining logical coherence.

Key Evidence:

• "systemic factors contributing"

• "Journals favor novel findings"

• "careers depend heavily on publication volume"

• "Funding agencies rarely support"

• "Negative results are seldom published"

Why others are wrong: D (States the problem but doesn't analyze systemic factors.), B (Suggests solution but doesn't analyze contributing factors.), C (Mentions one factor but doesn't analyze the systemic nature.).

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