Research Skills — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. You are writing a report about sharks. Which source would be MOST reliable?
A) A story your friend told you at lunch
B) A science book about ocean animals written by a marine biologist
C) A cartoon movie about a talking shark
D) A social media post with a shark picture
A science book written by a marine biologist is the most reliable source because the author is an expert on the topic.
2. Which book part would help you find the meaning of the word "photosynthesis"?
A) table of contents
B) index
C) glossary
D) title page
A glossary is the section of a nonfiction book that defines important or unfamiliar words used in the text.
3. Maya found a website about pandas. Which clue tells her it might be reliable?
A) It has bright colors and fun games.
B) It was written by a zoo and ends in .org.
C) It has lots of advertisements on every page.
D) It does not say who wrote the information.
A zoo is a trusted organization with animal expertise, and .org websites are run by organizations rather than individuals.
4. What is the BEST way to take notes from a source?
A) Copy every sentence from the book.
B) Write down key facts in your own words.
C) Only look at the pictures.
D) Memorize the whole chapter without writing.
Writing key facts in your own words helps you understand the material and avoids copying someone else's work.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A report paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that tells the main idea.
The topic sentence introduces the main idea and tells the reader what the paragraph is about.
2. When you restate information in your own words, you are paraphrasing.
Restating means putting information into your own words, which is the definition of paraphrasing.
3. An author who is an expert on a topic has special knowledge about it.
An expert is someone with deep knowledge or experience in a particular subject area.
4. The title page at the front of a book tells you the title and author.
The title page is usually one of the first pages in a book and displays the title, author, and publisher.
5. After gathering notes, you should sort them into groups before writing.
Sorting notes into groups of related facts helps you organize your ideas before writing a report.