Research & Citing Sources — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which source would be MOST reliable for a report about the water cycle?
A) A classmate's notes from last year
B) A science textbook published by a major educational company
C) A personal blog post titled "My Thoughts on Rain"
D) A social media post with a colorful diagram but no author listed
A science textbook from a major educational company has been written by experts and reviewed by editors before publication, which makes its facts about the water cycle dependable. A classmate's notes, a personal blog, and an anonymous social media post all lack that expert review.
2. A student finds two websites about sharks. Website A was written by a marine biologist at a university. Website B has no author and was last updated six years ago. Which should the student use?
A) Website B because it has been online longer
B) Both websites equally because all websites are reliable
C) Website A because it has a credible author and likely current information
D) Neither website because online sources are never reliable
Website A is written by a marine biologist at a university, so the author has clear expertise in sharks and the information is more likely to be current. Website B has no author and is six years old, which makes its accuracy and credibility hard to confirm.
3. Which of the following is a common research mistake?
A) Using three different sources to check a fact
B) Recording the author and title of every source you use
C) Copying a sentence from a website and forgetting to add quotation marks
D) Paraphrasing a paragraph in your own words with a citation
Copying a sentence from a website without quotation marks presents another writer's exact words as your own, which is plagiarism. Using multiple sources, recording author and title, and paraphrasing with a citation are all good research practices, not mistakes.
4. Why should a student avoid using only one source for an entire research project?
A) One source always contains false information
B) A single source may have errors or a limited viewpoint
C) Teachers only accept reports with pictures from multiple sites
D) Using one source makes the report too short to read
Every source can have errors or show only one viewpoint, so relying on a single source means any mistake or bias passes straight into the report. Comparing several sources lets the writer catch errors and present a fuller picture.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A website with a .org domain is run by an organization and may still have a specific viewpoint.
The .org domain is used by organizations, which can be charities, advocacy groups, or other groups with a particular mission. Because the organization may push its own viewpoint, .org sites still need to be checked for bias.
2. An outdated source may contain information that is no longer accurate.
An outdated source may contain facts that have since been corrected, replaced, or proven wrong by newer research. Checking the date helps the writer make sure the information is still accurate today.
3. Checking whether the author has expertise in the subject helps determine if a source is credible.
An author's expertise shows whether they have the training, education, or experience needed to write reliably about the topic. Without that expertise, even a confident-sounding article may contain errors.
4. A source that tries to sell you a product is likely biased rather than informational.
A source whose main goal is selling a product is built to advertise rather than to inform, which makes it biased. Biased sources may leave out facts that hurt the sale, so they are not safe choices for research.
5. Cross-referencing means comparing facts across multiple sources to check for accuracy.
Cross-referencing means checking the same fact in several sources to confirm it is accurate. If the sources disagree, the writer knows to keep researching before trusting the information.