Research & Citing Sources — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A student writes: "Dolphins are smart animals that can learn tricks." She found this fact in a book by Dr. Maria Lopez. What should she add?
A) Nothing, because the sentence is already in her own words
B) A citation showing the fact came from Dr. Lopez's book
C) Quotation marks around the entire sentence
D) The word "maybe" because she is not the expert
Even paraphrased facts from a source require a citation. Adding a citation gives proper credit and allows readers to verify the information in the original source.
2. Which is the correct way to introduce a direct quote in a report?
A) Dolphins can learn many tricks and signals.
B) According to Dr. Lopez, "Dolphins can learn over 60 different hand signals" (Lopez 2021).
C) "Dolphins can learn over 60 different hand signals."
D) Dr. Lopez thinks dolphins can learn signals, probably.
'According to Dr. Lopez' introduces the source (the author) before the quote, which is the correct way to introduce a direct quotation in formal research writing.
3. Read this bibliography entry: "Wilson, Amy. Ocean Life. Chicago: Lake Press, 2019." What does "Chicago: Lake Press" tell the reader?
A) The topic of the book and the number of pages
B) The city and the company that published the book
C) The author's hometown and her favorite library
D) The website address where the book can be found
In standard bibliography formats, the city of publication comes before the publisher's name, separated by a colon. 'Chicago' is where the book was published; 'Lake Press' is the publisher.
4. A student paraphrased information from a website but did not include any citation. What should she do?
A) Remove the information because it is now plagiarism
B) Add a citation to the original website at the end of the sentence
C) Put quotation marks around the paraphrased sentence instead
D) Leave it because paraphrased ideas do not need citations
Paraphrasing requires a citation just like direct quotes do. The ideas still came from another source. Without a citation, even paraphrased content is plagiarism.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Even when you paraphrase, you must still cite the original source.
Citing a source means identifying where the information came from. This gives credit to the original author and allows readers to locate the source themselves.
2. A bibliography entry for a website includes the URL and the date you accessed the page.
Websites can be updated or removed after you visit them. Recording the access date ensures readers understand when the information was retrieved.
3. Introducing a quote with a phrase like "according to" helps integrate the source into your writing.
Integrating quotes means connecting them grammatically and contextually to your own writing, often by using an introductory phrase like 'According to...' or 'As [author] states...'
4. The author's last name usually appears first in a bibliography entry.
MLA and most standard formats list the author's last name first so bibliography entries can be sorted alphabetically, making sources easier to locate.
5. A complete citation lets the reader find the original source on their own.
Library databases curate scholarly, peer-reviewed articles that have been vetted for accuracy. They are more reliable than general internet searches for academic research.