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 though the sentence is in her own words, the fact about dolphins came from Dr. Lopez's book, so a citation is required to give credit to the original author. Paraphrased ideas still need citations because the idea itself was not hers.
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.
A direct quote works best when it is introduced with a phrase that names the expert and is followed by a citation, like 'According to Dr. Lopez, "Dolphins can learn over 60 different hand signals" (Lopez 2021).' The introduction connects the quote to the writer's own sentence and the citation tells readers exactly where to find it.
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 a bibliography entry, the city listed before the colon is where the book was published and the name after the colon is the publishing company. So 'Chicago: Lake Press' tells the reader the book was published in Chicago by a company called Lake Press.
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
Paraphrased information still belongs to the original author, so a citation must be added at the end of the sentence to give credit. Removing the information is unnecessary and quotation marks would be wrong because the sentence is not a direct quote.
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.
Even paraphrased ideas were thought of by someone else first, so the original source must still be cited. Citing protects the writer from plagiarism and gives credit to the person whose idea it was.
2. A bibliography entry for a website includes the URL and the date you accessed the page.
Web pages can change or disappear, so a bibliography entry for a website must include the URL plus the date the page was accessed. The access date tells readers exactly which version of the page the writer used.
3. Introducing a quote with a phrase like "according to" helps integrate the source into your writing.
An introductory phrase such as 'according to' weaves the source's words smoothly into your own sentence, helping the quote feel like part of the writing instead of a sudden interruption. That smooth connection is what it means to integrate a quote.
4. The author's last name usually appears first in a bibliography entry.
Bibliography entries are alphabetized so readers can find any source quickly, which is why the author's last name appears first. Starting with the last name is the standard format that keeps the list organized.
5. A complete citation lets the reader find the original source on their own.
A complete citation includes the details — like author, title, and date — that a reader needs to find the original source themselves. That ability to track down the source is the whole point of citing it.