Integrating and Citing Sources Quick Quiz Answer Key

Quick Quiz Answer Key

1. Read the following pieces of information taken from real sources. First decide whether they should be quoted directly, or paraphrased and cited (1 mark each). Then use the ‘Expanded Referencing’ style of citing to credit the source correctly with an in-text citation (1 mark each).

A) ‘Furthermore, although there are no demonstrated health benefits from having selenium intake above physiological requirements, there is a general perception that increased selenium ingestion is beneficial, which has led to a flourishing market in selenium supplements.’

This should be paraphrased and cited. The in-text citation should be: (Francesconi and Pannier 2004).

B) ‘Telomeres are specialized structures found at the natural ends of eukaryotic linear chromosomes.’

This should be paraphrased and cited. The in-text citation should be: (Lundblad and Szostak 1989).

C) ‘I’m so excited – this new discovery blows the old belief clean out of the water.’

This should be quoted directly. The in-text citation should be: (Tonker 2009).

D) ‘Changes to the conformation of coding and non-coding RNAs form the basis of elements of genetic regulation and provide an important source of complexity, which drives many of the fundamental processes of life.’

This should be paraphrased and cited. The in-text citation should be: (Dethoff et al. 2012).

2. Decide whether the pieces of information below should or should not be cited (1 mark each, 4 marks total).

a) You are writing a paper to a chemistry audience on the effects of hydrogen bonding in DNA. Should you include a citation for a basic definition of what hydrogen bonding is? NO – this is common knowledge within this specific field.

b) You have been working with a Bessel beam optical trap to determine the changes in aerosol particles in relation to relative humidity changes. As you write your paper, you decide to include background information on Bessel beam traps and previous research into the change in aerosol particles against different relative humidities. Should you cite these? YES – these are facts taken from other sources that you are using as evidence.

c) You are doing the research for a paper on the separation of chiral compounds and come across a repeated reference to ‘Pirkle phases.’ This term is new to you and it has never been discussed in class, but you have encountered references to it in several articles. You notice that each author actually cites an original article by Pirkle, the chemist for whom it was named. You include the ‘Pirkle phases’ in your paper. Should you cite this paper? YES – this is an authoritative idea and is not common knowledge within your audience.

d) You are writing a newspaper article about the most devastating earthquakes of all time. Should you cite a source that says the Valdivia quake (the greatest magnitude in history) occurred on May 22, 1960? NO – this is a readily verifiable fact.