What You Need to Know

Key Concept Diagram

Reliable sources are accurate, current, authoritative, and purposeful

.edu, .gov, and peer-reviewed sources generally have high credibility

Paraphrasing means restating information in your own words while keeping the meaning

Synthesis involves combining information from multiple sources into a unified response

Key Vocabulary

Credibility

The trustworthiness and reliability of a source of information

Paraphrase

To restate someone else's ideas in your own words without changing the meaning

Synthesis

Combining information from multiple sources to form a new, coherent understanding

Bias

A tendency to favour one perspective over others; may distort information

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

Which source is most likely to be credible for a school research project on climate change?

A social media post from an anonymous user A product advertisement A blog with no author listed A peer-reviewed journal article from a university website

Question 2

You read: "Global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times." Which paraphrase is best?

According to the source, the world has warmed by around 1.1 degrees compared to before industrialisation. Global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times. Temperatures are getting hotter. The world used to be cold but now it is hot.

Question 3

What is the purpose of synthesising multiple sources?

To fill more pages in an essay To combine evidence from several sources to build a stronger, more complete argument To copy different authors without plagiarising To avoid citing any single source

Research and Inquiry Skills