Research and Information Literacy Flashcards

When evaluating the credibility of a source, which factor is MOST important to consider?

Answer: The author's qualifications and expertise

An author's qualifications and expertise directly affect how reliable and accurate the information in a source is likely to be.

Which of the following is an example of a primary source?

Answer: A diary written by a Civil War soldier

A diary written by a Civil War soldier is a firsthand account created during the time period being studied, making it a primary source.

What does it mean for an academic article to be 'peer-reviewed'?

Answer: It was evaluated by experts in the field before publication

Peer-reviewed means the article was evaluated by other experts in the subject area before being published, ensuring higher standards of accuracy.

When assessing the currency of a source, a researcher should ask:

Answer: When was this information published or last updated?

Currency refers to the timeliness of the information, so checking the publication or update date is essential for determining if the content is still accurate.

Which of the following best defines plagiarism?

Answer: Using another person's ideas or words without proper credit

Plagiarism is presenting another person's words, ideas, or work as your own without giving appropriate credit to the original source.

A website with a .gov domain is generally considered reliable because:

Answer: It is maintained by an official government agency

The .gov domain is restricted to official U.S. government agencies, making these sites generally trustworthy sources of factual and authoritative information.

What is the main purpose of a bibliography or works cited page in a research paper?

Answer: To give credit to all sources used in the research

A bibliography or works cited page documents all sources consulted and cited in the paper, giving proper credit to original authors and allowing readers to locate those sources.