You've found an internet article that supports your view of a research subject. the author seems to have excellent credentials, and the article is very well written. however, the author seems to be using outdated information to support her claims, and you can't find other articles that corroborate her information. which of the following statements best describes what your course of action should be and why? a. you should use the article as a reference. the author is obviously an expert in her field and the information doesn't need to be "nitpicked." b. you should not use the article as a reference. the lack of corroboration and outdated information outweigh the author's credentials. c. you should use the article as a reference. the important thing is that you've found a source that will bolster your arguement. d. you should not use the article as a reference. information from the internet isn't trustworthy.

huck's relationship with food is a prominent theme throughout the novel, and during his time on jackson's island and working his way down river, huck revels in and enjoys his ad hoc dining. in the first chapter, we observe huck is ironically trapped in a "civilized" world, when he would prefer to live freely in nature.

what: when quoting a source, use the author’s words verbatim, or word-for-word. this means you shouldn’t change any grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. put quotations around the words to tell your reader where the quote begins and where it ends.

you also need to acknowledge the author. for example, if using mla format for your research paper, you should have in-text citations with the author’s name and page number listed at the end of each quote.

when: use quotations to provide concrete examples to support your claims. using direct quotations is a great way to build your credibility on the subject. it’s also a good idea to quote your source when the author states things in a powerful way. if you think he or she said it best, then use the exact words to share the ideas.

example: in the short story “a jury of her peers”, mrs. hale compares mrs. wright to her caged bird, saying “she—come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself. real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery. how—she—did—change” (glaspell).

paraphrasing

what: paraphrasing differs from quoting because you restate the passage in your own words. since you don’t use the author’s words, you don’t need to use quotation marks. however, you still need to acknowledge the author for his or her ideas.

when paraphrasing a text, you should communicate the full meaning of the text; don’t change the meaning. it can be a condensed version of the text, or it could end up being longer than the source it’s paraphrasing.

when: you use paraphrasing when you take notes, or explain a chart or diagram to someone. paraphrasing highlight the important parts of a larger text. it also allows you to simplify the ideas for your readers.

example:

original: “it was no ordinary thing that called her away–it was probably further from ordinary than anything that had ever happened in dickson county. but what her eye took in was that her kitchen was in no shape for leaving: her bread all ready for mixing, half the flour sifted and half unsifted” (glaspell).

paraphrase: as mrs. hales walks around mrs. wright’s home, she notices that the kitchen is in disarray as if she was in the middle of baking bread (glaspell).