Student Research Notes — Topic: Causes of the Dust Bowl

• Source A: History of the Dust Bowl (Prairie State University Extension), 2020, extension.psu.edu (explains farming practices and drought; includes references).
• Source B: Dust Bowl Facts and Stories (user-edited wiki with ads), last edited unknown, no author.
• Source C: My Grandpa's Tractor Tales (personal blog), 2015, includes family photos, no citations.
• Source D: The Dust Bowl: Drought and Land Use (U.S. National Park Service), nps.gov, updated 2022, cites historical reports and government data.

Which source from the notes is the most reliable for academic research?

Student Research Notes — Topic: Plastic pollution and sea turtles Note 1 (Paraphrase): According to NOAA (2023), sea turtles sometimes mistake floating plastic for prey, and swallowing it can block their digestive tract. Source: noaa.gov, accessed May 6, 2025. Note 2 (Quote, missing citation): "Sea turtles frequently ingest plastic when foraging in areas with high debris." Note 3 (Copy without quotes): Sea turtles frequently ingest plastic when foraging in areas with high debris (from an online article; listed NOAA at end but no quotation marks). Note 4 (Unreliable): Turtles love eating plastic bags because they are curious (OceanLifeFans blog, no author, 2017).

Which note uses the source correctly?

Student Research Notes — Topic: History of vaccines Entry A: Vaccination began with variolation and later Jenner's work; it dramatically lowered smallpox deaths (very close to a sentence from an online encyclopedia, no quotation marks; only a URL pasted). Entry B (Quote, incomplete): "Jenner's experiments in the 1790s demonstrated protection against smallpox" (no author, no year, no source). Entry C (Paraphrase): The CDC explains that Edward Jenner's late-1700s smallpox experiments led to the first vaccine and launched modern immunization practices. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov), reviewed 2023, accessed May 5, 2025. Entry D: Vaccines were invented long ago and are super helpful (Wikipedia, retrieved sometime last year).

Which entry demonstrates proper use of sources while avoiding plagiarism?

Student Notes on Teen Sleep and School Start Times

• Direct quote: "Delaying school start times is associated with longer sleep and better alertness in adolescents" (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2023).
• Paraphrase: Many teens sleep less than eight hours; I need current national numbers. Potential sources the student found: A) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (nih.gov), "Sleep in Adolescents," updated 2024; includes national survey data. B) SleepyWorld blog, "Why Schools Should Start Late," no author, 2021. C) Wikipedia: "School start times and sleep." D) University Research Center (.edu) report, published 2017.

Which source is the most reliable for current national statistics?

Student Notes on Sea Turtles and Plastic Original source (NOAA, 2021): "Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, leading to ingestion that can block their intestines."

1. Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, leading to ingestion that can block their intestines. [copied word-for-word, no quotes or citation]
2. "Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, leading to ingestion that can block their intestines." [quotation marks but no source given]
3. Sea turtles frequently misinterpret bags as jellyfish, causing ingestion that may obstruct their intestines. [too close to original and no citation]
4. Many sea turtles eat floating plastic because it looks like their prey; swallowed plastic can clog the gut (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], 2021).

Which note best avoids plagiarism and cites the source correctly?

Student Notes on Microplastics and Fish (Goal: recent, credible research from the last five years)

• Video: "Fish Hate Plastic!!!" uploaded by MegaFacts, 2018. [unreliable]
• Paraphrase: Microplastics totally destroy fish, making them all sick. [vague, biased]
• Direct quote: "Microplastics have been found in many marine species" [no source listed]
• Need: peer-reviewed or government sources on health impacts for fish, recent studies.

Which search string would most likely return the most relevant and reliable sources?

Student notes: Coral Bleaching Research Note 1: "Coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems on Earth," says a 2015 travel blog post with no listed author. (Tropical Journeys blog) Note 2: Corals expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues when ocean temperatures rise. (copied wording; no quotation marks; no source listed) Note 3: According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov, 2023), bleaching occurs when unusually warm water causes corals to lose their symbiotic algae; reefs may recover if the stress is brief. (paraphrase with citation) Note 4: Corals get stressed and die sometimes (Wikipedia).

Which note uses the source correctly and avoids plagiarism?

Student notes: Finding data on teen nutrition Source A: U.S. Department of Agriculture (usda.gov). Dietary Guidelines 2020–2025. Government report with methods and national data. Source B: HealthyTeenEats.tumblr.com — personal blog: "What I ate this week." Source C: Brochure from a vitamin company claiming "9 out of 10 teens lack nutrients," no references. Source D: Anonymous answer on a Q&A forum (2018), no citations.

Which source is the most reliable for accurate national statistics on teen nutrition?

Student notes: Early vaccination history Note 1: Edward Jenner inoculated a boy with cowpox and later exposed him to smallpox to show immunity. (copied sentence from museum site; no quotation marks or citation) Note 2: A lifestyle blog says vaccines were probably a bad idea and bases this on personal beliefs. (unreliable blog) Note 3: "In 1796, Jenner tested the hypothesis that cowpox could protect against smallpox." (no source listed) Note 4: "In 1796, Jenner tested the hypothesis that cowpox could protect against smallpox." (University Medical Encyclopedia, 2018, p. 112).

Which note follows a standard citation format and uses a direct quote correctly?

Student notes: Water cycle overview Note A: Water moves continuously through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. (no source; too general) Note B: State University Earth Science Department (stateu.edu, 2021) explains that solar energy drives evaporation from land and oceans; water vapor condenses into clouds, then falls as precipitation, and runoff returns water to rivers and seas. (paraphrase with citation) Note C: The water cycle is when water evaporates and condenses and precipitates. (copied phrasing from a .edu page; no credit) Note D: A forum user said the water cycle goes "evaporation > condensation > rain, I think." (unreliable, unsourced)

Which paraphrase best avoids plagiarism while giving proper credit?