Sources, analysis and a reasoned conclusion
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| relevance/ˈrelɪvəns/ | 相关性 | xiāng guān xìng |
| inference/ˈɪnfərəns/ | 推论 | tuī lùn |
| limitation/ˌlɪmɪˈteɪʃn/ | 局限 | jú xiàn |
A source answers part of a question
- For each source, ask who produced it, when and for what purpose. A company’s sales report and an independent survey may offer different kinds of evidence.
- Judge relevance 相关性 before collecting more material. A reliable source about a different question may add little to your argument.
Compare rather than count
- Two articles may repeat the same original report. They are not two independent confirmations simply because they appear on different websites.
- Check where sources agree, where they differ and which methods explain the difference. A disagreement can be useful evidence to analyse.
Two websites copying one report provide two independent studies.
Both websites depend on the same original evidence.
Separate evidence from inference
- “Four sites had higher concentrations” reports a result. “Run-off from the farm caused the difference” is an inference 推论 that needs further support.
- Explain the steps linking evidence to your answer. Consider competing explanations and state what your method cannot distinguish.
Which statement is an inference rather than a reported measurement?
The causal explanation goes beyond the reported measurements.
Make borrowing visible
- Mark quotations as quotations and cite the original source. When you paraphrase, write the idea in your own words and still credit the source.
- Keep references as you research. Trying to reconstruct them after writing makes mistakes more likely and hides where ideas came from.
A paraphrase in your own words never needs a citation.
The source of an idea still needs credit even when its wording changes.
Let the conclusion match the evidence
- Answer the research question directly, using the strongest findings developed in the essay. Do not introduce a new unsupported claim in the final paragraph.
- A limitation 局限 can narrow the answer without making the work worthless. Explain what you can conclude, how confidently and what further evidence would help.
What belongs in the conclusion?
A conclusion should follow from the essay’s argument and acknowledge its limits.
Match each term to its role in this lesson.
The distinctions help you explain your decisions clearly.
Which statements reflect sound use of sources?
Choose actions supported by the evidence and the purpose of the task; reject shortcuts that hide limitations or invent information.
Three news articles cite the same survey. Their agreement may show a widely reported result, but the essay still has one original survey to evaluate, not three independent surveys.
A source’s reputation cannot replace checking whether its evidence addresses your particular question.
Judge relevance and independence, explain the reasoning from evidence to inference, credit borrowed ideas and keep the conclusion within the method’s limits.