Which term refers to a person, book, document, website or record that provides information?

• A. Source
• B. Author
• C. Document
• D. Reference

Answer: (A)

The thing being tested is recognizing the origin of information. A source is anything that provides information—this can be a person who offers knowledge, a book, a document, a website, or a recorded item. That broad idea makes it the best fit here, since it covers all the kinds of information origins listed. A person who shares information is a source, a book or document is a source, a website is a source, and even a physical record can be a source. The other terms are more limited: an author is the creator of a work, not necessarily the origin of the information itself; a document is just one item, not the broader origin; a reference usually refers to a citation or a list of sources rather than the information’s origin itself. In research, you identify and cite your sources to show where ideas come from and to let others verify them.