What is a recommended way to handle source material that conflicts with your thesis?

• A. Remove conflicting source from literature review
• B. Ignore opposing view
• C. Copy opposing view into your paper
• D. Acknowledge opposing view, evaluate its strength, adjust your thesis or reasoning accordingly; provide a rebuttal

Answer: (D)

Engaging with counterarguments is the key idea here. The best approach is to acknowledge the opposing view, evaluate its strength, adjust your thesis or reasoning accordingly, and provide a rebuttal. This shows you’ve seriously weighed credible evidence that could challenge your claim, which makes your argument more rigorous. If the counterview is persuasive, refining your thesis to specify limits or nuance keeps your argument honest, and presenting a rebuttal demonstrates why your interpretation still holds when weighed against that opposing evidence. This process signals critical thinking and scholarly integrity, strengthening the overall paper.

Removing conflicting material, ignoring opposing views, or simply copying them into your paper fails to engage with evidence and weakens credibility.