What is the role of citing sources when presenting data?

• A. To fill pages with citations even when unnecessary
• B. To demonstrate personal opinion without sources
• C. To provide context and attribution for data, ensuring readers can locate sources
• D. To confuse readers with too many references

Answer: (C)

Citing sources provides context and attribution for data, ensuring readers can locate sources. When you reference where data come from, you show who collected them, when they were gathered, and the methods used, which helps readers evaluate reliability and relevance. This transparency lets readers verify figures, read the original material for more detail, and understand the limitations or scope of the data. It also protects you from plagiarism and situates your analysis within existing work. So the key role is to provide context and attribution for data, making it clear where the information originates and how readers can access it.