Final answer:
True, a reader must understand the author's position to use a source correctly, as knowing the author's perspective and intent is crucial in evaluating the source's reliability and fittingness for the reader's research.
Step-by-step explanation:
True or False: The reader must understand the author's position in order to use the source correctly. This is true. To use a source effectively, it's essential to understand the author's perspective, which includes their biases, evidence, assumptions, and reasoning. Uncovering and interpreting the author's intent, audience, and the context in which the work was created are pivotal in shaping how a reader interacts with the source material. Knowing the purpose behind the creation of a source helps ascertain whether it's based on facts, opinions, or propaganda, and determines if the author's biases are acknowledged and transparent.
Researching the author and considering multiple sources on the topic can further inform the reader about the source's reliability and the author's expertise or potential biases. It's important to remember that in most non-fiction (and some fiction), while the narrator differs from the author, they may share the same viewpoint if the author models the narrator after themselves.