I posted this before but nobody replied so I'll post again...

Question

this is in reference to whether textbooks such as Fundamentals of analytical chem should be cited as a literature source in a lab report on the titration of wine with standardized NaOH IF I said that %tartaric acid was usually less than 1% and I took that from the book. For my bio lab report that I did before and was graded on I DID NOT put the text in as a citation source. I was told that a text is NOT considered a literature source. So I was wondering if this includes the info on the % tartaric acid being usually less than 1%. I don't know if this is common knowledge. B/c if it is then the text would not be cited since that was the only information that I used from the text besides that phenolphthalein is a basic indicator which I know is common knowledge.

thanks

As a text author, I agree generally<i/> texts should not be quoted as reference sources. As a winemaker, all sorts of things can be incuded in wine to control pH. Of course tartaric acid is usually less than one percent, but that does not prevent it from being more. This years grapes here in Central Texas are unusually acid, so I will add calcium carbonate to correct pH. Usually, I add none, and the percent of calcium in the wine is nil.
Avoid quoting texts on reference material. Often in texts we gloss over some things to make the text read simpler, and learnable. Texts are not usually considered first source reference material. There are exceptions, but they are not common.

Thanks =)