To use the exact words of an author in a research paper, Shawn would include a **quotation**.
Quotations are when you directly incorporate the words of another person into your writing. This helps give credit to the original author and allows readers to see the exact words used.
In this case, if Shawn wants to use the exact words of an author in his research paper, he should include a quotation from the original source. This is different from paraphrasing (putting the author's words into your own words) or summarizing (providing a brief overview of the main points).
Therefore, the correct choice for Shawn to achieve this goal would be **quotation**.