From Bedford Handbook for College Writers Chapter 12 Support with Sources From Bedford Handbook for College Writers Chapter 12

Once you have your topic… Consider your Audience You are writing for an audience or community that is intrigued by your topic. You will be expected to quote, paraphrase, or summarize information from sources. You will need to credit your sources demonstrating that you have mastered the essential skills for source-based writing.

Skim Your Sources When you work with a cluster of readings, you’ll probably need to read them over and over. First: Leaf through the reading; glance at any headings or labels Return to first paragraph; read it in full. Then read the first sentence of each paragraph. Read the final paragraph in full. Consider what you have learned

Before you begin copying quotations… Read your selected sources thoroughly. After you have figured out what the source says, decide how you might be able to use it to support your reasons/ideas. Follow some of the following questions: How does the source use its own sources to support its position? Does it review major sources chronologically (by date)? Thematically (by topic)? Or by some other method? Does it use sources to supply background for its own position? What audience does the source address? What’s the author’s purpose? How might you want to use the source?

The Academic Exchange It gives honest credit to the work on which it relies This is an exchange of ideas and information works between your writing and outside sources Essentially you are joining the conversation that is already going on!

Supporting Evidence Quotations: Direct quotations can add life, color, and authority; too many quotations can drown your voice and overshadow your point. Paraphrase: Restating an author’s ideas in your own language. Summaries

Quoting Repeating EXACTLY what another author or speaker wrote or said How to quote: Select a quotation that is both notable and pertinent to your thesis Record it accurately, writing out exactly what it says. Include its punctuation and capitalization. Mark both its beginning and ending with quotation marks Note the page or other location where the quotation appears. If the quotation begins on one page but ends on another, mark where the switch occurs so that credit in your draft will be accurate no matter how much of the quotation you use. Double-check the accuracy of each quotation as you record it. Include the quote sandwich! We will review this next week.

Paraphrasing Putting a short passage from another author or speaker into your own style Paraphrasing should not alter the ideas of the original author or speaker Paraphrasing can be shorter or longer than the original passage

Summarizing Takes a long passage or whole document written by someone else and reduces it to main points in your own style Shorter than the original Should not alter the ideas of the original

When Should You Quote? The style of the original is impressive The author has credibility that will impress your reader You are going to analyze the wording of the original to make one of your points

If in doubt…. Follow the chart on page 243 & 250!!

Drafting your Support with Sources

Body Paragraphs 1. Topic Sentence 2. Explain the controlling idea Formulate a controlling idea that relates back to reasons given in the thesis. This idea will direct the paragraph’s development. 2. Explain the controlling idea Explain how your reader should interpret the information. Explain your thoughts about the topic/idea. 3. Provide multiple examples for support Provide support or evidence for the idea/explanation. This establishes a relationship between the main idea and the explanation.

4. Explain and analyze the examples You must explain why each example is relevant to the controlling idea. It shows the reader why you chose the examples for your support. Often you will compare, contrast, or relate two or three sources to deepen your discussion or to illustrate a range of views. When you synthesize, you pull together several sources in the same passage to build a new interpretation or reach a new conclusion. 5. Complete the idea and transition into the next paragraph Tie up any loose ends in your paragraph and make sure your reader will understand the paragraph’s importance. Transition the reader to your next development in the next paragraph. Transitions signal relationships between ideas; they establish logical connections between paragraphs; they function as signals for the reader so he/she knows what to do with the given information

Researching Most academic essays will require secondary sources to be used as supporting evidence for your argument. Brainstorm key terms to search for depending on your topic. Begin searching SAC Library to locate books. Search the library’s databases for journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. Researching takes time. Plan ahead, and begin your research as soon as the essay is assigned.

Use scholarly sources: books, journal articles from the databases, websites (.org, .edu, .gov), etc. Once you locate a credible source, write down the needed information to create a citation. Always consult A Writer’s Reference. Talk to a librarian! Or, you can book an appointment with a Librarian on the SAC Library website. 

Plagiarism You must cite all sources. Anytime you summarize, paraphrase, or directly quote from a source, you must credit the author. Plagiarism is defined as the passing off of another person’s work as if it were one’s own. An unacknowledged use of words, ideas, information, research, or findings not your own, taken from any source, is plagiarism. At the very least, if caught performing plagiarism, you will get an F on the assignment, perhaps for the course, and could possibly be expelled from the university. In other words, DON’T PLAGIARIZE!