Using Secondary Sources [Secondary Sources.pptx]

INTEGRATING RESEARCH Why? Support your own point Disagree with a relevant study Explain a relevant concept or theory Compare/contrast findings with others Include other authors in your “conversation”

Think of referencing as the scholar’s equivalent to the police officer putting on his/her uniform.

Use references and facts to give your argument authority

Kinds of Evidence The kind of evidence you need can depend on your purpose, audience, topic, and essay type It will vary according to discipline Hard evidence has authority Facts, statistics, research findings Soft evidence may help explain or convince Experts, examples, analogies, anecdotal or personal experience

Issues of Credibility Knowledge Reliability Fairness Appearing well-informed Providing strong support Reliability Following conventions Writing grammatically and clearly Fairness Avoiding bias Mentioning other sides and viewpoints

Peer Review Process

What is a “peer reviewed” article?

How can I tell if a source is credible? https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/02/.

Who is the author? Written by authors respected in their fields of study. Responsible. Sources are cited so that you can check the accuracy of and support for what they've written. (This is also a good way to find more sources for your own research.)

How recent is the source? Depends on your topic. Sources on the American Civil War may be decades old and still contain accurate information. Sources on information technologies, or other areas that are experiencing rapid changes, need to be much more current.

What is the author's purpose? Is the author presenting a neutral, objective view of a topic? Or is the author advocating one specific view of a topic? Who is funding the research or writing of this source? A source written from a particular point of view may be credible; however, you need to be careful that your sources don't limit your coverage of a topic to one side of a debate.

What type of sources does your audience value? A professional or academic audience may value peer-reviewed journals as the most credible sources of information. A group of residents in your hometown might be more comfortable with mainstream sources, such as Time or Newsweek. A younger audience may be more accepting of information found on the Internet than an older audience might be.

Be especially careful when evaluating Internet sources! Never use Web sites where an author cannot be determined, unless the site is associated with a reputable institution such as a respected university, a credible media outlet, government program or department, or well-known non-governmental organizations. Beware of Wikipedia. Because anyone can add or change content, the validity of information on such sites may not meet the standards for academic research.

INTEGRATING RESEARCH Techniques Summary Précis Paraphrase Direct Quotation

1. SUMMARY What it includes: Uses main idea(s) Most important points Uses your own words Omits detail Is shorter than original

2. Précis Also called a Stand-Alone Summary What it includes: Main points of a work Same order Leaves our most sub-points and all detail Your own words ¼ to 1/3 of the original in length

2. PRECIS When to use it: * Include another writer’s points in your paper How to use it: * Integrate into your writing smoothly

3. PARAPHRASE What it includes: All of the original Your own words Structure changed (if possible)

3. PARAPHRASE When to use it: Refer to material directly relevant to your point How to use it: Small but significant passages Paraphrase Includes all the original Uses your own words Is about the length of the original

4. DIRECT QUOTATION When to use it: Important material Memorably phrased or Difficult to paraphrase How to use it: Integrate grammatically and smoothly.

WRITING THE ROUGH DRAFT: INTEGRATING SOURCES, CONT’D Direct quotations Use words of original Include quotation marks around passage In general, do not quote directly if you are citing statistics you are giving factual information the passage is easy to summarize or paraphrase Do quote directly if the words or phrasing is significant the source is authoritative the passage is difficult to summarize or paraphrase

WRITING THE ROUGH DRAFT: INTEGRATING SOURCES, CONT’D Combining direct quotations and summary/ paraphrase Contributes to efficient writing Stresses significant words Omitting unneeded words in direct quotations Use three spaced dots - ellipsis (. . .) to show one or more words omitted Use four spaced dots to show words omitted to end of sentence

WRITING THE ROUGH DRAFT: INTEGRATING SOURCES, CONT’D Use square brackets […] to indicate changes to a direct quotation Adding or changing words To correct grammar To make stylistic change To clarify or add needed information

Always remember to cite!