Using Sources What to Cite, Harris Danielle M. Kwasnik, EdD

Using Sources  “If the information came from outside your own head, cite the source” (p. 16).  “If in doubt, cite it” (p. 19).  Choosing sources to Cite (Harris, 2005, pp ) Harris, R. A. (2005). Using sources effectively: Strengthening your writing and avoiding plagiarism (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishers.

Using Sources Selecting Sources  Select sources based on level of scholarship.  Avoid selecting sources based on your level of agreement.  Carefully select Internet sources; avoid if possible.  “The expertise test: Is there evidence that the source knows the subject?”  “The accuracy test: Is the information correct today?”  “The reliability test: Is the information supported by other sources?” (Harris, 2005, pp ) Harris, R. A. (2005). Using sources effectively: Strengthening your writing and avoiding plagiarism (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishers.

Using Sources Quotes Cautions for Quoting  Too often  Too heavy reliance on one source, and quoting that source too often  Lengthy quotations (Harris, 2005, pp ) Harris, R. A. (2005). Using sources effectively: Strengthening your writing and avoiding plagiarism (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishers.

Using Sources Paraphrases  What is a paraphrase? “A paraphrase converts a source’s words into about the same number of your own words” (p. 52).  When to paraphrase  How to paraphrase (Harris, 2005, pp ) Harris, R. A. (2005). Using sources effectively: Strengthening your writing and avoiding plagiarism (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishers.

Using Sources Paraphrases  6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card. Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase. Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form. Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source. Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper. Source:

Using Sources Introducing Sources  Introductory strategies  Introductory verbs  Punctuation  Table of Quotation Verbs  “Always quote exactly” (p. 81). (Harris, 2005, pp ) Harris, R. A. (2005). Using sources effectively: Strengthening your writing and avoiding plagiarism (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishers.

Evaluating Research Guidelines  No research provides “proof.”  Use hedging language – “suggests,” or “provides strong evidence” or “appears to indicate.” (Pyrczak, 2005, pp. 7-8)  Pyrczak, F. (2005). Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic evaluation (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishers.

Sample reference list in APA References Anderson, L., Adelman, N., Finnigan, K., Cotton, L., Donnelly, M. B., & Price, T. (2002). A decade of public charter schools: Evaluation of the public charter school program evaluation report. Retrieved August 15, 2005 from the SRI International Web site: (Online source – no doi available) Best, J. W., & Kahn, J. V. (1998). Research in education (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. (Edited book) Bolman, L. & Deal, T. (1997). Reframing organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. (Book) Dressler, B. (2001). Charter school leadership. Education and Urban Society, 33(4), (Journal article) Edwards, B. (2005). How are California’s charter schools performing? Retrieved from (online journal article) – no doi available

References continued Opfer, V. D. (2001). Charter schools and the panoptic effect of accountability. Education and Urban Society, 33(2), doi: / (Journal article w/doi) Sanders, M. G., Allen-Jones, G. L., & Abel, Y. (2002). Involving families and communities in the education of children and youth placed at risk. In S. Stringfield & D. Land (Eds.), Educating at-risk students (pp ). Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education, University of Chicago Press. (Book chapter) Spillane, J. P., & Seashore Louis, K. (2002). School improvement processes and practices: Professional learning for building instructional capacity. In J. Murphy (Ed.), The educational leadership challenge: Redefining leadership for the 21st century (pp ). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Book chapter) United States Government Accountability Office. (2005, January). Charter schools: To enhance educations monitoring research, more charter school level data are needed. Retrieved August 26, 2005 from (Online source – no doi available) Wells, A., & Research Associates. (1998). Charter school reform in California: Does it meet expectations? Phi Delta Kappan, 80(4), (Online source)

Electronic Sources - Locator Information (APA manual – p )  DOI: Digital Object Identifiers. An alphanumeric string assignment by a registration agency to identify content and provide a link to its location on the Internet.  THE DOI System provides citation-linking services for the scientific publishing sector.  The purpose of the DOI is to direct readers to content.  The DOI is a linking mechanism embedded in the reference lists of electronic sources. 

References and Suggested Texts  American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.  Galvan, J. L. (2006). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishers.  Harris, R. A. (2005). Using sources effectively: Strengthening your writing and avoiding plagiarism (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishers.  Pyrczak, F. (2005). Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic evaluation (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishers.  Strunk, W., White, E. B., & Angell, R. (2000). The elements of style (4th ed.). New York, NY: Longman.