When writing about research, we’re part of an existing conversation about a topic.

Citing Sources Exercise

When writing about research, we’re part of an existing conversation about a topic. We research to find sources that give us the knowledge others have contributed to the conversation, which we analyze and present along with our own knowledge in our own research essay. And others after us might continue the conversation. Wherever that conversation has been or will go, we track it and acknowledge what came before by citing the works we have used to create our part of that conversation. This is why academic writing requires citation – so we know what has come before and what each contributor to the overall conversation is using to develop their own knowledge and convey it to an audience. We also cite to acknowledge when we reference the work of others, so we don’t plagiarize of course, but also so that those who come after us can find the original source for our ideas or claims if they choose. When researching a topic, we often find a strong source and then look at sources in that article or book or web site for more information. It’s like having a trail of breadcrumbs within a particular subject matter or academic discipline.

Writing about research relies heavily on what has already been written, in the form of secondary research sources, so in-text citations are frequent and bibliographies are lengthy and varied. And citation styles vary across different disciplines or areas for good reason. For example, the disciplines within the social sciences use APA (American Psychological Association) style usually, and this citation style features the date of publication early in the citation because research in these areas is constantly being updated and the date of publication matters immensely – something might be outdated in a matter of a few years. In the Humanities (Literature, History, etc.), MLA (Modern Language Association) style is used and the date is not as prevalent because the research conducted in those areas often builds on existing historical theory and the ideas being discussed matter more than the date of a publication. In other disciplines specific styles are used for reasons particular to a discipline; in medicine, for example, the AMA (American Medical Association) style is used. There are many different citation styles used in various disciplines but for the purposes of this writing course we’ll use ML style.

The most important thing to know about citing sources is to follow the citation style exactly in a Works Cited or References list and in using in-text citations or footnotes. Consistency and accuracy are critical so that mistakes in referencing an author or work are avoided and that access to a source is not compromised.

There are plenty of trustworthy resources to help, and plenty of untrustworthy ones as well. It’s more important to know which citation style you should use and to make sure you are using the most recent version of the citation style, than it is to memorize every detail needed to cite a source. Knowing where to look for information on how to cite is most important.

The link below provides helpful tips, a list of trustworthy sources in addition to the style guides published by each relevant authority (e.g., the Modern Language Association or MLA Style Guide) and which are available online and in library reference collections. Review and develop questions for your instructor if you need help.

USF citing sources guide (Links to an external site.)

Thisvideo (Links to an external site.)explains citation and writing

REMEMBER:

RESEARCH SOURCES: QUOTING, PARAPHRASING, GENERALIZING, AND SUMMARIZING

To incorporate other writers’ work into your own writing, use these different approaches according to how closely the original work(s) should be used and how you are using multiple sources.

Direct Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author. Using a direct quote from a source is appropriate when you want to retain the integrity of the way it was written originally. Use sparingly.

Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is sometimes a bit shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly, or it is roughly the same size. Either way, a paraphrase should include the original ideas but not the original wording of the author being cited. Always cite when paraphrasing.

Generalizing involves condensing what multiple sources convey into one statement that is a general fact or claim and citing all the sources it is drawn from, attributing the information to all of them in the text and listing all in the bibliography.

Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s). Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material.

Use Quotations, Paraphrasing, Generalizing and Summarizing to:

• Provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing
• Refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing
• Give examples of several points of view on a subject
• Call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with
• Highlight a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by quoting the original
• Distance yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue readers that the words are not your own
• Expand the breadth or depth of your writing

Assignment

For this activity, write a response to the following:

• Using the resources on citing, set up your Works Cited or References for the research essay in MLA. Start with the sources you have already, and plan to add others you’ll find as you locate them. List at least 3 of your sources here in whichever citation style you will use and check for accuracy against the examples found in the MLA section of the Purdue OWL (Links to an external site.). PLEASE NOTE: Citation generators may be a great place to start when creating citations, but they are not without fault. Many contain errors. Therefore, it is important to double-check ALL citations prior to submission.
• Using your sources and thinking about your key ideas for the research essay, identify passages you might integrate into your writing by paraphrasing. Locate one passage from each source you have so far and practice paraphrasing. Write the original sentence or passage, and then write the paraphrased version underneath it.

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