Human and Organizational Development Resources (HOD)

Incorporating Sources in Your Writing

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Incorporating Sources in Your Writing

The Writing Studio provides many handouts, including several on "Incorporating Sources" which may prove helpful when you need to use scholarly articles and other sources for your writing assignments.

Below are a few of the handouts provided that are relevant to library research.

You can also schedule an appointment with a Writing Studio consultant. The registration page includes information about what to expect during the session.

Direct Quotes

Definition: Using an author’s exact words (verbatim)

How to avoid plagiarism:

  •          Use quotation marks around the author’s words
  •          Place an in-text (parenthetical) citation at the end of the quote
  •         Include a complete citation to the source in your reference list

Example of a direct quote:

“Why write a research paper? The answer is twofold. First, you add new information to your personal storehouse of knowledge by collecting and investigating facts and opinions about a limited topic from a variety of sources. Second, you add to the knowledge of others by effectively communicating the results of your research in the form of a well-reasoned answer to a scholarly problem or question" (Lester, 1976, p. 1).

Paraphrasing

Definition: Putting an author’s ideas into your own words

How to avoid plagiarism:

  •        Use a signal phrase that states who and what you are paraphrasing
  •        Use the same ideas as the original text, but use your own words to paraphrase
  •        Place an in-text (parenthetical) citation at the end of the paraphrase
  •        Include a complete citation to the source in your reference list.

Example of a paraphrase:

Lester (1976) states that when writing a research paper, you create a storehouse of knowledge for yourself and your reader by collecting and communicating information on a particular topic (p. 1).

Summarizing

Definition:  Condensing an author’s ideas into a more concise statement

How to avoid plagiarism:

  • Use a signal phrase that states who and what you are summarizing
  • Create a brief description of the main points of the content using your own words
  • Place an in-text (parenthetical) citation at the end of the summary
  • Include a complete citation to the source in your reference list

Example of a summary:

In the book “Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide,” the author declares that writing a research paper aids in developing familiarity with a particular subject for both the author and their reader (Lester, 1976, p. 1)

Common Knowledge

Definition: Information that is so well-known that it does not need to be cited

How to avoid plagiarism:

  • Common knowledge is information that most people know or can easily find in sources.
  • Common knowledge is also factual information, such as the state bird of Tennessee is the mockingbird.
  • If you are unsure whether something is common knowledge, go ahead and make a reference for it.

 Examples of common knowledge:

  • There are 365 days in a year.
  • George Washington was the first president of the United States.
  • The United States has 50 states.

Signal Phrases

Definition: Signal phrases are an essential element of research writing. A signal phrase introduces source material, indicates where the material came from and aids your reader’s response to the source through an appropriate choice of wording.

Examples of signal phrases:

acknowledges

comments

describes

maintains

reports

adds

compares

disputes

notes

responds

admits

concedes

emphasizes

observes

shows

agrees

confirms

endorses

points out

states

argues

contends

illustrates

reasons

suggests

asserts

declares

implies

refutes

summarizes

claims

denies

insists

rejects

writes

The Unintentional Plagiarism Checklist

Librarian for Human and Organizational Development

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Jennifer Castle
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Contact:
Peabody Library
Office 305B
615.343.0412
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