Incorporating Sources in Your Writing
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
