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ARTH 3120 Swan: Sources: Writing & Citing

Writing Using Scholarly Sources

When it's your turn to write a paper, you'll probably want to include some sources to support your argument or thesis. 

 

There are three main tools in your "incorporating sources" toolkit:

 

  1. Quotations 
  2. Paraphrases 
  3. Summaries 

 

Just like when you're selecting other tools in everyday life, what you're trying to accomplish will determine what tool you'll use. 

Incorporating Sources Toolkit

A direct quotation removed from an existing source with tweezers. The tweezers represent the precise nature involved when using direct quotations.

Characteristics of Quotations

  • Precise (Have to be the exact words of the author)
  • Usually short
  • Quoted material is enclosed in quotation marks ("")
  • Credits the author
  • Followed by parenthesis that contain the page number

 

Reading 

 

As you read a potential source, identify brief quotations that concisely support or address your argument or thesis. Be sure to make a note of the page number. 

 

APA Writing/Citing

 

When you include a quotation in your writing, you will need to place the quoted material in quotes and include the author's name, year of publication, and the page number. 

  • The author's name may appear in the text of your paper or in the parenthesis. 

 

Examples: 

  • According to [Author's Last Name] (Year of Publication), "this research guide is very helpful" ( p.Page Number). 
  • "This research guide is very helpful" (Author's Last Name, Year of Publication, p.Page Number).

 

MLA Writing/Citing

 

When you include a quotation in your writing, you will need to place the quoted material in quotes and include the author's name and the page number. 

  • The author's name may appear in the text of your paper or before the page number in parenthesis. 

 

Examples: 

  • According to [Author's First and Last Name], "this research guide is very helpful" (Page Number). 
  • "This research guide is very helpful" (Author's Last Name Page Number).

 

Chicago Writing/Citing

 

Author-Date

When you include a quotation in your writing, you will need to place the quoted material in quotes and include the author's name, year of publication and the page number. 

  • The author's name, year of publication and page number all appear in parenthesis. 

 

Example: 
  • "This research guide is very helpful" (Author's Last Name Year of Publication, Page Number).

 

Notes and Bibliography

 

When you include a quotation in your writing, you will need to include a superscript number that refers to the corresponding footnote or endnote. 

 

Example:
  • "This research guide is very helpful."1
  • 1. Author Last Name, Title Formatted According to Source, Page Number. 

Several ideas are represented in a scholarly paper as fish. A net is used to collect most of those ideas/fish. This is an example of paraphrasing as it's not as precise as direct quotations.

 

Characteristics of Paraphrases

  • Expresses ideas in your own words
  • Credits the author
  • Followed by parenthesis that contain the page number
  • Multiple sources can be paraphrased at one time

 

Reading

As you read a potential source, highlight sections that convey the main ideas or points of the paper. Practice writing the main ideas of these sections in your own words. Make a note of the page number.  

 

APA Writing/Citing

 

When you include a paraphrase in your writing, you will need to include the paraphrased section (in your own words)and include the author's name, year of publication, and the page number. 

  • The author's name may appear in the text of your paper or in the parenthesis. 

 

Examples: 

Original: This research guide was designed for a variety of reasons. In addition to demonstrating how to find sources at Odum Library, it also goes into evaluating sources to determine their credibility. Other pages of this guide explore the differences between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.

 

  • According to [Author's Last Name] (Year of Publication), this research guide could be used to help students determine what sources are credible as well as how to quote and paraphrase material (p.Page Number). 
  • This research guide could be used to help students determine what sources are credible as well as how to quote and paraphrase material (Author's Last Name, Year of Publication, p.Page Number).

 

MLA Writing/Citing

When you include a paraphrase in your writing, you will need to include the paraphrased section (in your own words) and include the author's name and the page number. 

  • The author's name may appear in the text of your paper or before the page number in parenthesis. 
  • Your paraphrased section of text can refer to more than source. If you use this format, you will want to include the authors' names before the page number in the parenthesis. Each source would be separated by a semicolon.

Example: (Last Name Page Number; Last Name Page Number). 

 

Examples: 

Original: This research guide was designed for a variety of reasons. In addition to demonstrating how to find sources at Odum Library, it also goes into evaluating sources to determine their credibility. Other pages of this guide explore the differences between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.

 

  • According to [Author's First and Last Name], this research guide could be used to help students determine what sources are credible as well as how to quote and paraphrase material (Page Number). 
  • This research guide could be used to help students determine what sources are credible as well as how to quote and paraphrase material (Author's Last Name Page Number).

 

Chicago Writing/Citing

 

Author-Date

When you include a paraphrase in your writing, you will need to include the paraphrased section (in your own words)  as well as the source's author's last name, year of publication and the page number (optional). 

  • The author's last name, year of publication and page number all appear in parenthesis. 
  • Your paraphrased section of text can refer to more than source. If you use this format, you will want to include the authors' names and year of publication. Each source would be separated by a semicolon.

Example: (Author Name Year of Publication; Author Name Year of Publication). 

 

Example: 

Original: This research guide was designed for a variety of reasons. In addition to demonstrating how to find sources at Odum Library, it also goes into evaluating sources to determine their credibility. Other pages of this guide explore the differences between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.

  • This research guide could be used to help students determine what sources are credible as well as how to quote and paraphrase material (Author's Last Name Year of Publication, Page Number).

 

Notes and Bibliography

 

When you include a paraphrase in your writing,  you will need to include the paraphrased section (in your own words) and you will need to include a superscript number that refers to the corresponding footnote or endnote. 

  • Your paraphrased section of text can refer to more than source. If you use this format, you will only use one superscript number. However, your footnote or endnote will include all citations which will be separated by the semicolon and should appear in the same order as referenced in the text. 

 

Original: This research guide was designed for a variety of reasons. In addition to demonstrating how to find sources at Odum Library, it also goes into evaluating sources to determine their credibility. Other pages of this guide explore the differences between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.

 

Example:
  • This research guide could be used to help students determine what sources are credible as well as how to quote and paraphrase material .1
  • 1. Author Last Name, Title Formatted According to Source, Page Number. 

Example of summaries, a clamp is used to condense an entire page of information into a small section.

 

 

Characteristics of Summaries

  • Expresses ideas in your own words
  • Focuses only on the main ideas 
  • Credits the author
  • More general than paraphrases
  • Significantly shorter than original text

 

Reading 

As you read, try identifying the main ideas of the source. Once you finish reading, try to compose a short statement that provides an overview of the entire source. 

 

APA Writing/Citing

 

See paraphrase tab. 

 

MLA Writing/Citing

When you include a summary in your writing, you will need to include the summarized section (in your own words) and include the author's name. 

  • The author's name may appear in the text of your paper or in parenthesis. 

 

Original: This research guide was designed for a variety of reasons. In addition to demonstrating how to find sources at Odum Library, it also goes into evaluating sources to determine their credibility. Other pages of this guide explore the differences between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.

  • According to [Author's First and Last Name], the research guide was created to teach students many information literacy skills.  
  • The research guide was created to teach students many information literacy skills (Author's Last Name).

 

Chicago Writing/Citing

 

See paraphrase tab.