D. Capturing, Launching, and Citing Evidence Added from Sources

For practice incorporating source material, go to the interactive “Take Action” charts in Re:Writing.

See examples in both MLA and APA style.

For a tutorial on avoiding plagiarism, go to Re:Writing.

Sometimes researchers concentrate so hard on hunting for reliable sources that they forget what comes next. The value of every source remains potential until you successfully capture its facts, statistics, expert testimony, examples, or other information in a form that you can incorporate into your paper. Then, you need to launch — or introduce — the information in order to identify its source or its contribution to your paper. Finally, you must accurately cite, or credit, both in the text of your paper and in a final list of sources, each source whose words or ideas you use.

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D1 Avoid plagiarism

Allow enough time to add information from sources skillfully and correctly. Find out exactly how your instructor expects you to credit sources. Even if you do not intend to plagiarize — to use another writer’s words or ideas without appropriately crediting them — a paper full of sloppy or careless shortcuts can look just like a paper deliberately copied from unacknowledged sources. Instead, borrow carefully and honestly.

Identify the source of information, any idea, summary, paraphrase, or quotation, right away, as soon as you add it to your notes. Carry that acknowledgment into your first draft and all the drafts that follow. You generally do not need to identify a source if you use what is called “common knowledge” — quotations, expressions, or information widely known and widely accepted. If you are uncertain about the need for a citation, ask your instructor, or simply provide the citation.

D2 Read your source critically

For more on critical reading, see Ch. 2. See more on evaluating evidence. See more on logical fallacies.

Before you pop outside material into your paper, read critically to evaluate its reliability and suitability. If you cannot understand a source that requires specialized background, don’t use it. If its ideas, facts, claims, or viewpoint seem unusual, incorporate only what you can substantiate in unrelated sources. If its evidence seems accurate, logical, and relevant, decide exactly how you might want to add it to your paper. Carefully distinguish it from your own ideas, whether you quote, paraphrase, or summarize.

D3 Quote accurately

See C3 in the Quick Editing Guide for more on punctuating quotations and using ellipsis marks.

As you take notes, record as many quotations as you want if that process helps you master the material. When you add quotations to your paper, be selective. A quotation in itself is not necessarily effective evidence, and too many quotations will suggest that your writing is padded or lacks original thought. Quote exactly, and credit your source using the format expected.

QUOTATION CHECKLIST

  • Have you quoted only a notable passage that adds support and authority?
  • Have you checked your quotation word by word, for accuracy?
  • Have you marked the beginning and the ending with quotation marks?
  • Have you used ellipses (…) to mark any spot where you have left out words in the original?
  • Have you identified the source of the quotation in a launch statement (see D6) or in parentheses?
  • Have you recorded in parentheses the page number where the quotation appears in the source?
D4 Paraphrase carefully

See more about how to quote, paraphrase, and summarize.

A paraphrase presents a passage from a source in your own words and sentences. It may include the same level of detail as the original, but it should not slip into the original wording (unless you identify those snippets with quotation marks). Credit the original source as you do when you quote.

PARAPHRASE CHECKLIST

  • Have you read the passage critically to be sure you understand it?
  • Have you paraphrased accurately, reflecting both the main points and the supporting details in the original?
  • Does your paraphrase use your own words without repeating or echoing the words or the sentence structure of the original?
  • Does your paraphrase stick to the ideas of the original?
  • Have you revised your paraphrase so it reads smoothly and clearly?
  • Have you identified the source of the paraphrase in a launch statement (see D6) or in parentheses?
  • Have you recorded in parentheses the page number where the passage appears in the source?
D5 Summarize fairly

A summary clearly identifies the source and reduces its ideas to their essence. Using your own words, your summary may boil a book, a chapter, an article, or a section down to a few sentences that accurately and clearly sum up the sense of the original.

SUMMARY CHECKLIST

  • Have you read critically to be sure you understand the source?
  • Have you fairly stated the author’s main point in your own words?
  • Have you briefly stated any supporting ideas that you wish to sum up?
  • Have you stuck to the overall point without bogging down in details?
  • Is your summary respectful of others, even if you disagree with them?
  • Have you revised your summary so it reads smoothly and clearly?
  • Have you identified the source of the summary in a launch statement (see D6) or in parentheses?
  • Have you recorded in parentheses the page number where any specific passage appears in the source?
D6 Launch and cite each quotation, paraphrase, summary, and synthesis

Weave ideas from sources into your paper so that they effectively support the point you want to make. As you integrate each idea, take three steps.

1. Capture. Begin with the evidence you have captured from your source. Refine this material so that it will fit smoothly into your paper. Reduce your quotation to its most memorable words, freshen the wording of your paraphrase, or tighten your summary. Synthesize by pulling together your own ideas and those of your sources to reach new insights. Position the evidence where it is needed to support your statements.

2. Launch. Launch, or introduce, the material captured from each source. Avoid tossing stand-alone quotations into your paper or stacking up a series of paraphrases and summaries. Instead, use your launch statement to lead smoothly into your source information. Try to draw on the authority of the source, mention the author’s credentials, or connect the material to other sources or to your points. Let readers know why you have selected this evidence and what you think it adds to your paper.

See more on launch statements.

Dalton, long an advocate of “green” construction, recommends … (18).

As a specialist in elder law, attorney Tamara Diaz suggests …

See C3 in the Quick Editing Guide for more on punctuating quotations.

Like Westin, regional director Neil urges that “…” (308). Brown, however, takes an innovative approach to local conservation practices and recommends … (108).

Another policy analyst, arguing from principles expressed in the Bill of Rights, maintains … (Frank 96).

While Congress pits secure borders against individual liberties, immigration analyst Smith proposes a third option that … (42).

For examples showing how to cite and list sources in your paper, see section E.

3. Cite. Identify each source briefly yet accurately. Follow MLA, APA, or another academic format.