Skilled writers know the importance of providing a context for the source information they include in their documents. It’s not enough to simply put text within two quotation marks and move on. Such “orphan quotations” — quotations dropped into a paragraph without any introduction — are confusing. Worse, paraphrases and summaries inserted without context can easily be mistaken for plagiarism.

To provide a clear context for your source information, establish why the quotation, paraphrase, or summary is reliable by identifying the source’s credentials. In addition, indicate how it relates to your main idea and what it contributes to the point you are making. If you don’t, readers will wonder why it’s there.