Working Source Material into Your Argument

When you use source material in an argumentative essay, your goal is to integrate the material smoothly into your discussion, blending summary, paraphrase, and quotation with your own ideas.

To help readers follow your discussion, you need to indicate the source of each piece of information clearly and distinguish your own ideas from those of your sources. Never simply drop source material into your discussion. Whenever possible, introduce quotations, paraphrases, and summaries with an identifying tag (sometimes called a signal phrase), a phrase that identifies the source, and always follow them with documentation. This practice helps readers identify the boundaries between your own ideas and those of your sources.

It is also important that you include clues to help readers understand why you are using a particular source and what the exact relationship is between your source material and your own ideas. For example, you may be using a source to support a point you are making or to disagree with another source.

Using Identifying Tags

Using identifying tags to introduce your summaries, paraphrases, or quotations will help you to accomplish the goals discussed above (and help you to avoid accidental plagiarism).

SUMMARY WITH IDENTIFYING TAG

According to Thomas L. Friedman, the popularity of blogs, social-networking sites, cell phone cameras, and YouTube has enhanced the “global discussion” but made it hard for people to remain anonymous (23).

Note that you do not always have to place the identifying tag at the beginning of the summarized, paraphrased, or quoted material. You can also place it in the middle or at the end:

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IDENTIFYING TAG AT THE BEGINNING

Thomas L. Friedman notes that the popularity of blogs, social-networking sites, cell phone cameras, and YouTube has enhanced the “global discussion” but made it hard for people to remain anonymous (23).

IDENTIFYING TAG IN THE MIDDLE

The popularity of blogs, social-networking sites, cell phone cameras, and YouTube, Thomas L. Friedman observes, has enhanced the “global discussion” but made it hard for people to remain anonymous (23).

IDENTIFYING TAG AT THE END

The popularity of blogs, social-networking sites, cell phone cameras, and YouTube has enhanced the “global discussion” but made it hard for people to remain anonymous, Thomas L. Friedman points out (23).

TEMPLATES FOR USING IDENTIFYING TAGS

To avoid repeating phrases like he says in identifying tags, try using some of the following verbs to introduce your source material. (You can also use “According to . . . ,” to introduce a source.)

For Summaries or Paraphrases
[Name of writer] notes acknowledges proposes that [summary or paraphrase].
The writer suggests believes observes
The article explains comments warns
The essay reports points out predicts
implies concludes states

For Quotations
As [name of writer] notes, acknowledges, proposes, “    [quotation]    .”
As the writer suggests, believes, observes,
As the article warns, reports, points out,
As the essay predicts, implies, concludes,
states, explains,

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Working Quotations into Your Sentences

When you use quotations in your essays, you may need to edit them to provide context or to make them fit smoothly into your sentences. If you do edit a quotation, be careful not to distort the source’s meaning.

Adding or Changing Words When you add or change words in a quotation, use brackets to indicate your edits.

ORIGINAL QUOTATION

“Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, FourSquare, Fitbit, and the SenseCam give us a simple choice: participate or fade into a lonely obscurity.” (Cashmore)

WORDS ADDED FOR CLARIFICATION

As Cashmore observes, “Twitter, Flickr, FourSquare, Fitbit, and the SenseCam [as well as similar social-networking sites] give us a simple choice: participate or fade into a lonely obscurity.”

ORIGINAL QUOTATION

“The blogosphere has made the global discussion so much richer—and each of us so much more transparent” (Friedman 23).

WORDS CHANGED TO MAKE VERB TENSE LOGICAL

As Thomas L. Friedman explains, increased access to cell phone cameras, YouTube, and the like continues to “[make] the global discussion so much richer—and each of us so much more transparent” (23).

Deleting Words When you delete words from a quotation, use ellipses—three spaced periods—to indicate your edits. However, never use ellipses to indicate a deletion at the beginning of a quotation.

ORIGINAL QUOTATION

“Just as companies sometimes incorporate social functions into their interview process to see if potential hires can handle themselves responsibly, they may also check out a student’s Facebook account to see how the student chooses to present him or herself” (“Beware”).

UNNECESSARY WORDS DELETED

“Just as companies sometimes incorporate social functions into their interview process, . . . they may also check out a student’s Facebook account . . .” (“Beware”).

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DISTORTING QUOTATIONS

Be careful not to distort a source’s meaning when you add, change, or delete words from a quotation. In the following example, the writer intentionally deletes material from the original quotation that would weaken his argument.

Original Quotation

“This incident is by no means an isolated one. Connecticut authorities are investigating reports that seven girls were sexually assaulted by older men they met on MySpace” (“Beware”).

Distorted

“This incident is by no means an isolated one. [In fact,] seven girls were sexually assaulted by older men they met on MySpace” (“Beware”).

EXERCISE 9.6

Look carefully at the quotations that accompany this chapter’s opening images. Select three quotations, and summarize each quotation in one sentence. Then, compose an original sentence that quotes each statement. Be sure to acknowledge each source in an identifying tag and to integrate the borrowed material smoothly into each sentence.

EXERCISE 9.7

Reread the summary you wrote for Exercise 9.1 and the paraphrase you wrote for Exercise 9.3. Add three different identifying tags to each, varying the verbs you use and the position of the tags. Then, check to make sure you have used correct parenthetical documentation. (If the author’s name is included in the identifying tag, it should not also appear in the parenthetical citation.)