Smooth Integration of Sources: Establishing Credibility

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 Analyze 
Use the basic features.

To establish their authority on the subject, writers need to convince readers that the information they are using is authoritative. They can do this in a number of ways, but giving the professional credentials of their sources is a conventional strategy.

ANALYZE & WRITE

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Write a paragraph or two analyzing how Toufexis establishes the credentials of her sources in Love: The Right Chemistry:

  1. Skim the essay, underlining the name of each source she mentions. Then go back through the essay to highlight each source’s credentials. When Toufexis provides credentials, what kinds of information does she include?
  2. Consider the effectiveness of Toufexis’s strategies for letting readers know the qualifications of her sources. Given her original audience (Time magazine readers), how well do you think she establishes her sources’ credentials? If she were writing for an academic audience (for example, for your class), what would she have to add?

    Question