In constructing a written argument, it is often essential to use sources. The key to persuading people to accept your argument is good reasons; and even if your assignment doesn’t specify that you must consult outside sources, they are often the most effective way of finding and establishing these reasons. Sources can help you to do the following:

For a more thorough discussion of finding, gathering, and evaluating sources, see Doing Research and Using Sources.

Be sure to give appropriate credit for any sources, including images and media files, that you use in your argument. Follow the conventions of your genre and medium for citing sources; a Web site may use links to indicate the source of information, for example, but academic arguments almost always call for following the guidelines of a specific documentation style (see Documenting Sources).