Using Source Material for Your Purposes
Incorporating the ideas of other authors into your writing is a valuable way to strengthen your own argument. Using the ideas of other authors and researchers in your field as “evidence” situates your work within current scholarship in your field and helps to build the credibility of your claims. Here, we provide two different ways of using source material to effectively (and responsibly) fit your own rhetorical purposes.
Direct Quotations as Evidence
Utilizing a direct quotation from a source can be a persuasive way of incorporating sources into your own writing. The primary danger of using direct quotations is relying on the quote to do too much work. As an author, you still need to show your reader how that quotation relates to your own rhetorical purposes. In other words, you can’t expect that a quotation is going to have the desired effect or prove your intended point to your reader.
Here are a few steps to effectively incorporating direct quotations into your argument:
Figure 13.1: The Quotation Sandwich[1]:
Direct Quotations as Evidence
1. Present the argument / State the main argument that your quote is supporting.2. Introduce the quote / Explain where in the text the quotation occurs (who is speaking or what is happening at this point in the text, not the page or line number since this will be given in the citation). Writers often use transitions such as for instance or for example to clearly signal that the quotation will support the main argument.
3. Quote / Include just as much text as is needed to support your argument and use an appropriate citation
4. Interpret the quote / Explain why you find this quote significant, signaling out key words or phrases that support your argument. The interpretation will often begin with a phrase such as This description shows… or This passage emphasizes…. As (insert author’s name) demonstrates… In other words, X argues…
The following examples illustrate how you can use the same exact quotation for two very different purposes depending on how you configure your “quotation sandwich.” [2]
1. Despite exciting archaeological advancements, ancient Egypt remains grossly misconstrued in popular media. In their world history textbook, Terry et al. state that the discovery of King Tut’s tomb “caused a worldwide sensation and a frenzy of interest in styles of architecture and interior decoration, as well as in the such popular entertainments as the horror film The Mummy” (30). Clearly, the exotic sensationalism of the ancient Egyptians corrupts the factual authenticity of the archaeological discoveries and perpetuates misrepresentations about the historical Egyptian culture.
2. Exciting archaeological advancements have caused ancient Egypt to become a large part of our contemporary culture. In their world history textbook, Terry et al. state that the discovery of King Tut’s tomb “caused a worldwide sensation and a frenzy of interest in styles of architecture and interior decoration, as well as in the such popular entertainments as the horror film The Mummy” (30). Clearly, continued archaeological efforts and resources have allowed scientists to make discoveries that impact our culture in extremely relevant ways, even 3,300 years later.
Paraphrasing as Knowledge Transformation
Paraphrasing, as we understand it, is transforming the knowledge provided by another author into tailored evidence for your own argument. The most important part of paraphrasing is that you, the writer, are refocusing an author’s ideas to suit your own rhetorical needs. Paraphrasing allows you to 1) summarize the ideas of an author while simultaneously 2) using that author to inform, support or illuminate your own ideas. Using paragraphing as knowledge transforming – not just knowledge telling – can even allow you to formulate and generate thoughts through the act of writing.[3]
(*Note: some people distinguish between summarizing and paraphrasing, but we find that distinction less critical than understanding the rational of effectively incorporating sources into your own writing).
Many people find paraphrasing difficult because they are worried about too closely mimicking the language of their author in a way that could be considered plagiarism. However, plagiarism becomes less of a problem if you effectively change the focus of that author’s ideas to reflect YOUR purpose as an author; the new focus is then how an idea relates to your topic.
If you are worried about plagiarism, a good rule of thumb is this: would the original author recognize the text as his or her own? If the answer is yes, then you probably need to further transform the source text.
Actual Quotation: "In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
Global Communication CenterParaphrase #1
Advice to a candidates running for office:
Discretion from a one’s political campaign committee is imperative. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that insults from our opponents don’t matter at all; rather, having a network of the allies who can be trusted with secrecy is the crucial thing. Therefore, pick your campaign staff -- and campaign manager specifically – with utmost care.
Paraphrase #2
Diversity Essay Prompt- Describe a challenge you have overcome:
My first years of high school were extremely challenging since the popular students viewed me as an outsider. Their insults and name-calling were bad, but what I remember most is that my “friends” at the time never spoke up against the insults and stuck up for me. That painful experience is my personal proof that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous assertion is exactly right: abuses from our persecutors are nothing compared to a mute betrayal from our friends.
Global Communication CenterYou can even “paraphrase,” or refocus, quantitative data:
Source Text:
Raffle ID number / Odds of winning2 / .01
Global Communication Center
Paraphrase #1
Raffle #2 offers the promising odds that 1 out of every 100 people will win; it could be you!
Paraphrase #2
Your entry into Raffle #2 will result in a 99% chance of losing.
Global Communication CenterIf you’re having trouble figuring how to effectively incorporate direct quotations or paraphrasing into your argument, come in to the GCC and we’ll help you out!
[1] http://brianrussell.typepad.com/weblog/2005/11/quotation_sandw.html
[2] Janice J. Terry, James P. Holoka, Richar Goff, and George H. Cassar. “Cenage Advantage Books: World History.” Cengage Learning: 2011. Print.
[3] (Breireter and Scardamalia 1987)