Unlocking the Secrets of Citing Research

1. Unlocking the Secrets of Citing Research

2. Why do we have to do research anyway? • Many kinds of writing involve explaining a point or supporting an idea • Showing that you’ve looked into what others have to say—or what the facts are—helps give your writing credibility

3. So then what’s a “source”? • A source is anything—a document, book, website, or person—that supplies information • Sources can be reliable or unreliable, depending on the situation • If you are personally knowledgeable about the topic, you can also be a reliable source

4. Okay, fine, but why do I have to document and cite sources? • It shows that your information is legitimate • It gives your reader the necessary information to find these sources • It shows we can trust you

5. Documentation and citation looks hard. And I don’t know anything about this stuff. I feel lost.

6. Where do I start? • Relax • Keep things in perspective

7. There are two common ways to cite sources in writing: • In-Text Citations • End-of-Text Citations

8. In-Text Citations These are citations that are in the writing itself. For example:Studies show that college students who use writing center services earn higher grades than those who don’t (Crovitz 56). These are sometimes called “parenthetical” citations.

9. In-Text Citations • In-text citations let the reader know that the information comes from a certain source. Crovitz explains that statistically, students who use this resource earn higher grades (56). • What goes inside the parentheses depends on the documentation style you’re using.

10. End-of-Text Citations • These citations are a list of your sources on a separate page at the end of your essay. • This list provides more information about each source. • All the sources you cite in your essay should appear in this list.

11. Secret Tip #1 • Think of your in-text citations as “links” to your end-of-text citation list.

12. Documentation Styles… • The style you use to cite your sources depends on the academic field you are writing within. • The two most common academic styles are MLA and APA, but there are a number of others.

13. MLA • Used in English composition, literature, and related fields • For in-text citations, MLA stresses the author’s name and page number: Researchers agree that cliff-diving is hazardous, especially when there is no water below (Wilson 22).

14. APA • Used in education, social sciences, and similar fields • For in-text citations, APA stresses the author’s name and the year: Researchers (Wilson, 2002) agree that cliff-diving is hazardous, especially when there is no water below.

15. Similarities • For end-of-text citations, MLA and APA both use the same information but in different formats: MLA end-of-textcitation for a book: Wilson, Percy. Desert Cliff-Diving and Other Extreme Sports. Tucson: Putnam, 2002. APA end-of-textcitation for the same book: Wilson, P. (2002). Desert cliff-diving and other extreme sports. Tucson: Putnam.

16. What if my sources include a book, a website, an article, and interview…? Secret Tip #2:You don’t need to memorize all the citation formats…you just need to know where to look for help.

17. Where to Look for Help • Writing center • For great handouts, as well as the official MLA and APA guides…plus, tutors to help you! • Online: • Noodletools.com • Easybib.com

18. Do I wait until I’ve written the whole essay before citing sources, or what? • Concentrate first on what you want to say • Your research is support for your own voice and ideas. • If you took out all the research, your writing should still make sense • Keep track of the research you’ve collected and used, or plan to use

19. Getting Sources into the Writing • There are two ways to include material from sources in your writing: Quoting Paraphrasing

20. Quotation • taking the exact words from a source • when it is important to show the original wording • it’s unique or powerful • you can’t say it better

21. Secret Tip #3 Most people quote too much… …often, they should be paraphrasing instead.

22. Paraphrasing… Expressing information or ideas from a source in your own words. • to talk about general ideas or concepts • to establish and maintain your own voice in discussing outside sources, information, and evidence • to create a sense that you have thought about and evaluated what is important in a source Ex. In his article, Levy discusses several aspects of basketball tactics, including zone defense and the full court press (22).

23. Activity!!!

24. Integrating Your Quotations Beer drinking has been a popular social activity for thousands of years. “Since the Egyptians first fermented grain along the banks of the Nile, beer has been a part of almost every society.”

25. Draft Two Beer drinking has been a popular social activity for thousands of years. “Since the Egyptians first fermented grain along the banks of the Nile, beer has been a part of almost every society” (Williams 65).

26. Draft Three Beer drinking has been a popular social activity for thousands of years. According to Paul Williams, “since the Egyptians first fermented grain along the banks of the Nile, beer has been a part of almost every society” (65).

27. Draft Four Beer drinking has been a popular social activity for thousands of years. Anthropologist Paul Williams writes that “since the Egyptians first fermented grain along the banks of the Nile, beer has been a part of almost every society” (65).

28. Draft Five Beer drinking has been a popular social activity for thousands of years. In his book The Birth of Beer, anthropologist Paul Williams writes that “since the Egyptians first fermented grain along the banks of the Nile, beer has been a part of almost every society” (65).

29. Ways to Make Quotations Flow • Leading In Professor Roy Perez asserts that Hemingway's reputation “is in large part dependent upon the real-world exploits of the author” (23). • Leading Out “They can run, but they can't hide,” warned President Bush. • Breaking “Education without attention to the arts,” explains theorist Elliot Eisner, “would be an impoverished enterprise” (1).

30. Secret Tip #4 Try to avoid the “floating quotation.”

31. Another Activity!!!

32. Paraphrasing • Make sure your own words are significantly different from the original • Cite paraphrased material

33. An Example… Source: “Why Braveheart is Bad” by Darren Crovitz Original sentences from the article: Mel Gibson’s 1995 film Braveheart tries to convince us that William Wallace, the 14th-century Scottish rebel, was actually a handsome, multi-lingual scholar who not only makes love to the Princess of Wales, but is the father of her future child. This romantic nonsense is not based on historical fact, and dooms what might have been an interesting and worthwhile film.

34. Original sentences from the article: Mel Gibson’s 1995 film Braveheart tries to convince us that William Wallace, the 14th-century Scottish rebel, was actually a handsome, multi-lingual scholar who not only makes love to the Princess of Wales, but is the father of her future child. This romantic nonsense is not based on historical fact, and dooms what might have been an interesting and worthwhile film. Poor Paraphrase #1 Darren Crovitz, a film reviewer, writes that the problems of William Wallace's character in Braveheart dooms what could have been an interesting and worthwhile film (23).

35. Original sentences from the article: Mel Gibson’s 1995 film Braveheart tries to convince us that William Wallace, the 14th-century Scottish rebel, was actually a handsome, multi-lingual scholar who not only makes love to the Princess of Wales, but is the father of her future child. This romantic nonsense is not based on historical fact, and dooms what might have been an interesting and worthwhile film. Poor Paraphrase #1 Darren Crovitz, a film reviewer, writes that the problems of William Wallace's character in Braveheartdooms what could have been an interesting and worthwhile film (23).

36. Original sentences from the article: Mel Gibson’s 1995 film Braveheart tries to convince us that William Wallace, the 14th-century Scottish rebel, was actually a handsome, multi-lingual scholar who not only makes love to the Princess of Wales, but is the father of her future child. This romantic nonsense is not based on historical fact, and dooms what might have been an interesting and worthwhile film. Poor Paraphrase #2 Braveheart, by Mel Gibson, attempts to persuade the viewers that William Wallace, a medieval fighter from Scotland, was really an attractive student of languages who has sex with the Princess of Wales, and fathers her soon-to-be-born child. This idealistic silliness is not founded in real history, and destroys what might have been an intriguing and rewarding movie (23).

37. Original sentences from the article: Mel Gibson’s 1995 film Braveheart tries to convince us that William Wallace, the 14th-century Scottish rebel, was actually a handsome, multi-lingual scholar who not only makes love to the Princess of Wales, but is the father of her future child. This romantic nonsense is not based on historical fact, and dooms what might have been an interesting and worthwhile film. Decent Paraphrase In his article “Why Braveheart is Bad,” Darren Crovitz notes that unrealistic ideas in the movie, including William Wallace's knowledge of language and his relationship with the Princess, harm the overall quality of the film (23).

38. Citation, Documentation, Quotation, Paraphrasing… Burning Questions???

39. Remember… No one’s an expert at this stuff… …you just need to know where to look for help, or who to call.