Incorporating Sources

How to incorporate sources in your own writing:

1. Quotation - direct, word for word excerpt from a source, written or spoken; uses quotation marks

2. Paraphrase - restatement of source in your own words; includes specific details from the original

3. Summary - shortened, abridged explanation of main idea of passage; takes a large excerpt and condenses it into a couple of sentences

* WARNING: PLAGIARISM IS BAD! Any time you reference a source in these ways, you must CITE the source in your writing and also on your Works Cited page. Any time you use another source in your writing, you must cite it; otherwise, it is plagiarism (using other people's words and claiming them as your own). So don't just copy and paste others' words into your writing without citing the source. That is plagiarism!

4. Cite your source: each time you incorporate a source, make sure to write down who the writer is and what the direct source is. Here are three examples:

Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).

Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

Based on these examples, how do you cite sources within your text?

5. Integrate the source in your writing. Make sure you introduce the source, include it, then elaborate on it. Explain how it relates to your topic. Revisit lesson on integrating quotations on my blog.

Activity:

1) Reread the foreword mentor texts. Based on this and your prior knowledge of using quotations, when is it best to use quotations?

2) Based on foreword mentor texts and prior knowledge, when is it best to paraphrase? To summarize?

3) Write a few sentences or a full paragraph of your foreword including a quotation from one of your sources.

4) Write a few sentences or full paragraph including a paraphrase of one of your sources.

Further reading: go to Purdue OWL website