Using Sources

Why do writers use sources in their writing?

Academic writing can take on different forms, but it generally involves interacting with

other peoples’ words and ideas. Academic writers draw on the work of others to:

 Lend credibility to their arguments.

 Show what research informs their thinking.

 Provide readers with sources that they can use for their own projects.

What are the different ways writers incorporate sources in their writing?

There are three ways: quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing. While you can use these

three ways to achieve different goals, you draw on others’ work in order to strengthen your

argument--to achieve the goals you have for your project. Each time you quote, paraphrase,

or summarize, be sure that you let the reader know whose work you are using and why you

are using it.

For example:

The Louisville Cardinal’s teeth have been a source of heated debate amongst

collegiate mascot enthusiasts. Johnson (2014), a fervent supporter of the

addition of teeth to the mascot, proclaimed, “without teeth, the Louisville

Cardinal would appear annoyed at best; with teeth, the Louisville Cardinal has

the menacing, intimidating snarl that effectively intimidates any opponents”

p. 12). Johnson’s assertion may be called into question, however, when one

considers how “menacing” the Cardinal mascot might appear when compared

to other, more innately aggressive animals, such as bears.

In this passage, the writer introduces the source by giving the reader some context to better

understand who is being quoted and what the quote is generally about. The quote itself is

formatted properly. Finally, the writer rightly follows the quote with some discussion about

what the writer sees as important in the quote. Providing this discussion allows the reader

to understand both how the writer interprets the quote and how the writer is using the

quote to further his or her own argument. Sometimes this approach of introducing a quote

by providing context and following the quote with a discussion is called “sandwiching.”

Using Sources: Quoting

uofl.edu/writingcenter writing@louisville.edu (502)852-2173

When should I use a quotation?

Whenever you feel as though showing the author’s exact wording is essential in order to

accurately reflect their message, you should use a quotation.

How should I use a quotation?

 Be sure to introduce your quote. Writers often use a signal phrase to let the reader

know that a quote is coming.

Johnson (2014) wrote

According to Johnson (2014)

 You should surround the author’s exact words with quotation marks (including an

in-text citation after the quotation marks, but before the period). For example:

“Without teeth, the Louisville Cardinal would appear annoyed at best; with teeth,

the Louisville Cardinal has the menacing, intimidating snarl that effectively

intimidates any opponents” (Johnson, 2014, p. 12).

 You can also break up a long quotation like the one listed above by eliminating

non-essential information through the use of ellipses (…). For example:

“…with teeth, the Louisville Cardinal…intimidates any opponents”

(Johnson, 2014, p. 12).

 Follow the quote with a discussion about what you want the reader to understand about the

quote. Since you quote to strengthen your argument, be clear about what the quote does for

your argument.

How long should my quotes be?

Try to avoid using too many long quotations in your work. If you want to include all the

information contained in the quotation, try splitting each section up into separate, smaller

quotations, and analyze each piece separately.

Using Sources: Paraphrasing &

Summarizing

When should I paraphrase?

When the exact wording the author used is not vital, and/or you can state the information more

succinctly.

How should I paraphrase?

 Use a signal phrase to let the reader know a paraphrase is coming.

 It is important to remember that paraphrasing an author’s ideas does not mean simply changing

a few words or switching the word order of the author’s original text.

Weak paraphrase

If the Cardinal didn’t have teeth, it would seem annoyed; now that the Cardinal has teeth, it has a

threatening, scary sneer that frightens any opponent (Johnson, 2014, p. 12).

Good paraphrase

Johnson (2014) argues that the Cardinal’s teeth allow it to appear more frightening despite the fact

that the Cardinal is not a normally seen as an aggressive animal (p. 12).

Follow the paraphrase with a discussion. Let the reader know how you want to use the information

or ideas in the paraphrase in your paper.

Where do I put the citation when I paraphrase?

If your paraphrase is more than a sentence long, you can wait to add the in-text citation at the end

of the paraphrase. Most importantly, be sure the reader can tell when your paraphrase begins and

ends.

How is summary different than paraphrase?

Writers often confuse paraphrase and summary, which is understandable since they are very

similar. Paraphrase usually involves a line-by-line restating of a passage while summary is a much

shorter restating of a passage. More commonly, though, writers use summary when they wish to

give an overview of the entire source. Summary can also be used to set up a quote or

paraphrase—the writer may give a general summary of the source before quoting or paraphrasing

a specific part of it.

When should I summarize?

Summarize when you wish to explain the overall message the author is trying to con-vey and

merge his or her ideas with your own, or when covering the specific details of a passage or of an

entire source is less important to you.

Using Sources: Clarity

uofl.edu/writingcenter writing@louisville.edu (502)852-2173

If I am using the same source multiple times in a paragraph, do I need to cite it in every

sentence?

Whether you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing, you should always cite your sources.

That way, you can proudly and accurately display all of the research you have done. Further, it

should be clear to your audience when you are using information from another source and when

you are using your own knowledge and analysis. However, when frequently citing the same

source, you also want to make good rhetorical choice to avoid unnecessary repetition. APA (2020)

provides a helpful guideline and example for following their citation guidelines and making good

rhetorical choices (p. 265). A similar strategy can be applied to other citation styles, such as MLA.

Koehler (2016) experimentally examined how journalistic coverage influences

public perception of the level of agreement among experts. Koehler provided

participants with quotations from real reviews for movies that critics either loved or

loathed. He found that participants better appreciated the level of expert consensus

for highly rated movies when only positive reviews were provided rather than when

both positive reviews were provided rather than when both positive and negative

reviews were provided, even when the proportion of positive to negative reviews

was indicated. These findings, in combination with similar research, demonstrates

that providing evidence for both sides when most experts agree may lead to a false

sense of balance (Koehler, 2016; Reginald, 2015).

Year omitted

Source fully cited within the narrative of the sentence

No citation is

necessary in

this sentence

because the

source is clear

Parenthetical citation to attribute sentence to

multiple sources

Adapted from:

American Psychological Association [APA] (2020).

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

(7th ed.).

American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000