Contributors


Writing Program
English Dept

Using sources accurately and effectively in any researched essay is the basis of establishing credibility with the audience. In order to use sources accurately, whether by paraphrasing or quoting verbatim, a writer must: first, know when to use a source; second, know what kinds of sources to use; and third, know how to incorporate the information in the writing so that the audience is able to see that the source used furthers the argument made.

To accomplish this, there are some guidelines a writer must follow:

• Only use quotations from reputable or valid sources
• Only use quotations that support what you are intending to say. (Unless you plan to use the quote to argue against the argument made in the source, in which case, you are refuting to further your own argument.)
• Do not use quotations as a Thesis statement or topic sentence.
  Instead, quotations should be seen as a starting point for your own discussion.
• Use quotes that fit the message of your argument or evidence.
  Be picky with the quotations you use.

Make sure to use quotes that fit some of these descriptions:

1. The idea is difficult to paraphrase accurately.
2. Its authority is important to your discussion.
3. Viewing the original is important for readers to see your interpretation of the text.
4. The language of the text is appropriate.
5. Quote exactly.
6. Make sure to not over-use quotations. No more than a quarter of your paper should consist of direct quotations.
7. Blend the quotations you use smoothly into your own prose. Remember that you are using the quote to further what you are saying about the topic.

Integrating Quotations Into Your Prose:
There’s a simple, three-step process to use quotations in your own prose.

1. Introduce the quote. Remember that an important part of documentation requires that you give the author, source, and page number. Use this opportunity to give some of that information in your
   own prose.
   Example: Carlos Baker, in his “Forward” to Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story, states that, “...
2. Give the quote. And make sure to quote and cite accurately Example: Carlos Baker, in his “Forward” to Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story, states that, “No biography can portray a man as he actually was. The best that can be hoped for is an approximation” (vii).
3. Discuss the quote. Also discuss how it pertains to your argument.
   Remember that, to use a quotation accurately, it must be incorporated into your own writing. This means, once the quote is given, you must tell your reader how the quotation fits into your essay or main point. Therefore, a discussion in your own words must follow the use of a quotation. A quotation cannot stand alone as a part of a paragraph. (The only exception to the rule is when an essay is prefaced with a quotation, in which case, the quotation must somehow be discussed to
   determine its appropriate application or interpretation.)

• Make sure to keep long quotations to a minimum. Generally, if a quotation is four lines or more, it must be separated from your own prose in the following manner:

Example:
As Bertrand Russell states in The ABC of Relativity:
Science does not aim at establishing immutable truths and eternal dogmas: its aim is to approach the truth by successive approximations, without claiming that at any stage final and complete accuracy has been achieved (qtd in Troyka 493).

To shorten quotations for clarity, use ellipses (...). Or, use only portions of the quotation that fit with your discussion.

To avoid issues of plagiarism, make sure that quotations are documented correctly, both in the prose and on the “Works Cited” page. Knowing how and when to use sources, as well as being able to incorporate another’s idea into your writing is one key to establishing yourself as a responsible writer. Look to the sources you use for models of how to utilize quotations effectively.


Works Cited

Baker, Carlos. Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story. New York: Scribner’s. 1966.

Troyka, Lynn. Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers. Annotated Instructor’s
	Edition. Fifth Edition. New York: Prentice-Hall. 1999.

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