English Composition

English Composition Study Guide

3.5 Integrating Sources Source Types There are two different types of sources: primary and secondary. Primary sources are generally books, official websites, articles, or documents. For example, when researching the imagery in the works of William Faulkner, anything Faulkner wrote would be considered a primary source, including books, letters, and diaries. A secondary source is a book about a book (or a website about a book). A website analyzing Faulkner’s writing style is a secondary source. Primary and secondary sources are found, evaluated, used, and documented in the same way. Using Sources There are several reasons why a writer incorporates material from another writer into an essay. • To provide essential background information in order to assert the importance of the topic. • To provide evidence to validate the writer’s arguments in support of the thesis. • To explain specialized terminology or advanced concepts beyond the experience of the writer. • To provide examples to analyze or support the thesis. When a writer uses the research or ideas of others, there are three ways to incorporate that into the essay. A writer may use summary, direct quotation, or paraphrase. • In summarizing, the writer briefly restates the information in the source text rewritten in the writer’s own words. A summary is significantly shorter than the work the writer is summarizing. Summaries are used to present complicated or specialized information in an easy-to-read fashion. • To directly quote another writer’s work, a writer uses the exact words of the original. Direct quotes are used for the most important information. Quotations should be incorporated as part of a clear sentence. • Paraphrasing is a more detailed summary that uses similar keywords to the original. When paraphrasing, the original words must be completely rewritten. When writing an essay, it is important to use all three methods of incorporating source material. This will make the essay flow more smoothly and will help make the writing more credible. Regardless of which method is used, it should be blended smoothly into the writing. Weak writers tend to chunk source material, meaning that the majority of the essay becomes a string of various quotes and paraphrase. Remember that the reader wants to hear the writer’s words and ideas, which is why additional analysis and explanation is needed after the use of each source. Writers need to be careful to avoid plagiarism when incorporating source material. Plagiarism refers to one writer using material from another writer without properly crediting the original writer. Plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty and will usually result in a failing grade.

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