Choosing Sources

Sources

A source usually provides one of two things for your research and for your paper:

1)  It provides factual data to interpret and to use as evidence to support your assertions;
     –  Examples:  exact text of a written, spoken, or visual compositions; statistics or measurements; a summary record of an experience; information.

2)  It provides ideas about data, to build upon or dissent from.

     –  examples:  a particular claim made by another writer about the topic you are addressing, along with the reasoning that supports the claim; a general concept – a term, theory, or approach that has appeared in discussion of other topics and that you apply to your own.

·        When dealing with factual data:

     –  stance of acceptance, although you may call into questions the completeness or accuracy of provided facts

·        When dealing with concepts/ideas:

     –  three basic stances are Yes, No, or Maybe (with conditions)
     –  you can affirm or reject the ideas of another

·        Use sources in whatever ways are required to make a persuasive case for your way of looking at the material.

·        Make clear what comes from you and what comes from your sources.