Citing Sources

When should you cite and why?

1)  Whenever you use factual material – e.g. data, information, testimony, or a report that you found in a source.  You need to make clear to your readers who gathered the information and where to find its original form.

2)  Whenever you use ideas – e.g. claims, interpretations, conclusions, or lines of reasoning arrived at by another person.  Let your readers know that you are summarizing or paraphrasing thoughts formulated by someone else.

3)  Whenever you use a special concept, term, or theory that you found in a source.

4)  Whenever you make use of a source passage’s distinctive structure, organizing strategy or method.  Citing tells your readers that the strategy or method is not yours and allows them to consult its original context.

5)  Whenever you quote verbatim.

Over-citing:

·        frequent citation can weaken a paper by making you seem less thoughtful and too dependent on others

·        citing “common knowledge” or citing inefficiently

·        giving too much rehash of other people’s ideas and need to generate more original ideas of your own

Citing well

·        credits the work of others;

·        respects the scholarship of your readers;

·        shows your respect for your topic;

·        strengthens your paper by displaying intellectual character;

·        establishes you also helpful, honest, open, serious, and careful

·        Intermittent, casual, sloppy, or vague citing raises suspicion and makes your readers skeptical.

Three Basic Principles (for how to use sources)

First Principle:  Use sources as concisely as possible, so your own thinking isn’t crowded out by your presentation of other people’s thinking and your own vice lost in your quoting of other voices.

Second Principle:  Never leave your reader in doubt as to when you are speaking and when you are relying on material from a source.

Third Principle:  Always make clear how each source you introduce into your paper relates to your argument.

Rules for Quoting

·        Quote only what you need or is really striking.

·        Quote verbatim.

·        Construct your own sentence so the quotation fits smoothly into it.

·        Usually announce a quotation in the words preceding it.

·        Choose your announcing verb carefully.

·        Don’t automatically put a comma before a quotation.

·        Put the period or comma ending a sentence or clause after the parenthetical citation.

·        Indicate clearly when you are quoting a passage as you found it quoted in another source.