Integrating Sources In Your Writing. Learning Enhancement Team

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1 Integrating Sources In Your Writing Learning Enhancement Team

2 Variety is the Spice of Life! Different Schools.Different Rules Can you use I in an academic text? Should an essay have section headings? How long is a report? Do you use primary or secondary research? Footnotes, endnotes or no notes? Harvard style referencing or MLA? What about APA? Which school are you in? What is acceptable and what is unacceptable in your field? Always check in your module handbooks or with your tutor if you are concerned about appropriacy Integrating Sources In Your Writing 2

3 Integrating Sources In Your Writing Aims To look at how to use sources in your writing To examine how to position yourself in relation to other people s ideas in your field/s Integrating Sources In Your Writing 3

4 Task Imagine you have walked into the coffee shop, only to find a group of your friends having a very heated argument about Susie and Bill. Some of your friends think Susie should break-up with Bill, others think she should stay with him. You want to join in the debate: What do you do? What do you need to know? How do you decide who to agree with? Integrating Sources In Your Writing 4

5 Entering The Conversation Intellectual (logos): Location of your question / problem within its wider academic / professional context Position of your research within the discipline; its meaning, significance, relevance and purpose Social (ethos): Establishing your right to speak Establishing why someone should read your work Rhetorical: General specific pattern of information The creation of the thread Integrating Sources In Your Writing 5

6 Task Why do you think referencing is so important in academic writing? Here s a clue, plagiarism is only one of the possible answers! To give yourself credibility This establishes your right to participate in the field (ethos) To make yourself more persuasive Giving evidence in your arguments (logos) To give credit to the original author This shows professionalism and respect To give your readers clear and sufficient detail This allows your readers to locate ideas for themselves Integrating Sources In Your Writing 6

7 Fact or Fiction? Consider these statements. What do they have in common?: The earth is flat. Smoking helps cure sore throats. Women are bad luck on boats. Global warming is a myth. Once, all the above were considered facts some still are! You must always consider: What is a fact? What is knowledge? What is objective subjective belief? What is permanent temporary? Integrating Sources In Your Writing 7

8 Critical Referencing It s all very well wanting government funded higher education system, but the truth is that by charging fees, universities are able to attract on those students who value education (Smith, 2009). Do you agree with Smith? How do you show how you feel about what Smith says? Presentation title 8

9 Task Do all these sentences have exactly the same meaning? John s ill and wont be coming in today John said he s unable to come as he is ill John said he s unable to come as he was ill. John says he s not coming in today. John claims he can t come in due to illness. I hear John s ill and won t be coming in today. Apparently John can t make it today Due to illness, John can t come in. So he says. John s ill, he can t come in today. Integrating Sources In Your Writing 9

10 Critical Referencing As you can see, different reporting verbs can have a significant critical meaning in your text. Some of the more common reporting verb are: Claim(s)/(ed) State(s)/(ed) Prove(s)/(ed) Suggest(s)/(ed) Argue(s)/(ed) Maintain(s)/(ed) What differences? What criteria? Truth status present or past tense? Your interpretation of original writer motivation (e.g. Hall denies this however, pointing out ) Your purpose Integrating Sources In Your Writing 10

11 Task Do all these sentences have exactly the same meaning? As stated by Hall (1998: 32), codes fix relationships between concepts and signs Hall (1998: 32) stated that codes fix relationships between concepts and signs Hall (1998: 32) states that codes fix relationships between concepts and signs Codes fix relationships between concepts and signs (Hall 1998: 32) Integrating Sources In Your Writing 11

12 Reporting In terms mechanical citation, you have two choices: Removed from grammar of sentence Codes fix relationships between concepts and signs (Hall, 1998: 32). As grammatical part of sentence: According to Hall (1998: 32), codes fix... As stated by Hall (1998: 32), codes fix Hall (1998: 32) states that codes fix Both are allowable in Academia, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. What do you think? The AWL Open Workshop Understanding Plagiarism and Referencing may also be helpful! Integrating Sources In Your Writing 12

13 Your View In addition to carefully selecting your reporting verb and tense, you can also use adverbs to comment directly on the source s findings/theories/views. Here are some common commenting words. What do they tell the reader? Surprisingly. Wisely. Inevitably Sagely Sensibly. Most surprising of all Quite rightly Even worse Conveniently Disturbingly As might be expected Integrating Sources In Your Writing 13

14 Your View You can use the language of evaluation to help show the reader your critical opinion: (Quite) frankly. Strictly Speaking.. More simply put Put more simply Technically speaking Figuratively speaking In a word In short Building on Putting it bluntly Undeniably Integrating Sources In Your Writing 14

15 Task You want to use the data from the EGT in your paper but you cannot find the original article, only this reference to it in an article by Garin-Muṅoz (2004). What do you do? Integrating Sources In Your Writing 15

16 Sources in sources There are two possible answers the previous question: Honestly: Indicate the genuine origin of your material: (EGT 2002, in Garin-Muṅoz 2004). Use Garin-Muṅoz in your reference list. Strategically: Just cite the secondary source: (EGT, 2002). Dishonest but it looks as if you ve read the original secondary source You will need to locate the full citation for your reference list Integrating Sources In Your Writing 16

17 Paraphrasing & Summarising In order to paraphrase or summarise correctly you need to have a deep understand of the original: Understanding vs. remembering and repeating What Why How Connections between ideas / authors Similarities differences Underpinnings Paraphrasing and summarising are a reading skill as much as a writing skill. If you re feeling unsure, try our How To Read Journal Articles AWL Open Workshop! Integrating Sources In Your Writing 17

18 Paraphrasing Change the syntax i.e., the word order Change the word class i.e., a noun verb; verb adjective; verb noun Use synonyms i.e., happy, delighted, pleased Integrating Sources In Your Writing 18

19 Task I really like you, and you re a great friend, but I think we re going to have to let you go Integrating Sources In Your Writing 19

20 Paraphrasing & Summarising When you are paraphrasing and summarising, it s good to also consider these points: What s your purpose? What are you trying to do? Why are you using the material? How does it fit into your writing? How can you use it? How will you use it in ur writing? Paraphrase and summarise accordingly! Integrating Sources In Your Writing 20

21 Language to Summarise There are many different ways to summarise your sources, for example: Essence The essence of the argument is that. (Emslie & Hunt, 2009). In essence, Emslie & Hunt s (2009) argument is that Essentially, what Emslie & Hunt (2009) argue is that At its heart, Emslie and Hunt (2009) are arguing that.. Other common verbs are: Argue Claim Suggest Show Demonstrate Integrating Sources In Your Writing 21

22 Avoiding Plagiarism Write notes in your own words Be fanatical about keeping notes of where you get your information from when making notes In your own writing, use a clear and consistent system of referencing Always provide a full list of references in your bibliography When in doubt give a reference! Integrating Sources In Your Writing 22

23 Where now? Need more detailed assistance? Book a tutorial! Want feedback on a specific section? Drop in to Getting Your Assignment Ready! Want somewhere quiet to write, and get on the spot assistance? Try The Writing Space! Got a few quick questions? AWL Office Hours at [The Study Hub] are for you! AWL Open Workshops can be booked here! Suggestions: Critical Thinking How To Read Journal Articles Essay Writing Understanding Plagiarism And Referencing Integrating Sources In Your Writing 23

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