Using Research Sources

When you are using material from research sources,

1. Select carefully. In general, do not select quotations that only repeat points you have already made; a quotation should elaborate on, reinforce, or support what you say.

2. Be sure to integrate all ideas from other sources into your own discussion. Introduce direct quotations with your own words. After quoting, explain the significance of your quotations.

3. Avoid quoting more than you need. Most of the time, brief quotations suffice.

4. Use direct quotations only when the author's wording is necessary or particularly effective. Only use a direct quotation if you cannot paraphrase it to make it more effective. Some disciplines discourage direct quotations; others encourage them. Consult with your professor.

5. Acknowledge ideas that are paraphrased as well as ideas that are quoted. As explained in Avoiding Plagiarism, you must acknowledge not only words but also ideas taken from outside sources.

6. Place all direct quotations within quotation marks, and indent block quotations. End citation alone is not sufficient for direct quotation. Quotations less than three full lines necessitate quotation marks, and those more than three lines should be indented and single-spaced. Be sure to copy quotations exactly as they appear in your sources. For more information on quoting sources, refer to Documentation in Writing in this handbook.

7. Include all citation information in your first draft to avoid any unintentional failure to cite sources.

8. If you are using material cited by an author and you do not have the original source, introduce the quotation with a phrase such as as quoted in…

For more information on citing research sources, refer to Avoiding Plagiarism or Using Sources. Both are available online at the Writing Center home page and at the Writing Center.

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