Using Sources The Basics

BEFORE WE START, KNOW THIS! Have several reasons for selecting sources. You don’t want every citation to be a “For example…” Sources are used to give your writing ETHOS (credibility). Your writing should BEGIN with your sources and always give credit where credit is due.

TWO BASIC KINDS OF SOURCES 1. Sources that are writing about your topic. You sometimes are lucky enough to find professional, academic writing related to your topic: Statistics, psychological analysis, scientific articles. But often you must collect your OWN data in small pieces, from multiple sources! 2. Sources that provide examples or illustrations of your topic. The honest truth is, you may find the most source material in information that provides real-world examples of a topic. This may be news, magazine writing, journaling, or other sources that provide anecdotal evidence.

Use Sources As. . . Encyclopedias, news statistics, .gov and .edu sites Professional analysis, expert opinions and editorials, journals of specific trades Can focus on gaps or weakness in any of the above; You can engage diverse media as well: Expert web site, videos that illustrate popular ideas, blogs and forums that show cultural norms

TIPS for searching for your topic Use synonyms and different phrasing for your key words Find material related to your topic. You may not be able to find existenialism related to The Metamorphosis, but you may find it related to Amerika. Use comparison to establish your own points. A source is JUST as useful when you talk about what it DOESN’T HAVE as much as what it DOES! Break your topic into small pieces. If you want to write about modern day heroes, you may need to think of an example first, then research that example! If you are writing about literacy, you may want to start with an EXAMPLE (a school with a literacy program, for example) and write OUT OF the example.