NICOLE: Hi, I'm Nicole. 

MK: And I'm MK. Welcome to the University Writing Center's video on how to use sources in academic writing. 

NICOLE: If you would like to skip ahead or move backward in this video, use the table of contents located below the video. Closed captioning can be turned on by clicking the CC icon located on the bottom right of the video. 

We will be discussing several aspects of using sources. First, we will discuss why academic writers incorporate source material into their work. Next, we will discuss three primary techniques used to integrate sources into academic writing. Finally, we will address the proper rhetorical situations in which to use each technique. You may also find our videos on avoiding plagiarism and citation styles helpful, so make sure to check those out as well. 

MK: There are three main reasons why writers employ outside sources in their writing, incorporating the research of other individuals from the discipline in which they are writing lends credibility to their argument. Utilizing sources shows what research informs writers' thinking and helps readers to follow the writing more easily. Additionally, sources provide resources for readers to explore for their own projects, essentially tracking the citations in order to discover the original source of information. Overall, source incorporation helps writers to enter the academic conversation in a given discipline. 

NICOLE: There are three main ways authors incorporate sources into their work, quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Quoting involves using language taken directly from a source. Paraphrasing means putting the source information into your own words. And summarizing requires briefly stating the main points of a source. The different methods of source integration can be used to achieve different goals. We will discuss this next. 

Before we move on, it is important to note that whether you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing, you must always cite the original source in order to avoid plagiarism. The citation style you are using for the writing dictates how this should be done. And for this video, our examples would be in APA format. 

MK: Quoting is often the first things writers think of when considering how to use sources, but it has a specific role in writing. It is best to use quotes when the exact wording of a source is essential to reflect the author's message. Though quotations can offer a great deal of support to a research project, they should not stand alone. You should follow quotations with the discussion that explains and strengthens the connection between your writing and the quotation. You also want to avoid using a lot of long quotations. You can use ellipses to omit portions of the quote that are not necessary to convey the meaning. 

NICOLE: To incorporate a quote into your writing, there are a couple key moves to make. Start by introducing the quote with a signal phrase, such as "Johnson 2014 wrote" or "according to Johnson 2014." These phrases signal to readers that you are pulling from another writer to help support your argument. Anytime you are quoting directly, the source author's words must be enclosed in quotation marks, as you can see in the example quote below. 

MK: Paraphrasing, unlike quoting, is best used when the exact words the author uses are not vital. Also use paraphrasing when you can state the information more succinctly in your words or feel it will read more clearly in your writing voice. This helps you to avoid using too many quotations like we previously mentioned. 

NICOLE: Paraphrased information like quotations is often introduced with a signal phrase that briefly describes the source material's origin. Also similar to quoting, paraphrased information should be followed by a discussion that connects the source material to your argument. It is important to note that paraphrasing is not simply changing vocabulary words or switching the order of words. Paraphrasing means you must put the source information into your own words. The following slide shows examples of strong and weak paraphrasing. 

The example sentences here are taken from our handout on using sources, which can be found on UofL's University Writing Center website. The sentence on the left uses a signal phrase and does a good job of rewording the general idea of the source. The sentence on the right, however, clearly takes most of its language from its original source. It takes specific phrases like scary, threatening, sneer. The example of a strong paraphrase actually does a better job of giving readers the necessary information. 

MK: When writing academically, you should summarize when you wish to give an overview of a source rather than provide specific details. A summary can explain the overall message of the source more efficiently than long quotations or paraphrasing can. Some writers also use summarization as an introduction to a quotation or paraphrase. 

NICOLE: Often, writers get confused about the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing. However, they are different. Summarizing is a brief restating of a passage, while paraphrasing is a line-by-line restating of the selected source material. Overall, summaries focus on main points rather than on specific details. 

MK: Let's quickly summarize what this video covered. Academic writers incorporate sources to lend credibility to their writing, show readers the research that informs their own thinking, and enter the conversation of an academic discipline. There are three different ways to use sources-- quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. These three ways involve their own specific rules, but they should always be cited according to the citation style of your discipline. 

NICOLE: Visit our website linked in the description for additional resources UofL community members can visit the University Writing Center in person or virtually. Download our handout on using sources. Read our frequently asked questions. We recommend these two related to using sources in academic writing, which discusses strategies for working sources into writing and the difference between the three ways to use sources.