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How can I best bring outside sources into my paper?

             The most common ways to incorporate sources into

               your researched prose include summarizing,

               paraphrasing, or quoting directly. Why should you think

               about the ways you quote? Because you are trying to

             keep your reader awake. Restrain yourself when you

             feel the urge to quote forever. Try summarizing or

                 paraphrasing instead.

         Or better yet: Attempt to use a variety of methods

           throughout your paper to keep reader interest as long as

            possible. To quote an old maxim, "Variety is the spice

            of life."

Summarizing involves giving the "gist" of a statement or idea, using

your own words and not the author's. There are several purposes for summary:

                   To convey a general idea

                         To give all necessary information (excluding the unnecessary)

                         To shorten material

                         To reference material

                         To set up quoted material

               Summaries are generally informative and descriptive. They use

                    concise, coherent sentences to relay important information. They may

                    include simply deleting extraneous material, highlighting key words,

                    synthesizing the overall meaning, or miniaturizing primary ideas. The

                    length of the summary depends on what is being summarized.

  Direct quotation is simply that--using the source's exact words within the context of your own prose. Quotes should be identified with quotation marks or by a block quote format in order to separate them from your words or the words of other sources. Direct quotations have three parts:

Quote: Material taken directly from the author

 Tag: Material that explains the quote

Source: Material that documents the source, such as page

                         numbers

All direct quotes contain these three parts. Note the following

         examples, in which the tag and source are marked:

  1.In Duin's and Graves' study of vocabulary instruction, it is noted that "traditional vocabulary instruction is not effective"(328).

 2."Traditional vocabulary instruction is not effective," notes a recent   study (Duin and Graves 328).

  3."Traditional vocabulary instruction," notes a recent study, "isnot effective" (Duin and Graves 328).

              Why should I tag my sources?

Remember that tags are an excellent place to give the credentials of

your source, no matter what types of citation you are using

(summaries, paraphrases, direct quotations). Reference lists rarely

 give degrees or offices held. Use tags to add credibility to the

 information within the citation--particularly to information gained

 through interviews. Tags also can be used to add needed information

 to the actual quotation, summary, or paraphrase without detracting

  from your reference material. For example:

 According to Lloyd Benson, veteran lead dispatcher for the Dixie National Forests, "In my experience, forest fires can frequently be predicted with careful attention to weather conditions" (Smith 4).

        Without the tag, we would have no reason to believe the

                    source.

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