CITING SOURCES

One of the most important aspects in academic writing is to be able

to use the ideas of other people to show that you have done your
reading and understood the materials that you have studied.
However, in your writing, the main voice should be your own and it
should be clear what your point of view is in relation to your
research topic.
When you present your arguments, you back them up with
information and ideas that you discovered in your research.
The greatest danger at this point is to just write-out facts and
opinions that were expressed by other writers.
 
 
• The emphasis in your writing is working with other
people’s ideas; not reproducing their words.
• You usually do this by reporting the work of others in
your own words (through quoting, paraphrasing,
summarizing ).
• When you use the ideas of other people, you need to
acknowledge the source of idea by a system of citation.
• If you do not do this and use another person’s words or
ideas as if they were your own, you have committed
plagiarism.
• A REMINDER : NEVER paraphrase, summarize or quote
without providing a context. You must always say
something about the borrowed facts and ideas. ( You
have to comment on or evaluate the work you have
used.)
 HOW IS CITATION USED
Presenting an argument
 E.g. Britten (2008) in discussing preliminary training
for non-native speaker teachers, argued for a
progression from an initially more trainer-centered
approach, gradually moving towards a more
developmental, self-help approach.
Explanation :
 The writer is using Britten’s idea to support his own
argument.
 He uses his own words (providing a context) to tell his
reader what Britten’s idea is used for (refer to the
italicized part).
Support writer’s view
E.g. Moreover, this traditional teaching cannot serve as an
ideal model for students to experience what they might later
put into practice in their own classes, on the contrary, as Britten
(2008) pointed out, it is more likely to encourage student
teachers to go out and teach the way they were taught.
Explanation :
 By using ‘as’, the writer claims ownership of the idea
expressed but uses a citation of Britten who has said the
same thing to lend greater authority.
Exemplifying / Providing evidence
E.g. Critics also question whether the process approach
realistically prepares students for academic work. According to
Fitzpatrick (2009), the approach “…creates a classroom situation
that bears little resemblance to the real situations in which it will
eventually be applied” (p.144). He went on to suggest that…..
Explanation : 
 The writer presents an argument / his position (refer to the
italicized part).
 The writer then follows up with evidence from the research of
others.
 The first sentence is the writer’s own assessment of the
approach.
 
 To Quote or Not To Quote

  1. Quote if you feel the language in the text is vivid, provocative,
unusual or because the exact wording is historically or legally
important. 
 For example: “Life is not determined by consciousness, but
consciousness by life.”
 2. According to research, the use of citation in research articles
in both science and humanities suggests that quotations are
relatively rare compared to summary or paraphrase.
 3. When you quote, do not just leave your reader to work out for
themselves why you quoted that person. Provide a context for
the quotation.
For example: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.
(American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous quotation)
 How do we use this quotation in our
research paper?
 1. Provide a context:
When Franklin Roosevelt gave his inaugural speech on March
4, 1993, he addressed a nation weakened and demoralized by
economic depression. He stated that…..
 2. Then include the intended quotation.
 3. When you have provided the context and inserted the
quotation, you also need to follow up the quotation with
your own assessment: 
With that message of hope and confidence, the new
president set the stage for his next one hundred days in
office and helped restore the faith of the American people in
their government.
The final product will be:

When Franklin Roosevelt gave his inaugural speech

on March 4, 1993, he addressed a nation weakened
and demoralized by economic depression. He stated
that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”
(Roberts, 1984, p.25). With that message of hope and
confidence, the new president set the stage for his
next one hundred days in office and helped restore
the faith of the American people in their government.