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The College Essay: Understanding Your Reader'S Expectations
The College Essay: Understanding Your Reader'S Expectations
You are also expected to give credit to the author of your sources
Credibility of Source Material
Your sources must come from the university library. Your college professors
expect that you will use proven and reliable sources to support your thesis and main
supporting points and conclusions
University sources have been ‘vetted’—reviewed by experts and have been found to
be reliable
You want to borrow the credibility and power of expert sources to create and
maintain your own credibility as a university scholar
For example, in doing research on the Big Bang Theory, using source material
written by Stephen Hawking, for example, would give you instant credibility. We
call this approach to research, “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” because
Hawking is THE expert in this field. He is a ‘giant’ whose vision is vast and wide
You also want to use source material that is powerfully written, to borrow the
rhetorical strength of the writer. This borrowing of rhetorical power is the only
purpose for using direct quotes in a researched position paper or research project
paper
Multiple Formats used in the College Essay
You share your research materials with readers who can find
and use your work and that of your sources to create their
own essays and research projects
http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/
pdf/Hacker-MLAupdates.pdf
Documenting Sources: A Hacker
Handbooks Supplement
http://www.mla.org/handbook_faq
MLA Frequently Asked Questions
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
resource/557/15/
Purdue University OWL (online writing
lab)
http://uwp.duke.edu/wstudio/resources/
working_sources.html
Duke University Writing Studio