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Using Your Sources in Your Paper
In this tutorial, you'll learn how to effectively incorporate sources into your research paper.
You'll learn how to structure your sources, include your own analysis, and use sources
to support an argument.
All sorts of people have used ideas that came before them to create their own original ideas;
including activists and speakers, business men, and artist. Building on sources makes
your own ideas better.
It's time to write a research paper. You've thought about your topic, and gathered many
sources. So how do you present those sources in your
paper? You can think of writing a research paper as presenting an argument or a point
of view.
Every scholarly research paper contains a thesis. Example Thesis: "Though some argue
that there is a lack of evidence suggesting a future decline in polar bear populations,
studies have shown that climate change will cause a significant decrease in their numbers."
A thesis is the central argument of your paper. All of the sources included in your paper
must relate back to your thesis in some way. It's your job to use these sources to support
your central thesis. It's often good to include sources that agree with your thesis as well
as those that don't agree with your thesis. Examining and addressing multiple sides of
the argument often makes your own argument stronger.
It can help to think about sources on a given topic as a conversation between people you
haven't met. First, you listen to the conversation for
a while. You read arguments from experts on the topic.
Examples: "Human abuse of natural resources has caused
drastic climate change. Polar bear populations will rapidly declining due to climate change."
--environmental activist, passionate, urgent "Data supports the theory that climate change
will contribute to a decline polar bear populations." --well-known environmental researcher, arguments
based on studies, factual "Climate change is a naturally occurring
phenomenon. Environmentalists are using polar bear population statistics as a scare-tactic."
--background in business, calm tone, minority opinion
After listening to the conversation for a while, you jump in.
When one person presents their ideas, you respond with your own thoughts.
This is one of the main differences between college-level research papers and other papers
that you might have written in the past. It is not enough just to present sources. You
also have to present your own ideas and responses in relation to those sources.
There are three primary ways to present ideas from another source in your research paper:
direct quotes, paraphrase and summary. Feel free to pause the video to read about each.
Whenever you present ideas from an outside source, there are three main components that
you need to include. First, provide an introduction. It might include source information, background
information, or transition phrases introducing the source. It's a way for you to setup
the information you'll be presenting from the outside.
Next, include the idea from the source as either a direct quote, paraphrase or summary.
And, of course, make sure to always properly cite ideas from outside sources.
Finally, include an analysis of the ideas that you've presented. This will include your
response, and your interpretations in relation to the idea from the source.
Analysis is crucial for a good research paper. It's probably the most important step in this
process, so don't forget it! Remember that ideas you present from outside
sources must always relate back to your central thesis. Make sure that you clearly present
how these outside ideas relate to your thesis in your analysis.
This is the last tutorial in this series. After this, you will find a helpful link to
assist you as you cite your sources. Also, an assessment at the end will help test your
knowledge following this series.
If you have any questions or need research assistance, use any of our Ask Steely Library
services.