ENGL 102/108: Integrate your sources

Now that you have located and evaluated your sources, it is time to read through them and consider how you will use them to shape your ideas and write about your topic. Not all of your sources need to (or should!) agree with your thesis or with one another. Part of the way scholars move research ahead is through thoughtful argument and disagreement.

What is the best way to read a scholarly article?

Reading scholarly articles can be challenging. One approach that helps is to start by reading the article’s Abstract, Introduction, Discussion, and Conclusion first. This will help you start processing the research and then you can go back and engage with the methods and results.

What is the best way to incorporate sources into my research paper?

1. Quotations – Using exact words from the source and place those words in quotes.
2. Paraphrase – Stating an idea from the articles in your own words. You need to be sure to give credit to the author of the idea when you do this by including an in-text citation at the end of your paraphrase.
3. Summarizing – Stating several ideas in your own words. Like paraphrasing, you need to be sure to give credit to the authors of the ideas by including an in-text citation at the end of your summary.

Use these three important components:

1. Introductory phrase to the source material
   Mention the author, date, or any other relevant information when introducing a quote or paraphrase.
    
2. Source material
   A direct quote, paraphrase, or summary with proper citation.
    
3. Analysis of source material
   Your response, interpretations, or arguments regarding the source material should introduce or follow it. When incorporating source material into your paper, relate your source and analysis back to your original thesis.

Adapted from: UNR Libraries

Learn more

Try our tutorials:

• Anatomy of a Scholarly Article
• How do I give credit to the ideas of others?