Lesson 6: Writing with Sources

1. Lesson 6: Writing with Sources Topics Beginning and Ending the Paper Generating Reader Interest Using Quotations Getting Through the First Draft

2. Beginning and Ending the Draft Keep in mind • The introduction and conclusion can do more than say what you are about to say, and say what you just said. • Consider posing questions in the introduction and returning to answer them in the conclusion.

3. Purpose of an Introduction • Draw the reader into the paper • Advance the general topic of the paper • Provide the necessary background • Present the thesis of the paper

4. Introduction Strategies Consider these strategies when writing the introduction: • Tell a story • Quote someone else • Pose a question • Describe a situation • Offer a surprising fact or statistic • Get to the point

5. Types of Introductions • Broad-to-narrow • Narrow-to-broad • Quotation • Anecdote • Contrasting idea • Historical

6. Conclusion Strategies Consider these strategies when writing the conclusion: • Recall the introduction • Quote someone else • Give readers something to do • Make it personal • Ask, “What’s next?” • Enlarge the scope • Get to the point

7. Methods of Conclusion • Summary • Recommendation • Prediction • Full circle • Quotation

8. Generating Reader Interest • To generate reader interest, consider the following when drafting your paper: • How does the topic intersect with the reader’s experience? • Is there a way to put a face to your topic? • Can the ending further clarify, dramatize, or emphasize the answer to the research question? • Do opportunities exist to surprise or highlight an unexpected viewpoint? • Infuse your paper with common ground. • Connect to the reader’s experience with your topic. • Demonstrate your topic’s relevance to the reader. • Help the reader to see what they already know about the topic.

9. Using Case Studies • Case studies can have a huge impact on readers. • Consider the following: • Case studies can help the reader understand the larger picture by looking at a smaller one. • The relevance of your topic ultimately hinges on the effect that it has on people. • Sometimes the best personal experience to share is your own.

10. Using Interviews • An interview is another way to bring people to the page. • When using interviews, • Look for interview subjects with interesting things to say and interesting ways to say them. • Interviews may uncover anecdotes that personalize the topic.

11. Using Quotations • Best practices for using quotations include: • Use quotations selectively. • Blend quotations into your own sentences. • Work with the quote beyond simply paraphrasing it. • Always attribute the source. • Quotations must be accurate and must accurately represent the intent of the author(s). • Direct quotations should be reserved for cases in which you cannot express the ideas better yourself. • Use quotations when the original words are especially precise, clear, powerful, or vivid.

12. Using Quotations Sometimes you need to add to or subtract from a quotation to blend it into the paper. • Use ellipsis to indicate what is left out of a quotation. • Use brackets to indicate what is added to a quotation. • Make sure it the quotation accurately represents the author’s intent.

13. Methods for Including Quotations Include quotations by: • Grafting Quotes • Sandwiching Quotes • Billboarding Quotes • Splicing Quotes

14. Long Quotations Long quotations should generally be avoided. When it is necessary to include a quotation longer than four lines: • Block the quotation by indenting an inch from the left margin. • Maintain the double-spacing used in the rest of the paper.

15. Getting Through the First Draft • When generating the first draft, • Focus on your tentative thesis and your research question. • Write from your notes and outline. • Keep your audience in mind. • Vary your sources. • Be open to surprises. • The most important part of getting through the first draft is to: Keep Writing!