Choosing
sources may be the most difficult aspect of an assignment, which is why it
is important to know what your instructor expects in terms of supporting
material. In general, good sources are ones that are current, reliable, relevant
and relatively neutral. Below are some examples of poor choices in source
material:
- A student
is writing about gender bias in AIDS treatment and is quoting a magazine
article from 1990. This is a bad choice because the information in the article
would be hopelessly outdated. While the article could be used for historical
context, the facts in it could not be used to support a contemporary argument
or point.
- A student
is arguing for the legalization of medical marijuana and is quoting High
Times. This is a bad choice because that magazine is devoted to the legalization
of marijuana—it has a clear bias.
- A student
is writing on the dangers of laser eye surgery and is quoting a personal
web site. This is a bad choice because it is a personal opinion/experience
and not any type of factual proof. While it might be used as an illustrative
anecdote, the student would have to authenticate the site—that is, prove
the person is telling the truth (not easy to do with personal web pages).
- A student
is writing on campus date rape and is quoting FBI statistics on rape in the
U. S. This is a bad choice because the source material is too broad—you
cannot correlate an all-inclusive statistic to a specific sub-set of that
statistic. If the FBI broke their statistics down into categories, then the
student could quote from the appropriate category.
- A student
is arguing for F.D.A. acceptance of RU-486 and is quoting surveys conducted
by Planned Parenthood. This is a bad choice because most surveys conducted
by organizations such as this poll their own members, and members of PP would
obviously favor women’s choice in abortion matters. You should view all surveys
with suspicion unless they are conducted by respected groups such as Gallup
or unless you can verify the fairness of the survey (again, not an easy thing
to do).
It is important
that you consider how your source material will be perceived by your audience.
Choose the best sources for your topic, the most current, relevant and reliable
sources you can find. Also, your research is not over once you find
your quota of sources. You should gather at least twice as many sources as
you think you’ll need and then pick the best ones to use.
Finding good sources isn’t the only difficult aspect of the research paper.
You also need to integrate that source material into your essay. Supporting
material is NOT meant to replace your words—it is meant to support your own
assertions and conclusions. Therefore, you can’t simply “drop” quotes and
statistics into your paragraphs and expect them to sound good. Supporting
material must be woven into the fabric of your essay. To successfully
accomplish this, you must make sure you fully understand your supporting
material. Try rephrasing quotes and sections in your own words (paraphrasing)
to make certain you know what they mean. You must also be unfailingly honest
in your use of those sources—you cannot twist the writers’ words to fit your
thesis if that interpretation is not supported in the source.
Whenever you use supporting material, you should try to write at least three
sentences to fully integrate the material into your paper.
- The first
sentence introduces the sub-topic or point the supporting material is going
to back up.
- The second
sentence introduces and cites the supporting material.
- The third
sentence explains the supporting material—why it is relevant, how it connects
with your point or thesis, whether you agree or disagree with it, etc.
Therefore, a body
paragraph should never begin or end with a quote; if you’ve done that, you’re
leaving out a step (the rules change, of course, when you’re dealing with
introductions and conclusions). Remember, your research is backing
up your thesis, so you need to explain to your readers how the sources you
use accomplish that.
Below are two examples of successfully integrated quotes:
- Peer pressure
on young people has received a great deal of attention in the media lately,
but the coverage seems to focus on the effects of peer pressure rather than
how it originates. The arguments of anthropologist Clyde Kluckhorn offer
an improtant clue: "Culture regulates our lives at every turn. From the moment
we are born until we die there is, whether we are conscious of it or not,
constant pressure upon us to follow certain types of behavior that other
men have created for us." Working from Kluckhorn, it is easy to assert that
elementary and high schools are simply a microcosm of the larger society,
with peer pressure reflecting larger society pressures that force people
to conform to a prescribed set of behaviors.
- College professors
continually lament that incoming students show only limited ability to think
critically or creatively. However, according to Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist
Russell Baker, "During formal education, the child learns that life is for
testing. This state lasts twelve years, a period during which the child learns
that success comes from telling testers what they want to hear." With all
those years of indoctrination, is it fair for professors to expect that first-year
college students will suddenly and miraculously be able to think for themselves?
To combat this problem, the emphasis on testing in primary and secondary
education must be supplanted by an emphasis on teaching students to think
on their own.
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