Putting it together: Using Citations

• Don’t just toss a quote into something.

• You want your paper to have a sense of flow. “The building blocks of a good presentation center around using language for efficient, natural communication.” By just throwing a quote in the middle of your sentence, you’re going to confuse your reader (Some 50).

The “Formula”

1.Lead in (Introduction – not your topic sentence)

2.Citation (The thing in quotations – or something you’ve paraphrased)

3.Connection (How does it relate to this paragraph? What about your thesis?)

The Lead In!

• A brief introductory statement that lets the reader know what’s coming:

• According to Some Lady, “Blah blah blah blah blah, stuff” (21).

• Some Guy notes that “quotes can really strengthen your essay.” (25).

• In 2013, the emergence of crowdfuding completely “destroyed the traditional investment mindset” (Rich 567).

The Citation!

• Quotes, paraphrases, etc. only strengthen your essay when they are relevant.

• Likewise, they shouldn’t dominate your paper

• 3:1 Ratio (Original work/cited work)

• You are a curator of IDEAS. Not just your ideas, and not just the ideas of others.

Discussion/The Connection!

• The discussion “explains” the importance of the quote inside the context of your paper.

• In 2013, the emergence of crowdfuding completely “destroyed the traditional investment mindset” (Rich 567). Chamber Rich’s article notes how independent tech startups are no longer relying on just large investors to bankroll their projects. This has created a fundamental change in the tech industry, allowing projects to be driven directly by the needs of the community.

Now do it!

• Use your thesis and the research you brought in.

• Example thesis: “Pharmaceutical corporations are directly responsible for the spread of methamphetamine addiction in the United States.”

• According to Engle, this new method of methamphetamine production “took a toxic and volatile process that had once been the province of people with a Breaking Bad-style knowledge of chemistry and put it in the bedrooms and kitchens of rural America” (Engle). This revolution in methamphetamine production greatly increased the appeal of the drug, as all of the materials could be purchased at any supermarket. Despite this, pharmaceutical companies refused to alter the ingredients of their cough syrup.