Library Research Guides: Citing Sources: Writing & Citing

Tips for Writing a Successful Paper with Sources

College-level writing requires you to use sources, either ones read in class or ones you find yourself through research, to enter the scholarly conversation on a topic. The tips below provide some advice on how to enter this conversation. Click the headings to learn more.

Understand the purpose of your paper.

Is your goal to persuade, analyze, report, summarize, etc.?
Does your professor expect you to use readings from the class?
Do you need to find additional outside sources?

Expectations for use of sources can vary significantly from discipline to discipline. If it hasn’t been spelled out in the assignment description, be sure to ask your professor for clarification.

Ask a question and use sources to support your answer.

Start your writing process with a substantive question, ideally one you’re actually curious about. The sources you seek out, then, should answer genuine questions that arise from your initial consideration of your topic or theme. The sources you use should serve to illustrate, extend, demonstrate, and/or inform the argument you’re making rather than make the argument for you. Think of it this way: if you imagine your finished paper as a brick wall, your ideas should be the bricks and your sources should be the mortar—not the other way around.

Flesh out your ideas.

Write a loose pre-draft of the paper built from your own ideas, observations, and questions without using any sources. This pre-draft can help you articulate your ideas so that you can more accurately identify the specific kind of information you need to fill gaps in your knowledge and strengthen your argument.

Use writing to actively engage with your sources.

Whether you are re-reading class texts or conducting outside research, be sure to write down new ideas, questions, and insights as they occur to you. Otherwise, you risk losing sight of or simply forgetting details that might ultimately add substance to your paper.

Consider recording the following:

Evolving ideas on your topic
Lists of questions that have come up
New insights you want to think about or explore more

Recording your thoughts strengthens your voice and clarifies your thinking throughout the writing process by keeping you in conversation with texts you’re exploring.

Select and read your sources with purpose.

Try to avoid selecting and reading sources just because they generally relate to your topic. Rather, think purposefully about what you hope to learn and how you hope the information will support your ideas before you delve into each source.

Some questions to consider:

Are you looking for specific data or facts to back a claim you’re making?
Are you trying to find an example to substantiate a key point in your argument?
Are you reading to gain a better understanding of the cultural or historical moment you’re writing about?
Are you exploring the source to fill a gap in your general knowledge about your topic?

Even if the source you’re considering ends up providing different information than you anticipate, going into your exploration with a stated objective gives you a point of reference that can help you more effectively navigate the material. Ultimately, this practice will help you maintain your focus as you explore new material.

Also keep in mind that while you will use sources to support your ideas, it doesn’t mean that you can ignore sources that contradict your argument. A strong paper will introduce such counterarguments and explain why your argument is superior.

Select your quotes with specific intention.

Don’t add a quote simply because it seems interesting or sounds impressive. When selecting a quote, ask yourself what the passage will allow you to demonstrate or substantiate. Also understand the value of paraphrasing versus quoting:

Quote when	Paraphrase when
The passage is concise and can be used with minimal adjustments The language and/or wording of the passage is important to the point you want to make	The idea you want to use is long, unwieldy, or in disparate passages A quote would interrupt how you are expressing your own ideas Providing information that is not key to your argument

To prevent plagiarism, you must cite both quoted and paraphrased material. If you’re unsure of what needs to be cited in your paper, be sure to seek clarification from your professor.

For more information, see the books mentioned in the Additional Resources box on this page.

Tips for Research Papers

Think about a possible topic throughout the semester

Consider these questions as you are trying to choose a research topic:

What ideas from your classes/readings most draw your attention?
What questions continually pique your interest?
What shifts and patterns have you noticed in your ways of thinking about the course material?
What course assignments or ideas do you want to spend more time thinking about?

Talk to your professor.

When you start to feel that a particular theme for the research paper is taking shape, discuss your ideas with your professor.
As the course progresses, if you don’t feel that a research theme is emerging for you, meet with your professor to get more solid direction on possible topics.

Make research librarians your allies.

Research librarians can help you:

Find the most viable sources
Save you time tracking down relevant material
Insure the quality of the material you use

The more clearly and specifically you can explain your research objectives, the more specific the research librarians can be in directing you to useful resources. But even if you’re still a little fuzzy on your focus, research librarians can help you to navigate the research process in ways you might not anticipate. Check the guide for the subject area of your research or citation question to contact a specific librarian for help, or email askus@wellesley.edu to get in touch with any research librarian.

Acknowledgement

The Wellesley College Research & Instruction Team would like to thank the Williams College library team and Stephanie E. Dunson, Director of the Writing Program at Williams College, for agreeing to let us reuse and share their excellent resources.

Why is citing sources important?

To give credit to ideas that are not your own
To provide support for your argument
To enable your reader to find & read the sources you used
To avoid Honor Code infractions

What's involved in citing correctly?

In most citation styles, two parts are needed:

An in-text citation
Whenever you refer to the work of another person, you must indicate within the text where you got the information. The in-text citation provides a brief reference and points your reader to the complete citation.
A list of works used
The final page of your paper is usually a list of resources you cited or consulted.

Select a citation style to find out more how these two parts are used and displayed in that style.

What needs to be cited?

Exact wording taken from any source, including freely available websites
Paraphrases of passages
Indebtedness to another person for an idea
Use of another student's work
Use of your own previous work

You do not need to cite common knowledge.

Additional Resources

A Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker & Nancy Sommers
Copies are available in Clapp, Science, Art, and Music Libraries.
In addition to guidance on the major citation styles, this manual provides clearly organized guidance on style--writing clearly and grammatically with sources.
Writing with Sources: a guide for students by Gordon Harvey
They Say, I Say: Moves that Matter in Academic Writing
Shows how to frame your arguments in the larger context of what others have said. Includes chapters on writing in the sciences, social sciences, and literature.