USING RESOURCES IN
YOUR WRITING: APA
Megan Lowe, Coordinator of Public Services
Session Overview
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Quotations and Quoting: APA
Paraphrasing
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing
Incorporating Information into Your Writing
Authority & Introduction
Listing
Q & A Time
Quotations & Quoting
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Quotations are straight from the horse’s mouth –
they are the actual words taken from the text, word
for word, as they appear in the text itself
Quotations can be high impact – the words of an
expert that support your argument carry a lot of
weight
EXPERT
STUFF
Quotations & Quoting
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But including too many quotations is lazy – you’re
letting the research do all of the work
Sometimes too many quotations looks like
plagiarism – you’re using someone else’s ideas as
your arguments, rather than as support
*You* are supposed to be doing the work –
quotations are just tools with which to do the work
Quotations & Quoting
EXPERT
STUFF
Quotations & Quoting: APA Style
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There are several ways to incorporate information
into your paper – two of those ways are quotations
Way #1: direct quotations - include the author’s or
authors’ names in the actual text of the sentence:
Zimbardo (1977) notes that “children are totally
insensitive to their parents’ shyness” (p. 62).
Author’s name in the sentence
So it won’t need to appear in
the in-text citation.
Direction Quotations: APA
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
Direction
do not
for change
Children
arequotations
totally insensitive
to allow
their parents'
shyness;–itais
direct
is, word
for word,
to the
the
rarequotation
child who labels
a parent
shy [...] identical
This is
understandable,
since
are in text
positions of control and
way it appears
in parents
the original
authority in their homes and may not reveal their shy side to
their children. Also, since shyness is viewed as undesirable by
The
original
text
MUST
HAVE
QUOTATION
MARKS
many children, it may be threatening to think of parents in
around
it At this young
these
terms.
age,for
theword
parent
is still
idealized
as
This is word
from the
original
text.
all-knowing and all-powerful - - not dumb, ugly, or weak.
Zimbardo (1977) notes that “children are totally
Zimbardo, Philip G. (1977). Shyness: What it is, what to do
insensitive
to
their
parents’
shyness”
(p.
62).
about it. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Books.
The quotation marks show where the author’s
words begin and end, distinguishing them from
YOUR writing.
Indirect Quotations: APA
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Way #2: indirect quotations - DO NOT include the
author’s or authors’ names in the sentence
But you still have to use quotation marks, and you
can’t make changes to the text
Not the author’s name
Some researchers note that "children are totally
insensitive to their parents' shyness" (Zimbardo,
1977, p.62).
So it’s got to be here
Quotations: In-text Citations, APA
When using the author’s or authors’ names in the sentence that is, a DIRECT quotation – the year the material was
published will be next to the author’s name in the sentence,
and the page numbers (if you have them) will follow the
quotation
Zimbardo (1977) notes that “children are totally insensitive
to their parents’ shyness” (p. 62).
Zimbardo (1977) notes that “children are totally insensitive
to their parents’ shyness” (p. 62), though some authors
disagree.
Quotations: In-text Citations, APA
When NOT using the author’s or authors’ names in the
sentence – that is, an INDIRECT quotation – the author’s or
authors’ names, the date of publication, and the page
number(s), if available, will go after the quotation.
Some researchers note that "children are totally insensitive
to their parents' shyness" (Zimbardo, 1977, p.62).
Some researchers note that "children are totally insensitive
to their parents' shyness" (Zimbardo, 1977, p.62), but
other authors disagree.
Paraphrasing
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A third way you can incorporate information
into your writing is to paraphrase
Paraphrasing is the act of taking information
from a text and either
Summarizing it – taking a whole paragraph’s worth of
information and boiling it down to a few sentences, or
 Rewording it - demonstrating your understanding of the
information by putting it into your own words, in such a way
that is significantly different from the original text
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Paraphrasing: Summary
ORIGINAL TEXT – TOO LONG TO QUOTE
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The paragraph you’re about to see is very long, too
long to are
quote
effectively
Children
totally
insensitive to their parents' shyness; it is
the rare
child who
a parent
shy–[...]
This isTO USE
SUMMARY
OFlabels
ORIGINAL
TEXT
EASIER
 understandable,
One of your options
is to summarize
the of
paragraph
since parents
are in positions
control andin
your
ownin words,
reducing
it from
this…
authority
their
homes
may
not
reveal
theirhome,
shy side to
Because
parents
are and
authority
figures
in the
their
children.
shyness aware
is viewed
as undesirable
children
areAlso,
not since
immediately
of their
parents’ by
 To this…
many
children,
it may
be threatening
think of to
parents
shyness;
it may
be too
scary for thetochildren
think in
these
At this young
age, terms.
the parent is still idealized as
of terms.
their parents
in negative
 Remember, though, you’ll still have to do an in-text
all-knowing and all-powerful - - not dumb, ugly, or weak.
citation (more on that in a minute)
Zimbardo, Philip G. (1977). Shyness: What it is, what to do
 Summaries do not require quotation marks
about it. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Books.
Paraphrasing: Rewording
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If you aren’t concerned with the length of a section,
or you feel you can’t boil the information down
without losing something important, you have the
option of putting the information in your own words
Make sure the info really is in your own words – if
it’s too close to the original text, it could be
considered plagiarism
Paraphrasing: Rewording
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The result of paraphrasing a paragraph may
produce a paragraph of equal length, and that’s
okay
What’s important is that the information is actually
in your own words and
That you give credit where credit is due
Let’s take a look at an example of rewording
paraphrasing, shall we?
Rewording Paraphrasing
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ORIGINAL
TEXT, AS IS
REWORDED/PARAPHRASE
This is the original text – look at it closely
A parent’s
shynessinsensitive
is not often
perceived
child, and
Children
totally
their
parents'
itare
is
Here
is aareparaphrasing
oftothe
text
– by
theashyness;
ideas
wouldwho
a child
describe
a parent
therarely
rare child
labels
a parent
shy [...] as
Thisbeing
is shy.
retained
(that’s
aare
key
element
of paraphrasing),
but
Because
parents
authority
figures
in
the
home,
that
understandable, since parents are in positions of control and
notice
how
different
the may
wording
shyness
not
manifest,
nor
may
theisparent
authority
inmay
their
homes
and
not reveal
theirbehave
shy side to
bashfully
in Also,
front
oftothe
child.
Moreover,
shyness
is often
their
children.
shyness
is viewed as
undesirable
The
wording
HASsince
be
significantly
different,
orbyit
valued
a negative
by children,
think ofina
many
children,
it may befashion
threatening
to thinksooftoparents
looks
likeinplagiarism
parent
in this
fashion
can
be the
unsettling
The as
these
terms.
At this
young
age,
parenttois the
still child.
idealized
The
more
different
the at
wording
is,ofthe
more
you
child
idolizes
parent
stage
development.
all-knowing
andthe
all-powerful
-this
- not
dumb,
ugly,
or weak.
demonstrate how well you understand the info and
Zimbardo,
G. (1977).
Shyness:
What it is, what to do
are
able Philip
to relay
it to the
audience
about it. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Books.
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing: When?
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Both of these methods of using resources in your writing
have many benefits – so how do you decide when to use
which?
Remember: quoting is usually high impact – it’s good for
emphasis, when you think taking the words out of the horse’s
mouth is the best means of persuasion
Quoting is like a punch: your opponent CANNOT ignore it!
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing: When?
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Paraphrasing is better for condensing a lot of information into
a more manageable amount (like we saw in the summary
example)
It’s also very useful when the information is very technical or the
author’s style is very dry and inaccessible – you can make the
info more easy to consume for your audience
You can also combine authors’ ideas that are similar into one
passage through paraphrasing
Mmmm…info smoothie
Paraphrase: More on Combining Ideas
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Let’s say you have two authors who say similar
things on a topic.
Zimbardo writes:
Children are totally insensitive to their parents' shyness.
Smith writes:
Children are usually unaware when their parents are
shy.
Paraphrase: More on Combining Ideas
These two passages of information can be blended
together (mmmm….info smoothie) to keep your
information concise and to prevent unnecessary
repetition. So, a paraphrase of their information
blended together would look like this:
Some researchers note that children are often ignorant
with regard to their parents’ shyness (Zimbardo, 1977;
Smith, 1989).
Incorporating Information into Your Writing
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It’s NOT recommended that you just put quotations
in your writing without some kind of preamble or
introduction or explanation
A good rule of thumb is that every sentence in your
writing should contain something you wrote, no
matter what
Transitions are important, particularly between your
writing and thoughts, and the quotations
Incorporating Quotations into Your Writing
That Zimbardo quotation we’ve looked is a good
example of an incorporated quotation, both in the
direct and indirect style. Let’s look at them again.
Zimbardo (1977) notes that “children are totally
insensitive to their parents’ shyness” (p. 62).
Some researchers note that "children are totally
insensitive to their parents' shyness" (Zimbardo,
1977, p.62). Preamble/introduction/transition – it’s
simple, but it works. Things flow better!
Incorporating Quotations into Your Writing
And it’s not necessary for every quotation to end the
sentence – let’s look at the variants on the Zimbardo
quotations again.
Zimbardo (1977) notes that “children are totally
insensitive to their parents’ shyness” (p. 62), though
some authors disagree.
Some researchers note that "children are totally
insensitive to their parents' shyness" (Zimbardo, 1977,
p.62), but other authors disagree.
Incorporating Paraphrases into Your Writing
Since paraphrases contain your words plus in-text
citations, the presence of preambles, introductions,
and/or presentations is assumed.
Some researchers note that children are often ignorant
with regard to their parents’ shyness (Zimbardo,
1977; Smith, 1989).
Some researchers note that children are often ignorant
with regard to their parents’ shyness (Zimbardo,
1977; Smith, 1989), but there are exceptions.
Authority & Introduction: People
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When using an author’s name in a report or research
paper, it is recommended that you use the author’s full
name, with titles, the first time s/he appears in the
text.
Dr. Phillip Zimbardo (1977) notes that children are
often unaware of their parents’ shyness.
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Subsequent references to the author utilize the
author’s last name only.
Authority & Introduction: People
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By using the author’s full name with titles, you
establish their authority and signal to the reader
that this person has expertise
It’s recommended that you briefly describe why the
reader should care about the author’s expertise –
you can mention the author’s affiliation(s),
accomplishments, and/or area of expertise – think
of it as an introduction
Authority & Introduction: Example
Dr. Phillip Zimbardo, a professor emeritus of
psychology at Stanford University, has studied shyness
for several years. Zimbardo (1977) has observed that
children are often unaware of their parents’ shyness
(p. 62).
Authority & Introduction: Example
Dr. Katherine Ramsland, author of several books on
crime and a forensic psychologist, has studied criminal
behavior. Ramsland (2010), writing on dissociative
identity disorder (commonly called multiple
personality disorder), has observed that “there is
probably no greater divide in the professional world
than that regarding the authenticity and diagnosis of
this disorder” (“Multiple personalities”).
Authority & Introduction: Things
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Details, facts, statistics – information in general –
also need something to establish their authority – or,
at least, their origin
When incorporating information into your paper,
the introduction functions both as a means of
establishing authority (or origin) AND as a means of
transition
Authority & Introduction: Examples
One research study focusing on student research
habits found that students tended to use Google
more than the Library’s resources when conducting
research (Lowe, 2008).
While studying shyness, one researcher discovered
that children are often “totally insensitive to their
parents’ shyness” (Zimbardo, 1977, p. 62).
Authority & Introduction: Examples
One area where shyness may not have a significant
impact in an adult’s life is in the family dynamic. Being
in positions of authority, parents are not often
perceived by their children as being bashful (Zimbardo,
1977).
Students often utilize counterproductive research habits.
They admit to consulting Google rather than library
resources (Lowe, 2008).
Listing
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Listing is another way you can incorporate and
present information in a report or essay
Lists can emphatically highlight small bits of
information
They can also help you condense or blend
information for a “quick facts” presentation
Listing
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If you are quoting information, directly or indirectly,
it is best to leave it in its original form
Listing will work well if you’re paraphrasing, since
this can help present difficult information in a more
easily consumed format
It works well when combining information, too,
especially when pulling from different sources
Listing: Example
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Remember this passage?
Paraphrase Text in List Form
ORIGINAL TEXT
Children
will not necessarily
perceive
Also,
since
shyness
is
viewed
as
undesirable
by
many
children,
 If you want to list how children view their parents as
that their
parentsin are
shy.
According
it may
be
threatening
to
think
of
parents
these
terms.
At
this
a direct quotation, toleave
the
text
in
a
prose
form
they seeand
the allyoung age, the parent is stillZimbardo
idealized(1977)
as all-knowing
parents
as being:
powerful - - not dumb, ugly,
or weak.
If you want to paraphrase
and list them individually,
•
omniscient
Zimbardo,
Philip –G.it(1977).
Shyness:
What
it is, what to do
that’s okay
might
look
like
this
• omnipotent

about it. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Books.
• intelligent
• attractive
• strong
Listing: Example
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If Zimbardo
writes(Zimbardo,
that children
their
parents as
Researchers
1977;see
Smith,
2010)
being “all-knowing
and all-powerful
- - not
dumb,
indicate that children
view their parents
in the
ugly, orfollowing
weak” ways:
• omniscient
And Smith
writes that children view parents as
• omnipotent
being “stabilizing
entities, protective entities, and
• intelligent
boundary-establishing
authorities”
• attractive
• strong
These two
sources could be paraphrased
• stabilizers
• defenders
combined
and listed like this
• limit-makers
then
Questions?
Using Resources in APA: Resources
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Presentation URL
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http://www.ulm.edu/~lowe/usingresourcesapa.ppt
OWL @ Purdue: APA Style
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
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Son of Citation Machine Citation Maker
http://citationmachine.net/
My Contact Info
http://www.ulm.edu/~lowe
 lowe@ulm.edu
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THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Remember, if you need help, you can:
• Call the Reference Desk at 318.342.1071
• Email the Reference Department – reference@ulm.edu
• Visit the Reference Desk on the first floor of the Library
Megan Lowe, Coordinator of Public Services