Chapter 8


Avoid citing your sources as the final
pronouncement on or “answers” to the issues
you discuss.
Before consulting secondary sources,
formulate your own position on your topic.

Then use the following strategies to help you
start “a conversation” with your sources
(199):


Analyze all quotes, paraphrases or
summaries. They should never stand alone.
Your reference does not speak for itself. You
must explain your reading of the inserted
material and how it relates to your argument.


Explain the connection because it is NOT self
evident.
For an example, see pages 203-4.


You need “to do something” with your
sources, even when you think the sources say
everything you want to say (204).
Highlight the issues and questions implicitly
suggested by your source.


Not all issues have answers, so sometimes,
just highlighting a position and its
consequences is enough.
For an example, see page 205.

You might take two sources with differing
perspectives and construct a conversation
between them:
◦ What does source A say about a topic?
◦ How would source B respond to such an argument?


Discuss what point or conclusion you wish to
draw from the conversation/comparison.
For an example, see pages 209-10.

If you agree with a source and cannot critique
or analyze it objectively, there are two ways
to proceed:
◦ Apply the source in another context to develop its
implications outside its immediate focus or
concern(s).
◦ Research new/other perspective(s) on the source
and then mediate the conversation between the two
(Strategy 3).


When mediating a conversation between two
sources, be sure to integrate your analysis of
them as you present their views.
In this way, you can explain and show how
the sources fit into your analysis of your
topic.

NB: Clearly distinguish your voice from your
sources.


Quote a source only when the language in the
quote is the focus of your analysis.
In other words, quote when how something is
said is the focus of your discussion.


Paraphrasing is the first step in analyzing a
source because it requires that you begin to
breakdown its meaning.
Therefore, paraphrase your source(s) when
possible.
Rosenwasser, David, Doug Babington, and Jill
Stephen. Writing Analytically with Readings.
Nelson Education, 2012.