Documentation Information & Guidelines.
Document all source material (except information understood as common knowledge). All
quoted, summarize, and paragraphed information, including facts, ideas, opinions, statistics,
graphs, and charts, should be documented with in-text parenthetical information and a source
listed on the Works Cited page. See page 90 of The Little Seagull Handbook.
Understand the definition of common knowledge. Common knowledge refers to information,
including dates, facts, and events, that many or most people would commonly know. Common
knowledge includes shared or commonly understood information and ideas within a discipline,
such as Freud’s concepts of Id, Ego, and Superego in psychology. See pages 90-91 of The Little
Seagull Handbook
Decide whether you should paraphrase, summarize, or quote your source material. A
summary captures the essence of a source, often in one or two lines, while a paraphrased passage
includes all the important information and ideas—all in your own words and in the order
presented in the original source. While paraphrasing may be preferable for some disciplines, you
should use a combination of paraphrased and quoted passages in your writing for this course.
Note: Use the following criteria, from The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers, when you
paraphrase passages:



The paraphrase reflects the structure of the original piece.
The paraphrase reflects the ideas of the original author, not your reflection on them.
The material is entirely in your own words—except for clearly marked quotations.
(618)
Learn when to use the short or long quote format. Paraphrasing passages may help you
integrate the source material into your discussion in a more seamless way. When appropriate,
however, include quoted material, using following guidelines. See pages 83-85 of The Little
Seagull Handbook.
Quoting shorter passages: For quoted passages four typed lines or less (or forty words for
APA), place quotation marks around the source material and integrate it into your discussion
(or paragraph). Note in the “signal phrase” paragraph below that parenthetical information
and a period follow the quoted passage.
Quoting longer passages: for direct quotes longer than four typed lines (or forty words for
APA), the passage should be separated from your text (or discussion) and indented one inch
or about 10 spaces (5 for APA). Note that you do not use quotation marks around longer
quotes and that the parenthetical information follows the period, as the example on page 84
illustrates.
Over
Learn how to embed sources into your text. Embedding sources requires that you introduce
the source and respond to paraphrased and quoted passages. Developing a repertoire of
“template” phrases will help you build this skill. See pages 87-88 of The Little Seagull
Handbook.
Introducing source material: Introduce sources using the following kinds of phrases. Check
the handout for additional models/examples.


Steve Smith states (argues, believes, maintains) that “all Americans . . . . . . .” (29).
According to Steve Smith, “all Americans . . . . . . . . . . . . . “ (29).
Responding to source material: After you quote or paraphrase a passage, you commonly
include a phrase that signals your reaction or response to the material. Check the handout for
additional models/example.


Smith’s argument (findings, results) has important implications for Americans . . . . . .
In other words, Smith believes that most American . . . . . . . .
Acknowledge your sources using in-text notes. You can use either parenthetical citations or
signal phrases—often a combination of both—to acknowledge sources. For additional
information about in-text notes, including how to cite a text written by several authors, see pages
96-102 of The Little Seagull Handbook.
Parenthetical citations: Include the last name of the author(s) along with the page
number(s). For example: (Jones 89-90). Do not include a period between the name and the
page number.
Signal phrases: Introduce the source information—or some of the source information—as
part of the sentence. For example: In Deadly Persuasion: Why Women and Girls Must Fight
the Addictive Power of Advertising, author Jean Kilbourne maintains that advertisements
often “take advantage of the insecurities and anxieties of young people” (129). Note that the
example includes both a parenthetical citation and a signal phrase.
Develop a Works Cited page. Include all cited references on a “Works Cited” page. The Little
Seagull Handbook includes a sample “Works Cited” page and guidelines for writing one (132135). In addition, use the handbook as a reference so you can accurately identify your sources
according to MLA model type (e.g., a book, an online article, a Web page, a journal article). See
pages 93-129 of The Little Seagull Handbook.
NOTE: Important details for citing 1) books—page 104; 2) periodicals—page 112; 3) online
sources—pages 116-117.