Using Marker Feedback to Improve Your Written Work:
Using Sources and a Reasoned Argument
This workshop will:
− Introduce the two types of sources and the process of choosing sources
− Provide a basic overview of how to use quotations, paraphrases and
summaries in your written work
− Explain what a reasoned argument is and how to develop one
Teaching points:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Reasons for using sources
Categories and types of sources
Choosing which source to use
Basics of quoting, paraphrasing and summarising
What a reasoned argument is
Taking a position
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1. Reasons for using sources
Tutors and assessors are looking for a number of aspects concerning sources when
reading and marking your assignments. They want to see that you have read…
A. a sufficient number of sources for you to obtain a depth of knowledge on a
particular subject, and not just those on the reading list
B. different types of sources
C. a wide range of sources both specifically related to and around the topic
under consideration
Not only that, they want you to use your sources effectively by supporting your
arguments with examples and evidence. Not meeting these criteria will lead to
feedback such as:
‘Your reading for this assignment was limited’
So, it is vital you are aware of how to identify relevant and credible sources, and
which types of sources to use for what purposes. But why bother? What is the point
of sources? Research sources…
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maximise the impact of your writing.
convince a reader your opinion, tool, method or finding has a factual
and/or expert basis.
shows your reader you have the skills to identify suitable sources, you
have read suitable material for your subject and that you understand the
ideas and concepts in those sources
2. Categories and types of sources
There are two main categories of sources: primary and secondary sources. The table
below highlights the basic difference them.
Primary sources
This is evidence that comes directly from
the people involved in the event or
phenomenon in question.
Secondary sources
This includes material produced about
the event or phenomenon, including the
commentary or interpretation of others.
Types of primary sources would be theories, models, ideas, interpretations,
definitions and practices described and presented by the originator of that theory
possible in a journal article.
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In secondary sources, writers would comment on or interpret that theory,
model, etc. in publications such as reference books.
Together, can we identify one more type of source for a
primary source and a secondary source?
Primary source:
Secondary source:
Activity 1: Primary and secondary sources
With a neighbour or in a small group, identify three more types of primary and
secondary sources. Jot down your ideas in the same below.
Primary
Secondary
A.
B.
C.
3. Choosing which source to use
There is a three stage process to choosing your sources:
 The expertise of the author:
- are they well-known in their field,
- do your tutors and other researchers refer to him/her
- what qualifications and experience does her/her have

The credibility of the source:
- are sources within the source referenced appropriately and is there a
broad coverage to the bibliography
- is all relevant and contextual information provided
- is the information still valid today

Relevance of evidence:
- if the first two are covered, you can then make this your final criterion for
choosing the source.
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This three stage process is represented in the graphic below:
Expertise of author
Credibility of source
Choice
made
Relevance of evidence
Your Subject Librarian will be able to assist you with searches for relevant sources
and how to search the University’s and external databases.
4. Basics of quoting, paraphrasing and summarising
Once you have selected your sources, you have to choose the best way to use them
in your written work. Your tutor or marker will want to see your breadth of reading,
knowledge of your subject, and understanding of how to best apply that knowledge
on the page. Quotations, paraphrasing or summarising in a written assignment can
be used for particular purposes:
Use quotations when…
 the specific words are crucial to your point
 you make a very specific point, especially about an individual or his/her
views
 you analyse or challenge the view expressed in the quote
 you need strong support/authority to your own point
 adding impact to an introduction/ conclusion
Use paraphrasing when…
 the wording of the source is less important than the meaning of the
source
 you change the organization of ideas for emphasis but remain faithful to the
meaning of the source
 simplifying complex arguments, sentences, or vocabulary.
 clarifying technical passages or specialized information
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Use summarising when…
 the wording of the source is less important than the meaning of the
source
 providing a brief overview of a text, e.g. a book in one sentence, or in
several paragraphs, depending on your writing situation and audience
 condensing the material to draw out the points that relate to your paper
 omitting extra information from the source material to focus on the author’s
main point/s
 simplifying complex arguments, sentences, or vocabulary in the source
material
**Note: when you decide to paraphrase or summarize, avoid keeping the same
structure of ideas and/or sentence structure. Also avoid just changing some of the
words. Be careful not to add your ideas into the paraphrase or summary.
The above section is adapted from University Houston-Victoria (2014)
An example of a quotation would be:
According to Roger Sipher, a solution to the perceived crisis of American education is
to ‘abolish compulsory-attendance laws and allow only those who are committed to
getting an education to attend’ (31).
Let’s paraphrase the following conclusion into one sentence
together using the space below:
‘Schools should be for education. At present, they are only
tangentially so. They have attempted to serve an all-encompassing
social function, trying to be all things to all people. In the process
they have failed miserably at what they were originally formed to
accomplish.’
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Activity 2: Summarising
Read the text below on American education and, in pairs, develop a summary of
approximately 80 words (the original has 402). Use the space below.
One reason for the current education crisis in America is that
present mandatory-attendance laws force many to attend school
who have no wish to be there. Such children have little desire to
learn and are so antagonistic to school that neither they nor more
highly motivated students receive the quality education that is the
birthright of every American. The solution to this problem is
simple: abolish compulsory-attendance laws and allow only those
who are committed to getting an education to attend.
Ask high school teachers if recalcitrant students learn anything of
value. Quite the contrary, these students know they will be passed
from grade to grade until they are old enough to quit or until, as is
more likely, they receive a high school diploma. At the point when
students could legally quit, most choose to remain since they know
they are likely to be allowed to graduate whether they do
acceptable work or not.
Abolition of archaic attendance laws would produce enormous
dividends. First, it would alert everyone that school is a serious
place where one goes to learn. Schools are neither day-care
centres nor indoor street corners. Young people who resist learning
should stay away; indeed, an end to compulsory schooling would
require them to stay away.
Also, students opposed to learning would not be able to pollute the
educational atmosphere for those who want to learn. Teachers
could stop policing recalcitrant students and start educating.
In addition, grades would show what they are supposed to: how
well a student is learning. Parents could again read report cards
and know if their children were making progress.
Fourthly, public esteem for schools would increase. People would
stop regarding them as way stations for adolescents and start
thinking of them as institutions for educating America's youth.
Continues overleaf
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Next, elementary schools would change because students would
find out early they had better learn something or risk flunking out
later. Elementary teachers would no longer have to pass their
failures on to junior high and high school.
Finally, the cost of enforcing compulsory education would be
eliminated. Despite enforcement efforts, nearly 15 percent of the
school-age children in our largest cities are almost permanently
absent from school. Communities could use these savings to
support institutions to deal with young people not in school. If, in
the long run, these institutions prove more costly, at least we
would not confuse their mission with that of schools.
Extensively adapted from Sipher (1977)
There are many techniques that may help you to summarise but one of the oldest
and easiest is to highlight words in the text, using different colours for different
types for words. The colours below are suggestions…
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Nouns (green): these are ‘things’ likely to be used in your summary because it
is what the author/s are writing about.
Verbs (pink): these are useful although difficult forms may be swapped for
something simple or concise.
Adverbs and adjectives words or phrases (orange): these are usually of no
use and so can be disregarded.
5. What a reasoned argument is
Many students receive the following feedback after submitting their first few written
assignments:
‘your work is more descriptive than critical’
‘there is not enough depth’
‘you need more analysis’
‘you’ve included too much description’
‘you did not apply much critical thinking;
need to use more critical analysis or thinking’
When you see terms such as ‘critical’, ‘depth’, ‘analysis’ and ‘critical thinking’,
do not panic
What is it that tutors and markers want to see you do more of in your written work?
They want you to give a reasoned argument relating to the task or questions they
have set. But what is a ‘reasoned argument’?
A quick overview of the process of developing an argument and its components is…
A. A claim is when you say ‘x is the case’
B. An inference is when one claim is used to claim something else
C. An argument consists of many inferences and claims supporting a particular
stance
D. A reasoned argument involves using critical analysis and evidence (sources
and/or research) to support your point of view.
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Process stage
Claim
claim
Example
Claim
claim
Manchester United has the most successful football
league manager ever in the history of football and so is
the best league football team ever
Claim
claim
Manchester United has won more domestic and
European cups than any other football team and so is
the best European cup winning club ever
Manchester United has won more Premiership football
titles and so is the best Premiership football team ever
Argument
Manchester United is the best team to have played
football ever
Reasoned argument
Manchester United is the best team ever to have played
football (my dad et al)
A short summary of the critical analysis process which starts before writing is…
Engaging analytical thinking by
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Employing critical thinking by
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looking at something (whether tangible
or conceptual) before you start your
reading for your initial impressions
breaking it down into its constituent
parts using analytical thinking of close
observation
asking questions of the origins of
ideas, the assumptions behind the
ideas, and the applicability of the ideas
evidencing your conclusions and
findings from this questioning process.
keeping an open mind about the
application of this knowledge to
address a problem or answer a
question
Critical analysis is not a linear process as you answers raise more questions, answer
them, and so on.
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6. Taking a position
You may have an immediate reaction to a question, take a fixed stance, read around
and in your subject and submit your assignment having maintained your opinion OR
you may not have an opinion, read in and around the topic and then come to a
decision.
Whichever it is, there are six different ways of responding to any argument, theory,
practice or concept. You can:
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Agree with it and present supporting evidence of your position
Reject or disagree with it and use supporting evidence of your opinion
Concede it has merits but it needs qualifying in certain respects (state what
these are)
Propose a new opinion and present supporting evidence of your opinion
Reconcile two seemingly different (and/or opposite) stances by looking at
them from a new angle
Connect or synthesise various different ideas to develop a new approach
Let’s look at the six ways above with regard to my argument
that: ‘Manchester United is the best team ever to have played football’. Use the
space below for any notes.

Agree:

Reject:

Concede:

Propose:

Reconcile:

Synthesise:
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If you feel you need more support with sources, or incorporating quotations,
paraphrasing and summarising, we run literature review and other workshops on
these subjects. We also run workshops on constructing arguments. Please visit our
website for more details.
References
Sipher, R. (1977) So That Nobody Has to Go to School If They Don't Want To. The
New York Times. 19.12.1977. p. 31. [online] Available at:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/03/ [Accessed 18.9.2014]
University of Houston-Victoria. (2014) Decide when to Quote, Paraphrase &
Summarize. Victoria: University of Houston-Victoria. [online] Available at:
http://www.uhv.edu/StudentSuccessCenter/style/quote.aspx [Accessed 14.8.2014]
Van den Brink-Budgen, R. (2010) Critical Thinking for Students. 4th Ed. Oxford: How
To Books Ltd.
Answers
and Activity 1:
Primary sources:
A. Reports
B. Diaries
C. Original art work
D. Conference papers
Secondary sources:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Information on the Internet (not e-journals)
Newspapers
Magazines
Trade journals
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Paraphrase of Sipher’s conclusion
Roger Sipher concludes his essay by insisting that schools have failed to fulfil their
primary duty of education because they try to fill multiple social functions.
Activity 2: Summary of Sipher’s essay
Roger Sipher makes his case for getting rid of compulsory-attendance laws in
primary and secondary schools with six arguments. These fall into three groups—
first that education is for those who want to learn and by including those that don't
want to learn, everyone suffers. Second, that grades would be reflective of effort
and elementary school teachers wouldn't feel compelled to pass failing students.
Third, that schools would both save money and save face with the elimination of
compulsory-attendance laws.
Let’s look at the six ways above with regard to my argument
that: ‘Manchester United is the best team ever to have played football’. Use the
space below for any notes
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
Agree: Indeed, Manchester United are the best (evidence)
Reject: Disagree, other teams have done well in other areas (evidence)
Concede: Yes they are the best or the top in a number of areas but consider,
x,x,x (evidence)
Propose: Liverpool are the best team (evidence)
Reconcile: ?
Synthesise: ?
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