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or problematic. Then locate a corresponding passage from the primary source to which the sentence from the first passage can be connected in some way. Copy both passages at the top of the page, and then write for 20 minutes. You should probably include paraphrases of key phrases in both—not just the primary text—but your primary goal is to think about the two together, to allow them to interact.

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Chapter 14

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Finding, Citing, and Integrating Sources

THIS CHAPTER SHIFTS ATTENTIONS to more technical matters associated with writing the researched paper. More than just mechanically gathering information, research continues to be a primary means of discovering the ongoing conflicts about a subject and having ideas about it. Engaging the information sparks thinking—not just arranging.

THIS CHAPTER IS DIVIDED INTO FIVE SECTIONS

A. Research Methods

B. Plagiarism and the Logic of Citation

C. Citing Sources: Four Documentation Styles

D. Integrating Quotations Into Your Paper

E. Preparing an Abstract

The core of this chapter is a discussion of research methods written by a reference librarian at our college, Kelly Cannon. It offers a wealth of insider’s tips for making more productive use of your research time.

A. A Guided Tour of Research Methods by Reference Librarian Kelly Cannon

THREE RULES OF THUMB FOR GETTING STARTED

A half-hour spent with a reference librarian can save you half a day wandering randomly through the stacks selecting sources.

Start your research in the present and work backward. Usually the most current materials include bibliographical citations that can help you identify the most important sources in the past. Along the same lines, you are usually better off starting with journal articles rather than books because articles are more current.

Consistently evaluate the reliability of the source, looking for its potential bias or agenda. Evidence is always qualified by how it is framed. For example, Newsweek can be a useful source if you want evidence about popular understanding of a subject or issue. The fact that the material comes from Newsweek and thus represents a position aimed at a mainstream, nonacademic audience provides the central reason for citing it.

The challenge of doing research in the Information Age is that there is so much information available. How do you know which information is considered authoritative in a particular discipline and which isn’t? How can you avoid wasting time with source materials that have been effectively refuted and replaced by subsequent thinking? A short answer to these questions is that you should start in the reference room of your library or with its electronic equivalent. Many if not all of the resources listed below are now available online through your college library website. Your reference librarian can advise you on availability.

Start with Indexes, Specialized Dictionaries, Abstracts, and Bibliographies

These reference sources can rapidly provide you with both a broad perspective on your subject and a summary of what particular sources contain. An index offers a list of titles directing you to scholarly journals; often this list is sufficient to give you a clearer idea of the kinds of topics about which writers in the field are conversing. Compilations of abstracts and annotated bibliographies provide more information—anywhere from a few sentences to a few pages that summarize each source. (See the section at the end of this chapter on abstracts and how to write them.)

Here are a few of the most commonly used indexes, bibliographies, and abstracts:

Art Abstracts

Business Source Elite

ERIC (Education)

MLA (Modern Language Association)

PubMed

SocAbs

Specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias are sometimes extraordinarily useful in sketching the general terrain for a subject, and they often include bibliographical leads as well. Here are some titles, ranging from the expected to the eccentric:

Dictionary of the History of Ideas

Dictionary of Literary Biography

Encyclopedia of American