A big challenge in the writing process involves using sources effectively. It's easy to quote, and it's truly inviting to dump in a nice juicy block quotation that takes up a bunch of space. It's harder to paraphrase usefully, and it's harder still to summarize accurately. Another challenge arises when we quote too heavily, as we risk obscuring our own ideas and organization. Finally, when we summarize or paraphrase too hastily, we risk a much more serious inspection of our scholarship.

Integrating sources into your paper: this long handout from Piedmont Virginia Community College offers a bunch of useful advice: a checklist for evaluating useful sources, advice on where and how to integrate sources within paragraphs, and a couple of example paragraphs. 

Integrating sources: this UWC-produced video offers advice on summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting.

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing: this resource from the UAGC Writing Center outlines college expectations, tips, and the ICE method for effective source integration. 

Quoting effectively: this UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Center handout offers an in-depth guide on when to quote, how much to quote, how to integrate quotations, navigating other punctuation marks, and more. 

Summarizing effectively: this guide, also from the UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Center, helps writers recognize when they’re summarizing and how to avoid overly summarizing. 

Integrating Sources: Citation Styles

The following resources from Rollins College outline how to format citations for papers in MLA and APA:

• Integrating Source Material in MLA Format: this handy PDF covers the basics of creating in-text citations in MLA format, complete with a full example.
• Formatting a Paper in MLA: this PDF includes illustrated step-by-step instructions on how to format MLA papers in Microsoft Word.
• Integrating Source Material in APA: this APA guide outlines how to format in-text citations, create citations from works with various types of authors, and properly credit authors when paraphrasing or quoting directly.  

For AP concerns, visit the AP Stylebook website. Two relevant resources include a page on quoting and crediting sources. For the Chicago Manual of Style and Turabian, there is the Turabian citation quick guide, the CMOS citation quick guide, and the CMOS website. 

Additional Resources

Check out our Research Strategies page before clicking on the JMU Libraries' "Ask the Library" website to chat online with a JMU Librarian.