Why Is It Important To Use Outside Sources In An Essay?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Source material helps you establish your credibility in several ways. When you include outside sources in your writing it indicates to your reader that you are basing your opinions on more than a personal, surface knowledge of the subject .

How are outside sources helpful?

Using Outside Sources. In academic research, writers find ideas and inspiration in the work of others who have previously studied and written on a subject . When a writer uses the words and ideas of others, honesty obligates the writer to acknowledge the sources of those words and ideas.

What is the purpose of using sources in an essay?

Sources should be used to enhance and support the author’s idea or argument , meaning they need to be integrated into the paper. It can be difficult to work sources into the paper smoothly.

How do you use outside sources in an essay?

Throughout the body of your paper (primarily the Intro and Discussion), whenever you refer to outside sources of information, you must cite the sources from which you drew information. The simplest way to do this is to parenthetically give the author’s last name and the year of publication , e.g., (Clarke 2001).

Why is sourcing important in writing?

Using sources in research papers strengthens your own voice and argument, but to do so effectively you must understand your sources and vet their reliability. When researching, it is important to determine the position and the reliability of every source/author.

What does outside sources mean?

When you include outside sources in your writing it indicates to your reader that you are basing your opinions on more than a personal, surface knowledge of the subject .

How do you find outside sources?

  1. Start with a simple search. ...
  2. Avoid Wikipedia. ...
  3. Use online scholarly databases such as InfoTrac, LexisNexis, and EBSCO, which provide access to the latest research in hundreds of areas.
  4. Newspapers and magazines are also rich sources of information about what is happening now.

How do you use sources in an essay?

There are three main ways to put a source to use in your essay: you can quote it, you can summarize it, and you can paraphrase it.

What is sources in a essay?

A source is the place where you gained information used in your writing . A source can be a printed document, an online document, a speech, a quote or even a television or radio program. The best sources are those in which your reader can go back and verify for themselves the information you utilized.

What are the benefits of citing sources?

To show your reader you ‘ve done proper research by listing sources you used to get your information. To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to other researchers and acknowledging their ideas. To avoid plagiarism by quoting words and ideas used by other authors.

Why is it important to accurately credit the author’s of outside sources?

Citing or documenting the sources used in your research serves three purposes: It gives proper credit to the authors of the words or ideas that you incorporated into your paper. ... Citing your sources consistently and accurately helps you avoid committing plagiarism in your writing.

What is an external source in writing?

Remember that when you use external sources, you are borrowing not the words of another writer, but his or her ideas, theories, and opinions . Therefore, even if you summarize or paraphrase a source, be sure to give it full credit. Writers used to have to record this information on separate note cards.

What are the three ways you can include outside information in your writing?

There are three main ways to put a source to use in your essay: you can quote it, you can summarize it, and you can paraphrase it .

What are the 3 sources of information?

This guide will introduce students to three types of resources or sources of information: primary, secondary, and tertiary .

What does it mean to integrate a source?

Source integration is often an essential part of academic writing. By introducing your sources within the text of your paper, you allow your reader to see that you have researched the topic and taken the works of experts in the field into consideration .

Why is it important to use reliable sources?

The importance of using reliable sources truly boils down to effective communication . If your knowledge is based on unreliable information you will not be a trustworthy asset to your company. ... Hence, using credible sources for information will increase your reputation and trustworthiness.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.