Bookmarks: A Guide To Research and Writing (Ruskiewicz, Walker and Pemberton) Chapter 14, 16
Chapter 14
Quoting sources is an art form that takes time and continued practice to do well.There are a number of reasons to use the direct citation of a source rather than summarizing or paraphrasing.
Note: One shouldn't use quotes to avoid putting ideas in your own words. A direct quotation is not a crutch to lean on. If you find that your paper is becoming a patchwork of quotes, then you are probably using quoted material too much.
The quoted material should not dwarf the surrounding context. In other words, your introductory and following comments should be equal in size to the quoted material—If your quote runs 6 lines, then your commentary should be roughly as long.
An introductory frame should be used to set-up quoted material. This frame should endeavor to use the name of the person who is responsible for the quote and any important identifying information about that person. Use verbs of attribution to dress up the "kind" of comment that the quotation is. [One must use these verbs of attribution appropriately according to the context.]
| accept | argue | emphasize | reveal |
| add | believe | insist | say |
| admit | confirm | mention | state |
| affirm | deny | posit | think |
| allege | disagree | propose | verify |
Similarly, a direct quotation should have some analysis or explanation about the relevance or the validity of the quoted material. Don't assume that just because the quoted material is present that a reader will understand the connection you are making or the logic behind its inclusion. I short, be explicit about the quotation's importance.
Tailoring quotations to fit in a sentence often requires some juggling. Always make sure that your wording is correct and that the information you have used is understandable within the sentence and that it accurately reflects the author's intentions. Do not mislead by quoting imprecisely.
However, there are times when an entire passage from a text is not required in order to make the point you are trying to make. In this case, and ellipsis ( . . .) may be used to illustrate that there is intervening text in the original which is not relevant to the main point being made with the direct quotation.
Along these lines, sometimes additional information needs to be added (usually to make the quotation fit more smoothly within the context of the sentence or to clarify terms) which does not appear in the original. Put brackets around any information that you are adding which does not appear exactly as the original. This includes altered verb constructions as well as additional words.
Other sites for using quotations within texts.My MLA site. My APA site.
Chapter 16
Refining your claim—The main claim or thesis should suffer from an inferiority complex: it should always be trying to prove something. Often the main claim or thesis will need to be revised as one continues with the research project. It will need to be adapted to the information that is found and revised throughout the process. It should aim to use the most specific language possible and narrow the area to be discussed as much as possible.
However, before the revisions ensue, one must understand the purpose of the paper. This "point" that you are making is the driving force for the paper, and all the information in the paper should be reflected in the main claim or thesis.
Also, one should consider if the paper is pursuing material about which there is some contentiousness. There is nothing more debilitating for a paper than to rehearse information that is more or less commonly agreed upon. This is why it is sometimes best to look for information that can be problematized and that has been framed by already well-established and well-defined sides of an issue.
Other sites for developing a thesis:
July 2004" Bottom-up generated" topics