Using sources responsibly
When you write a research report or essay, you use other people’s ideas and words. Doing this well means two things:
- Integrating sources skillfully: choosing when to paraphrase, summarize or quote.
- Crediting sources properly through citation.
Mastering these skills prevents plagiarism and makes your writing more credible.
Three ways to use a source
| Method | What it is | Length | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quotation | exact words in quotation marks | short | when wording is powerful, precise or authoritative |
| Paraphrase | specific passage in your own words | about the same as the original | when details matter but exact words do not |
| Summary | main ideas in your own words | much shorter | when you need the big picture |
All three require citation.
Quoting
Use a quotation when:
– the author’s exact words are memorable or powerful,
– the precise wording matters (a definition, a law, a claim you will analyze),
– you are analyzing language (in literary essays).
How to quote well
- Keep quotes short. Use only the essential phrase.
- Introduce them with a signal phrase: According to marine biologist Dr. Lee, …
- Blend them into your own sentence: Dr. Lee warns that coral reefs are “nearing a tipping point” (Lee 14).
- Explain them. Never leave a quote without commentary.
- Use ellipses (…) to omit words, and brackets [ ] to add clarifying words, without changing meaning.
Paraphrasing
To paraphrase, restate a specific passage in your own words and your own sentence structure.
Steps
- Read the passage until you understand it fully.
- Cover it.
- Write the idea in your own words.
- Compare with the original: Did you keep the meaning? Did you avoid copying phrases and structure?
- Add a citation.
Example
Original: “Because sea ice forms the platform from which polar bears hunt seals, its early melting forces the bears ashore, where food is scarce.”
Patchwriting (plagiarism): Since sea ice is the platform polar bears use to hunt seals, early melting forces them ashore where there is little food.
This is patchwriting: the structure and many phrases are copied.
Good paraphrase: Polar bears depend on sea ice to catch seals, so when the ice melts sooner in the year, they are stranded on land with little to eat (Morgan 33).
Summarizing
To summarize, condense the main ideas of a whole source or long passage.
Steps
- Identify the main idea and key supporting points.
- Leave out examples, minor details and repetition.
- Write in your own words, much more briefly.
- Stay objective (no opinions).
- Cite the source.
Example: Morgan explains that warming temperatures are shrinking Arctic sea ice, which threatens polar bears’ ability to hunt and may reduce their population significantly by mid-century (Morgan 30 to 35).
Citing sources: MLA basics
Many English classes use MLA style.
In-text citations
An in-text citation appears in parentheses, usually with the author’s last name and page number:
- (Morgan 33)
- If you name the author in your sentence: Morgan argues that … (33).
- No author: use a short title: (“Arctic Ice Report”)
- No page numbers (websites): author only: (Morgan)
Place the citation before the period: … with little to eat (Morgan 33).
Works cited
At the end, include a works cited page listing every cited source alphabetically by author’s last name.
(The sources below are made-up samples to show the format.)
Book:
Morgan, Elena. Life on Thin Ice. Northern Press, 2022.
Website article:
Lee, Daniel. “Coral Reefs in Crisis.” Ocean Watch, 12 Mar. 2023, www.oceanwatch.org/coral-crisis.
No author:
“Arctic Ice Report.” Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2023, www.canada.ca/arctic-ice.
Formatting: double-spaced, hanging indent (second and later lines indented), titled Works Cited.
What needs a citation?
Cite:
– direct quotations,
– paraphrases and summaries,
– statistics and data,
– specific facts that are not common knowledge,
– images, charts and media you did not create.
No citation needed:
– common knowledge (Canada has ten provinces and three territories),
– your own ideas, analysis and conclusions.
When in doubt, cite.
Avoiding plagiarism
Plagiarism includes:
– copying text without quotation marks and citation,
– patchwriting,
– paraphrasing or summarizing without citation,
– submitting someone else’s work, including AI-generated text, as your own,
– reusing your own previous work without permission.
Prevention:
– Take notes in your own words and mark quotes clearly.
– Record source information as you research.
– Cite as you draft, not afterward.
– Follow your teacher’s rules about AI tools.
Common mistakes
- Over-quoting, which leaves little of your own voice.
- Patchwriting instead of true paraphrasing.
- Missing citations for paraphrases.
- Citation placed after the period.
- Works cited entries missing for sources cited in text.
Try it yourself
Original: “Regular physical activity improves memory and attention in adolescents, according to a review of 50 studies.” (Garcia, page 12)
- Write a correctly cited direct quotation.
- Write a paraphrase with an in-text citation.
- Is this common knowledge? Water freezes at 0°C.
- Write a works cited entry: book by Priya Shah, Minds in Motion, Maple Leaf Books, 2021.
Possible answers: 1. Garcia reports that “regular physical activity improves memory and attention in adolescents” (12). 2. A review of 50 studies found that teens who exercise often tend to concentrate and remember information better (Garcia 12). 3. Yes. 4. Shah, Priya. Minds in Motion. Maple Leaf Books, 2021.
Study tip
Use a two-colour note system: one colour for exact quotations (always with quotation marks and page numbers) and another for your own paraphrases. You will never accidentally copy a source.
Quick recap
- Quote for powerful or precise wording; paraphrase for details; summarize for main ideas.
- Paraphrases need your own words and structure; avoid patchwriting.
- Cite every quotation, paraphrase, summary and non-common fact.
- MLA uses in-text citations and a works cited list.
- Plagiarism is avoidable with careful notes and honest crediting.