Incorporating Evidence

Basic

How does using sources help your writing?

At the most basic level, quotes and paraphrases of sources provide evidence to support your points (or claims).

How To Paraphrase

This video has 5 steps and 4 tips to help you paraphrase.

Note: Her examples do not use MLA. They use a different format called APA. So yours will look different.

Use the PEE/A structure for your paragraphs

P = Point = state your main point or make your claim (typically a topic sentence)

E = Evidence = offer a specific quote / statistic / example to support main point

E/A = Explanation/Analysis = explain, analyze, and elaborate on your evidence

You can add extra EE/As in a paragraph to support and develop your points!

I need to incorporate an image.

For more details, see this page in OWL and scroll down to the section on Figures.

In your essay, be sure to refer to images where they support your claim. That helps the reader know when to look at them and why they are important evidence.

For example, you might say, "The snow geese (see figure 1)..." or "As you can see if figure 1, the snow geese..."

I need to incorporate a screenshot from a video or movie.

Source: https://style.mla.org/citing-screenshots-frame-captures/

In your essay, be sure to refer to images where they support your claim. That helps the reader know when to look at them and why they are important evidence.

For example, you might say, "The scene on the green knoll (see figure 1) represents..." or "As you can see if figure 1, the film scene is shot featuring..."

Advanced

Welcome to the scholarly conversation!

As you become a more advanced researcher, sources do a lot more than simply provide evidence for your claims. They allow you the opportunity to insert your voice into an issue you've thought and read about extensively. Maybe you've even collected original research data (like interviews, surveys, experiments) to examine an issue or test your hypothesis.

In these cases, you are actually inserting your voice into the scholarly conversation. That means that sometimes you'll agree with sources, sometimes you'll disagree, sometimes you'll agree but then take the argument further, sometimes you'll agree with one part but disagree with another, and sometimes you'll pit other scholars against each other and weigh in with your perspective or your data to drive the discussion to a new level!

integrating sources into the scholarly conversation.pdf

Use these signal phrases to integrate your sources with your voice

Curious about strategies you can use to level up your writing to university level?

Read "8 Strategies for Critically Engaging Secondary Sources," adapted from Mark Gaipa.

Page updated

Report abuse