Using Citations

One of the most valuable assets to expository writing is the incorporation of specific citations that tend to add depth and substance to points being conveyed in a paper. The following examples will give you direction in including cited material in your essays.

The following paragraph comes from Gale, Student Resources in Context. The citations that follow use this paragraph to demonstrate unacceptable and acceptable methods of using citations.

Harper Lee's book concerns the behavior of Southerners in their claim for "honor," and Boo Radley's presence in the story reinforces that claim. When Boo was young and got into trouble, his father claimed the right to protect his family name. He took his son home and kept him at the house. When Boo attacked him, Mr. Radley again asked for family privilege; Boo was returned to his home, this time never to surface on the porch or in the yard during the daylight hours. The children are fascinated with the Boo Radley legend. They act it out, and they work hard to make Boo come out. And always, they wonder what keeps him inside. After the trial, where the kids discover Maycomb's hypocrisy, however, Jem understands "Boo Radley stays shut up in the house ... it's because he wants to stay inside" (Lee 193). The kid's learn that Boo Radley's honor surpasses the supposed honor of the men, and women, who live their daily life in the public eye.

Works Cited

Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird." Columbus, OH. Glencoe/McGraw Hill: 2000. Print.

May, Jill. "In Defense of To Kill a Mockingbird." EXPLORING Novels. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context.

https://www.thomas.k12.ga.us/userfiles/220/Classes/41760/InDefenseofToKillaMockingbird.pdf . 09 Sept.

2019.

Unacceptable ways of using citations:

Do not introduce a citation in the following ways:

Wrong Example: This is seen in the following citation, "The children are fascinated with the Boo Radley legend" (May).

Wrong Example: In the quotation "...it's because he wants to stay inside" (Lee 193) Jem shows his clear understanding of Boo.

Do not follow a citation with the statement "This quotation proves...."

Wrong Example: To Kill A Mockingbird concerns itself with honor amongst Southerners. This quotation proves this -- "Harper Lee's book concerns the behavior of Southerners in their claim for 'honor' " (May).

Never insert a citation without some kind of transition.

Wrong Example: Throughout the novel, the Boo Radley fascinates the kids. "[T]hey wonder what keeps him inside" (May).

What follows is an informational text you might use for a research/argumentative paper. Below the text are examples of appropriate use of parenthetical documentation.

Why Foster a Growth Mindset?

During the past several decades, my colleagues and I have conducted research identifying two distinct ways in which individuals view intelligence and learning. Individuals with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence is simply an inborn trait—they have a certain amount, and that's that. In contrast, individuals with a growth mindset believe that they can develop their intelligence over time (Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007; Dweck, 1999, 2007).

These two mindsets lead to different school behaviors. For one thing, when students view intelligence as fixed, they tend to value looking smart above all else. They may sacrifice important opportunities to learn—even those that are important to their future academic success—if those opportunities require them to risk performing poorly or admitting deficiencies. Students with a growth mindset, on the other hand, view challenging work as an opportunity to learn and grow. I have seen students with a growth mindset meet difficult problems, ones they could not solve yet, with great relish. Instead of thinking they were failing (as the students with a fixed mindset did), they said things like "I love a challenge," "Mistakes are our friends," and "I was hoping this would be informative!"

Students with a fixed mindset do not like effort. They believe that if you have ability, everything should come naturally. They tell us that when they have to work hard, they feel dumb. Students with a growth mindset, in contrast, value effort; they realize that even geniuses have to work hard to develop their abilities and make their contributions.

Finally, students with a fixed mindset tend not to handle setbacks well. Because they believe that setbacks call their intelligence into question, they become discouraged or defensive when they don't succeed right away. They may quickly withdraw their effort, blame others, lie about their scores, or consider cheating. Students with a growth mindset are more likely to respond to initial obstacles by remaining involved, trying new strategies, and using all the resources at their disposal for learning.

Works Cited

Dweck, Carol S. "Even Geniuses Work Hard." Giving Students Meaningful Work. ASCD. September 2010: 16-20.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept10/vol68/num01/Even-Geniuses-Work-Hard.aspx . 30 Sept.

2019.

Unacceptable ways of using citations:

Do not introduce a citation in the following ways:

Wrong Example: You can see that students with growth mindset are better in the following citation: "Students with a growth mindset, in contrast, value effort" (Dweck 17).

Better: Effort, most times, leads to success, and "[s]tudents with a growth mindset...value effort" (Dweck 17) as they work hard in class to become successful.

Wrong Example: In the quotation "students value looking smart over everything else" (Dweck 17) means self image is more important than possibly failing by trying something new.

Better: Fixed mindset students "value looking smart over everything else" (Dweck 17) rather than possibly failing by trying something new.

Do not follow a citation with the statement "This quotation proves...."

Wrong Example: "Students with a growth mindset, on the other hand, view challenging work as an opportunity to learn and grow" (Dweck 17). This quotation says if you like challenging work then you have a growth mindset.

Better: With a growth mindset, students are more likely to accept "challenging work as an opportunity to learn and grow" (Dweck 17) in order to be learners, not just students.

Never insert a citation without some kind of transition.

Wrong Example: Dweck understands that fixed mindset students think natural intelligence is more important than effort. "Students with a fixed mindset do not like effort. They believe that if you have ability, everything should come naturally" (Dweck 17).

Wrong Example: Rather than try and learn, people with a fixed mindset do not do well with failure. "They may quickly withdraw their effort, blame others, lie about their scores, or consider cheating" (Dweck 17).

Better: Often times, failure scares students with a fixed mindset, and, when they do fail, "[t]hey may quickly withdraw their effort, blame others, lie about their scores, or consider cheating" (Dweck 17). These same students may not succeed if they have to put forth effort beyond the natural intelligence because fixed mindset students "believe that if you have ability, everything should come naturally" (Dweck 17).

More examples of appropriate use of parenthetical documentation:

By placing the author's last name and page number in parenthesis after citation:

Example: While the Schwa sits “in the middle of that lonely road” (Shusterman 191-192), he hasn’t overcome his own fears and found the truth.

Example: To Kill A Mockingbird explores how "Jem got his arm badly broken" (Lee 1).

By citing the critic's name

Example: As Paul Roche explains in the play's introduction, "it was foretold because it was going to happen; it was not going to happen because it was foretold."

Example: According to Professor Burris, there is no doubt that Jack and Roger's behavior, in Lord of the Flies is caused by "nothing more than the inherent evil of man."

ANOTHER OPTION FOR VARIETY

Example: There is no doubt that Jack and Roger's behavior, in Lord of the Flies is caused by "nothing more than the inherent evil of man" (Burris).

Use of an ellipsis

An ellipsis is an intentional omission of words from cited material. If you decide that it is unnecessary to reproduce all the words of the author whom you are citing, use three periods to indicate an omission; when the omission is at the end of the sentence, use four periods.

Example: Rufus saw his identity in his name; therefore, he lost his security when "others yelled poor man's name...and chanted a verse that he had often heard them yell at poor white trash...."

Example: When asking “what's the dirtiest thing you know” (Golding 89), Simon understands that "...maybe it's only us" (Golding 89).

Use of brackets

Use brackets to indicate a change in the word form or to indicate an explanatory addition. By placing a word in bracket, the writer indicates that the word is not originally in the quoted material.

Example: John Dryden, a famous English poet, said, "Those who accuse him [Shakespeare] to have wanted knowledge give him the greater commendation; he was naturally learned."

Example: The monster, who was uncomfortable when he encountered darkness, explains that "a gentle light [stealing] over the heavens...[gave] him a sensation of pleasure."

Note: Do not overuse brackets or you defeat the purpose of quoting the material.

Use of indentation for long citation

Citations of more than four lines (or fifty words) are indented on the left sides from the usual one -inch margin. A colon is used for punctuation before the citation and QUOTATION MARKS are NOT used. Double spaced.

Example:

Materialism is just a small aspect of Holden's reasons for hating school which he complains is:

Citation of direct dialogue.

Example: Realizing that his family does not understand him, Walter screams, “'I am giant among ants’” (Hansberry 94).

Citation of poetry and plays.

When citing poetry or plays written in poetic style, indicate line breaks with a forward slash, /. This slash shows where one line ends and the others begin. Following punctuation, mechanics, and capitalization of the text you are citing.

Example: The son, returning for his father’s funeral, shows maturity because “time had whittled down to mere hills / The great mountains of my childhood” (Gordan 4-5)

REMEMBER that a citation is only effective if it is appropriate and relevant to your topic. There are many times when your own choice of words is far more concise and clear than those of the author.