Using Outside Sources: Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Citing

Home , Chuck D, Fear of a Black Planet, Flavor Flav

Two General Reasons to Use Outside Sources

1. Support and Strengthen Your Argument:

If the source agrees with you, if it supports your position, you make an implicit claim along the lines of “Hey, I’m not the only one who feels this way and/or believes this. See, someone else who also has authority in regard to this particular issue also supports this position.”

Additionally, another reason parietals are so well-loved among Notre Dame students relates to how difficult they make group projects. For instance, my English class, “Reasons Shakespeare, Like, Totally Rocks,” requires my classmates and me to present in small groups at least three times a semester. Not only do we love having to find open times in our busy schedules to meet outside of class, but we especially appreciate having to leave our dorm rooms partway through our planning sessions, because our sessions overlap with when parietals begin on weeknights. Tanya Jones, one of my “Shakespeare Rocks” classmates, explains that she especially likes having to vacate her Lyons Hall dorm room when she and her groupmates are right in the middle of their project. “It’s great,” she declares, “to have to gather up all of our books, notes, computers, and other materials and move to the lounge on the first floor. Interruptions? Bring ’em on!” she adds with a smile. Thus, because group projects are too easy to begin with, Notre Dame should maintain parietals to make such projects far more challenging and annoying.

2. Act as a Counter or Foil to Your Argument

If the source disagrees with you, you can use the source as a representative example of a position that may seem reasonable at first, at least to some audiences, but upon further examination, the position is revealed to be flawed:

Many people believe, for instance, that today’s college students are lazy and entitled, feeling the world owes them something. Local crank Abe Simpson, for instance, recently argued in a South Bend Tribune editorial that “young adults these days, especially those enrolled in local colleges, act as if they should be paid $100,000 a year to sit on their rears and play video games.” Simpson is wrong, of course, as an overwhelming amount of research demonstrates that young people today are working long hours, are committed to bringing about positive social change, and are . . .

Two General Ways to Cite Outside Sources

1. Use an In-Text Citation:

Name the source and, when possible, mention the source’s authority or relevance in a sentence or the sentences that precede the information from the source itself.

Father John Jenkins, President of the University of Notre Dame, explains that for many students, parietals are a source of immense joy and satisfaction. “Students regularly tell me,” Jenkins explains, “that they love having to leave their friends’ rooms and find some other, less convenient place to study together.” Students, it seems, are eager to be inconvenienced.

2. Use an End-of-Text Citation:

Delay identifying the source until the end of the relevant sentence or section, putting the “target” information (i.e., the word or words that readers should look for in the Works Cited) in parentheses at the end.

While many people believe that drinking muddy water from a puddle would be harmful to one’s health, new research suggests that ingesting dirty, foul-smelling water could actually boost one’s health in the long run. Drinking such water can introduce bacteria into the body’s immune system, increasing the individual’s white blood cell count and, ultimately, allowing that person to fight off infection more efficiently (Smith 75-77). So, the next time you’re walking on campus and you see a puddle, throw caution to the wind, get down on your knees, and take a good, long drink! Four Sample Ways to Use and Cite (Web) Sources: Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”

1. CITING THE AUTHOR/SOURCE “IN-TEXT”

[Using Part of an Interview from a Website in Introduction Paragraphs]

Rock journalist David Saunier once asked Public Enemy’s Chuck D if he was “unique in hip-hop” because Chuck D puts a “lot of concern and common sense” into his lyrics. Reflecting on his successful recording career, Chuck D replied, “Yeah . . . It’s unique that I’ve been in rap and hip-hop for 20 years. And it’s unique that I have a concern for what I put down because I believe words can resonate. I believe words can spark action.” Because I’m a huge fan of rap and hip hop in general and Public Enemy in particular, Chuck D’s emphasis on words resonating and sparking action especially appeals to me. That’s why I like what I’ve heard from Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and the other members of Public Enemy. In “Fight the Power,” for example, the members of Public Enemy skillfully address social problems African-Americans face today. Further, they seek to empower listeners, to encourage not only racial pride but also social action.

Works Cited

Chuck D. “Fight the Power.” Fear of a Black Planet. Def Jam Records, 1990. Goldman, Marlene. “Something Happening Here: Chuck D. Puts All The Hype and Noise into Perspective.” Rolling Stone. 3 Dec. 2002 www.rollingstone.com/news/printer_friendly.asp?nid=4258&cf=2360 Saunier, David. “Louder Than A Bomb: Is Chuck D's Voice the Voice of Change?” Horizon. 2 Feb. 1999. 3 Dec 2002. www.horizonmag.com/1/chuckd.htm

2. CITING THE AUTHOR/SOURCE “END-OF-TEXT”

[Using Part of an Interview from a Website in The Intro. Paragraphs]

Public Enemy’s Chuck D was once asked if he was “unique in hip-hop” because he puts a “lot of concern and common sense” into his lyrics. Reflecting on his successful recording career, Chuck D replied, “Yeah . . . It’s unique that I’ve been in rap and hip-hop for 20 years. And it’s unique that I have a concern for what I put down because I believe words can resonate. I believe words can spark action” (Saunier). Because I’m a huge fan of rap and hip hop in general and Public Enemy in particular, Chuck D’s emphasis on words resonating and sparking action especially appeals to me. That’s why I like what I’ve heard from Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and the other members of Public Enemy. In “Fight the Power,” for example, the members of Public Enemy skillfully address social problems African-Americans face today. Further, they seek to empower listeners, to encourage not only racial pride but also social action.

Works Cited

3. CITING A SOURCE WITH NO AUTHOR, “END-OF-TEXT”

[Using Part of an Interview from a Website in The Intro. Paragraphs]

Public Enemy’s Chuck D was once asked if he was “unique in hip-hop” because he puts a “lot of concern and common sense” into his lyrics. Reflecting on his successful recording career, Chuck D replied, “Yeah . . . It’s unique that I’ve been in rap and hip-hop for 20 years. And it’s unique that I have a concern for what I put down because I believe words can resonate. I believe words can spark action” (“Louder”). Because I’m a huge fan of rap and hip hop in general and Public Enemy in particular, Chuck D’s emphasis on words resonating and sparking action especially appeals to me. That’s why I like what I’ve heard from Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and the other members of Public Enemy. In “Fight the Power,” for example, the members of Public Enemy skillfully address social problems African-Americans face today. Further, they seek to empower listeners, to encourage not only racial pride but also social action.

Works Cited

Chuck D. “Fight the Power.” Fear of a Black Planet. Def Jam Records, 1990. Goldman, Marlene. “Something Happening Here: Chuck D. Puts All The Hype and Noise into Perspective.” Rolling Stone. 3 Dec. 2002 www.rollingstone.com/news/printer_friendly.asp?nid=4258&cf=2360 “Louder Than A Bomb: Is Chuck D's Voice the Voice of Change?” Horizon. 2 Feb. 1999. 3 Dec 2002. www.horizonmag.com/1/chuckd.htm 4. CITING THE AUTHOR/SOURCE “IN-TEXT”

[Using Part of an Interview in a Sample Body Paragraph]

In addition to encouraging listeners to “Fight the Power,” Chuck D and Flavor Flav seem to attack two American icons: Elvis and John Wayne. Chuck D raps, “Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me, you see / Straight out racist that sucker was / Simple and plain.” Of course, Chuck D’s language may be too confrontational or controversial for many listeners, but he has explained that in fact he and Flavor Flav are not necessarily attacking Elvis himself; they’re attacking the image of Elvis in America. While talking about his FOX television show with Rolling Stone journalist Marlene Goldman, Chuck D points out that he once discussed Elvis with Rufus Thomas and Little Richard. Thomas and Richard “just slammed the whole aspect of him being an icon by the society of America,” Chuck D explains. He comments further, “They saw him come from a quiet white boy admiring of black music into this monster that America created. So there’s a respect for Elvis and his craft. When I mentioned Elvis in ‘Fight the Power’ I think I was talking about the icon of Elvis.” Contrasted, then, with his attack on the icon of Elvis in America is Chuck D’s emphasis on racial pride and the importance of speaking out against injustice. Chuck D raps, “’Cause I’m Black and I’m proud / I’m ready, I’m hyped, plus I’m amped.” Here, Chuck D demonstrates . . .

Works Cited