Bringing Sources into the Conversation

Learning Objective

Use the “source sandwich” and signal phrases to integrate sources into your writing

Integrating Material from Sources

Figure 1. Correctly utilizing and synthesizing your sources is much like fitting together the pieces of a puzzle.

Integrating sources into your writing can be challenging, but think of it like joining a conversation. When discussing a topic in person, you naturally reference others’ ideas:

“I heard on the news that…”
“I read in an article that…”
“Juan told me that…”

In writing, you do the same—you introduce the source, explain why it’s relevant, and connect it to your point. Just as you’d provide context when speaking, you need to identify the author and their credibility in writing.

To effectively incorporate sources, follow these steps:

Transition into and introduce the source – Provide context for the source and explain why it’s relevant.
Use a signal phrase – Lead smoothly into the quoted, summarized, or paraphrased material.
Provide a citation – Clearly link the material to the full reference in your bibliography or works cited list.
Explain how it fits into your argument – Connect the source back to your main point to show its significance.

This process is often called a “source sandwich,” with each step layering your argument like the parts of a sandwich. A visual representation of this appears below.

The Source sandwich

	Remember that this is your writing, so your use of a source is based on your argument or claim. So, begin your quote sandwich with a sentence that focuses on your idea, ideally with a clear transition linking to your overall thesis or to the argument in the previous section.
	A signal phrase is an action verb phrase that connects the source’s author with its content.
	The source’s content comes after the signal phrase. This content can be a summary, paraphrase, or direct quotation.
	The in-text citation identifies the source and connects the body of your paper with the references or works cited page.
	The explanation of the source content’s relevance is your synthesis or analysis of the content and an illustration that shows how it relates to your own work.

Use the source sandwich convention to integrate material from sources into your own writing so that your readers will understand the material’s importance and purpose. The activity below will provide practice in constructing a source sandwich.

Try It

Read the passage about “mindful me” rooms in elementary schools and answer the questions that follow.

Reflective practice has also started to replace detention in schools across the country. Robert W. Coleman Elementary School is one of the first to adopt this method. As of 2014, this school has had no suspensions. When students fight or misbehave, they are sent to a “mindful me” room instead of the principal’s office, and they learn to peacefully solve these conflicts themselves (Khorsandi). Administrators at the school claim to have seen a marked improvement in student behavior.

Coleman Principal Carillian Thompson explains, “The mindfulness practices have actually taught the students how to redirect that negative energy into something positive” (Khorsandi). The changes have resulted in more focus on academics and extracurricular activities at Coleman, which has made parents in the district happy. In fact, many parents have switched their thinking from once believing punitive measures are necessary to modify children’s behaviors to now seeing reflective practices as meaningful alternatives to detention. The experience at Coleman Elementary School is not unqiue; many parents across the country have switched their thinking from once believing punitive measures are necessary to modify children’s behaviors to now seeing reflective practices as meaningful alternatives to detention.

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Signal Phrases

When you incorporate a quotation, at least the first time you use a source, you should provide some kind of signal phrase (set-up for your quote) that guides your reader into understanding that you are going to be presenting ideas from another person. Typically, we address the credibility of the source’s author and the relevance of the quotation. Often, this means including the author’s credentials the first time they are introduced.

For example, consider these examples of how Grace Chapman could be introduced for the first time:

Chapman explains – no credibility
Grace Chapman, Curator of Human Health & Evolutionary Medicine at the Springfield Natural History Museum, explains – credibility based on position as curator
Grace Chapman, as Curator of Human Health & Evolutionary Medicine at the Springfield Natural History Museum, offers a different perspective on this subject and argues – credibility and relevance based on a different perspective

The signal phrase works as a signpost to alert the reader of your paper to the incorporation of another’s ideas. Signal phrases are used to clearly differentiate between your thoughts and those of the authors who you quote, paraphrase, or summarize. For example, in introducing a quote, paraphrase, or summary, you could use the following signal phrases:

Jones states that…
Miller argues that…
According to the Pew Research Center, …

Other commonly used verbs in signal phrases are:

acknowledges	comments	describes	maintains	reports
adds	compares	disputes	notes	responds
admits	concedes	emphasizes	observes	shows
agrees	confirms	endorses	points out	states
argues	contends	illustrates	reasons	suggests
asserts	declares	implies	refutes	summarizes
claims	denies	insists	rejects	writes

The important thing is to make sure you don’t leave your audience wondering why a quotation has been used and/or if the source for the quotation is trustworthy.

Providing Context

Quotations should always be introduced and incorporated into your argument rather than dropped into your paper without context.

Example: providing context

Consider this first BAD example:

There are many instances of people being taken in by fake news stories. “One voter from Mississippi said that he read about millions of illegal aliens voting in the 2016 primaries and thought it was true” (Myers).

This is a potentially good piece of information to support a research writer’s claim, but the researcher hasn’t done any of the necessary work to explain where this quote comes from or why it is important for supporting her point. Rather, she has simply “dropped in” the quote, leaving the interpretation of its significance up to the reader. Now consider this revised GOOD example in which an effective signal phrase is used to better introduce the quote into the essay:

There are many instances of people being taken in by fake news stories. In her Los Angeles Times article on how fake stories impact voters in America, Geena Myers identifies how one particular voter in the South “read about millions of illegal aliens voting in the 2016 primaries and thought it was true” (Myers).

In this revision, the writer uses the signal phrase to introduce the source and the quotation into the argument. As a result, the reader can more easily understand both the point the writer is trying to make and how this source serves as evidence for that point.

Finally, try to use variety in how you introduce quotations. Every quotation does not need to be introduced with the same exact formula.

Example: Introducing quotations

For example, instead of writing:

In the opening line of his short story, “The Open Boat,” Stephen Crane writes, “None of them knew the color of the sky” (339). This implies the idea that “all sense of certainty” in the lives of these men is gone (Wolford 18).

There is nothing wrong with the signal phrasing in the first sentence above. But you don’t always have to use the same formula for introducing a quotation. Try writing instead:

“None of them knew the color of the sky” (Crane 339), the opening line of Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat,” implies that “all sense of certainty” (Wolford 18) in the lives of these men is gone.

The combination of these two sentences into one is a more sophisticated approach to integrating a quotation.

Adding Credibility through Source Integration

We know that using effective signal phrases when introducing sources adds credibility and relevance to your argument. You can also enhance your credibility by choosing effective sources, including complete citations, and providing supporting evidence for your claims. The table below demonstrates the application of different markers of credibility. Think about your strategy for maintaining credibility and authority in your own writing: you will most likely rely on all four markers in some combination.

Marker	Explanation	Application
Signal Phrases	Signal phrases point the readers to the information from a source. Good signal phrases can highlight the credentials of an author or source.	For example, notice how in the following example, the writer establishes the source’s strong credentials: John Smith, the Distinguished Professor of Economics at the University of Northern Mississippi, argues that the senator’s flat tax plan is regressive.
Complete, Accurate Citations	Citations help demonstrate that you are trustworthy as an author and provide a clear way for a reader to verify your evidence.	Each part of a citation provides a piece of searchable information. For example, a reader can search for the author’s name to find other things that he or she has written. If readers search for John Smith, they will find that he has been publishing articles on taxation for 45 years.
Demonstration of Relevance	Critical thinking and reasoning demonstrate to your reader the significance of your evidence and enhance your credibility.	Don’t assume that your reader can figure out why you are using a particular source. It’s your job as the writer to explain your reasoning. John Smith’s article may be highly technical and difficult to understand. Your job is to use paraphrase and summary to make the ideas accessible to your readers and to show them why those ideas are important.
Supporting Evidence	Evidence is required for any claim. The more relevant evidence that you include, with accurate citation, the more credible your writing will be.	Even if John Smith is a distinguished professor of economics, his word alone isn’t enough to prove your claim about the senator’s flat tax plan. You must support your argument with specific evidence.

Module 11: The Research Process—Using and Citing Sources