How to Use Sources in College Essays

Written by Emily Smith

When we talk about academic writing, we often refer to it as a conversation. This analogy is an easy way to think about the ways in which scholars respond to, build upon, and challenge the work of other academics through their writing.

In college, you’ll have an opportunity to participate in this dialogue, as many academic writing assignments will require that you utilize sources to support your ideas. Like any good conversationalist, it’s important to adopt the right approach when responding to others’ ideas (i.e., writing from sources) to create a dialogue that is balanced, clear, and dynamic. 

How do you do that? We’ve got you covered! In this guide, we’ll show you how to utilize sources strategically so that you can support your ideas, build credibility, and craft papers that are clear and compelling. 

Sources and evidence can take a variety of forms, including experiments and observations, depending on your field. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll be focusing on best practices for using academic texts in college-level papers. For more information on other forms of evidence, check out our guide on research.  

Before You Write

A strong piece of writing usually begins with thoughtful preparation. In the case of an academic writing assignment, that means understanding your assignment prompt (including your professor’s expectations about the use and citing of sources), conducting careful research to identify credible sources, and carefully reading any materials you plan to use. 

That last step is especially important for our purposes: you cannot effectively or ethically use a source if you do not understand it. Admittedly, that’s probably easier said than done, as many academic texts can be downright dense due to their use of jargon and complex theoretical concepts. So how can you know if you’ve really understood what you’re reading? 

The key is to read actively by taking the following steps: 

1. SLOW DOWN. Many students try to rush through their reading due to time constraints, but just because your eyes are moving over a page doesn’t mean you’re understanding or retaining information. Check in with yourself to be sure you’re fully engaged in your reading. If you’re not focused, consider taking a break and returning to your work later, if time allows. 

2. Annotate texts by summarizing important concepts or ideas in your notes. If you can easily articulate an idea in your own words, that is a strong indicator that you understand it. 

3. Document your questions. In some cases those questions may help you identify which concepts you do not yet understand, and in other cases, these questions may help you generate ideas for your writing. 

4. After you finish a text, conduct an informal debrief by asking yourself a few questions: 

• What was the main argument or idea of this text? Summarize it in your own words. 

• Do you understand all of the key concepts in the text? If not, try rereading the source and seek additional support from classmates, your TA, or your professor. If you need guidance on how to communicate with an instructor and connect with academic support services, check out this guide.

• Could you teach this material to someone else? If you have a friend or classmate available, try to explain the material to them. Note what ideas you stumble over, as that can indicate where you might need to invest more time. 

• How does the text connect to your writing assignment? Does it support, contextualize, refute, or challenge your ideas? Which sections, quotes, or concepts are most relevant to your topic? Make note of your answers to these questions, as they can help you decide if and how to utilize a source (more on that below). 

Organizing Your Sources

Okay, you’ve done the reading (and you understand it!). Now it’s time to start thinking strategically about the assignment at hand. Looking back over your reading, consider which sources will be most useful for your assignment and how you might like to use them. Sources can be used in a variety of ways: 

• As evidence to support an idea. 

• As an artifact to be analyzed (like in a literary analysis). 

• As context to provide necessary background information about a topic or idea. 

• To introduce a counterargument to complicate and—hopefully—strengthen an argument. 

As you consider these possibilities, take note of what concepts or passages might be most useful throughout your paper, being sure to record citation information (e.g., authors, page numbers, etc.) to make it easy to cite your sources. If you have not yet found a note-taking system that works for you, consider using Steve Runge’s organizational method to keep track of your sources. For more information about how and why you should cite your sources, take a look at our guides on citations and plagiarism. 

Four Ways to Integrate Your Sources

Once you’ve done the appropriate prep work, you can start writing, which means you need to decide how you want to weave sources into your paper. There are four ways to integrate a source into a draft, and the exact approach you use will depend on the purpose your source serves within your paper.

The way in which you integrate sources using the options below will depend on your assignment and rhetorical goals. As a general rule of thumb, you should strive to utilize multiple techniques and balance outside sources with your own ideas so that you can craft papers that are clear and compelling.

Option 1: Quoting

When you quote a source, you represent the original author’s words exactly. Students often default to quoting as their go-to source integration strategy because it likely seems like the easiest technique, since the writer doesn’t have to articulate an idea in their own words. However, an overabundance of quotations can lead to a few problems:

1. Relying too heavily on outside sources, particularly in the form of quotations, can create a paper that lacks a point of view or perspective. If your audience is reading a draft that is primarily composed of loosely connected quotations, wouldn’t it be easier for them to just read the original texts? 

2. Papers with an overabundance of quotes can be boring! As the old adage goes, variety is the spice of life … and writing. Our eyes and ears like variety; utilizing multiple source integration strategies in conjunction with your own ideas can help you produce a draft that will grab and maintain your reader’s interest. 

With that being said, there are times when quoting is the right call. Quote a text when the language of the original source is important to your paper, like in cases where you are analyzing its language (hello, literary analysis!), or when a quote might add needed emphasis or authority to a point you’re making, or in a case where it might be very difficult to paraphrase due to technical jargon.

Fundamentally, using a quote signals to your reader that that specific language is important. If your reader simply needs to know information from a source (rather than the language used to communicate that information), consider using one of the other source integration techniques discussed below. 

How to Quote

We mentioned earlier that quoting can seem like the easiest option when it comes time to use a source, but there are actually a few steps you need to follow to quote a source effectively and ethically: 

1. Select your quote. Quoted materials should generally be used sparingly, so quote as little material as possible. In many cases, you might just need to quote a particular phrase or maybe a sentence.
   
   Occasionally, you might need to quote multiple lines or utilize a block quote, which is a longer quote that is set apart from the rest of your paper’s text. Be sure to defer to your discipline’s style guide (e.g., MLA) to determine when and how to use a block quote. Generally speaking, longer quotes, particularly block quotes, should be used VERY judiciously and only in cases where their length can be justified by the content’s relevance to your paper AND by what you have to say about the quoted material (more on that in Step 3). 

2. Introduce your quote. Once you have a quote picked out, you can’t just drop it into your paper and move on, as your reader will need to understand its context. It is unethical to misrepresent someone’s words by taking them out of context, so be sure to explain who said or wrote the quoted material, as well as where it came from. Providing this context will also help you avoid a dropped or standalone quote that is disconnected from the rest of a paper, which can be confusing for a reader. 
   
   To illustrate the importance of context, here is an example (without context) from Stephen King’s On Writing: “I want you to understand that my basic belief about the making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves.” 
   
   If you read this quote on its own, you might think that King is saying that good writing just … happens. However, that isn’t the case, since King makes numerous recommendations to aspiring writers in his memoir. In actuality, King is discussing his views on plot and the ways in which a writer’s fixation on plot can be detrimental to their work. 
   
   So here is how a writer using this quote might introduce it to provide the necessary context to avoid misrepresenting King’s thoughts: 
   
   In On Writing, King identifies practices that fiction writers can use to strengthen their work, ranging from developing their grammar proficiency to curating an appropriate workspace. However, he actively discourages writers from becoming overly concerned with plot, stating, “I want you to understand that my basic belief about the making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves” (163). King believes that plotting is counterproductive to the creative process, going so far as to suggest that the two are incompatible. 

3. Offer explanation or analysis. Quotations (and any form of evidence for that matter) don’t speak for themselves; as a general rule, assume your reasoning for using a particular quote isn’t obvious to your reader. As a writer, you must create a bridge between your argument and a quotation by interpreting, analyzing, or discussing its content to clarify its relevance to your paper. As a rule of thumb, your explanation or analysis should also balance out your quotation, meaning it should be at least as long as the quote you selected.
   
   For example, if you use a block quote, but only have one sentence of analysis to offer about it, that might be a sign that you don’t actually need to use the entirety of that passage (see Step 1 for additional information about quote selection). 

4. Cite your source. Any time you use content from outside sources, you must provide a citation. The exact rules and format for citing sources will vary depending on your field or discipline, so be sure to consult a style guide for specific guidance. If you’re new to the idea of citing sources, you can also review our citation guide for general information about citations’ purpose and logic. 

For more guidance on quotations, including how to punctuate and modify them, check out this guide from the UNC Writing Center. 

Option 2: Paraphrasing

When you paraphrase, you communicate the content of a specific line, passage, or idea in your own words. Paraphrasing is often used in cases where a particular excerpt of a text is important, but your reader does not need to be privy to the original author’s exact language. For example, a writer might paraphrase a section of dialogue from a novel before quoting a specific phrase that they want to analyze.

As with quoting, it is important to accurately represent paraphrased material by offering any needed context. Another consideration writers should be mindful of when paraphrasing is being careful to use their own original language and sentence structures. New academic writers sometimes think that they can paraphrase by simply switching up a few words in a quote, but that would actually be considered plagiarism—mosaic plagiarism or patchwriting to be specific. For this reason, writers must paraphrase thoughtfully to ensure they accurately represent a text’s meaning without mirroring its original language or sentence structure. One of the easiest ways to do this is to step away from the content you need to paraphrase and explain it from memory. This approach can help you generate new phrasing and avoid the temptation to borrow elements from the original. For additional guidance on paraphrasing, check out our guide on avoiding plagiarism. 

Option 3: Summarizing

A summary provides a brief and, often, broad overview of a source in your own words. Summaries are frequently used to provide context or background information for a reader; for this reason, you’re likely to use summaries early in a paper where you need to orient a reader to your topic. There are a few considerations you should weigh when deciding if and how to summarize: 

1. Summary vs. paraphrase. Summarizing and paraphrasing are similar strategies in that they both require writers to represent a source in their own words. The main way in which these techniques differ is in the scope of the content being discussed. A summary generally covers a broad topic (think the main argument of a journal article or the plotline of a book), while paraphrasing is used to represent a narrower idea, such as a snippet of dialogue or the meaning of a specific concept. Writers should consider the scope of the content they need to discuss when deciding which strategy is most appropriate

2. Using original language. Another commonality between summary and paraphrase is that students sometimes struggle to translate content (particularly long or complex arguments) into their own words. One strategy that can make it easier to summarize is to use simple language in a rough draft, almost as if you were talking to a friend. You might even look back at your notes and annotations from your reading for help with this step. This approach can help you produce a working summary that is clear and direct that you can then polish to remove any slang or colloquialisms that might not be appropriate for an academic writing assignment. For more information on academic writing, check out our guide on academic writing style in the United States. 

3. Should you be analyzing instead? A common mistake among first-year college students is summarizing material when they should be writing about it analytically or argumentatively. This issue often arises while students are getting acclimated to college-level writing assignments. To avoid this pitfall, be sure to return to your assignment prompt to check whether the content and style of your paper align with your professor’s expectations. If you’re not sure whether your writing counts as summary or analysis, consider what kind of questions you are answering. Are you simply describing the who, what, and when of your topic (Ex: The plot of a book, the history of a particular event, etc.) or are you exploring the “how” and “why” of your topic? Summary tends to focus on basic descriptions or facts, which generally are not up for interpretation, while analysis usually explores more complex ideas that can be questioned.

Option 4: Synthesizing

A perhaps lesser-known form of source integration is synthesis. Similar to summary, synthesizing occurs when a writer discusses sources in tandem with one another, illustrating how those sources agree on a given idea in order to arrive at a conclusion about a topic. You can check out an example of effective and ineffective synthesis on the Purdue OWL site. Synthesis is a useful way to put sources in conversation with one another to contextualize the discourse surrounding a topic or to illustrate support for an idea. For this reason, synthesis is commonly used in literature reviews and research papers. Effective synthesis requires:

1. Intentional reading and organization. To figure out where sources agree, writers must first read and organize their sources. Aside from the active reading strategies discussed previously, this also involves keeping track of the areas in which sources align. One way to organize this information is to develop a synthesis matrix, which makes it easy to visualize commonalities between sources. 

2. Use of clear transitions. Synthesis hinges on how effectively a writer can explain the relationships between sources. Using clear transitions is one of the best ways to communicate those connections. For more guidance on creating transitions, check out our literary analysis guide and this handout from the UNC Writing Center. 

3. Careful citation. As with any kind of source integration, it’s critical that writers carefully cite material to avoid plagiarism. This step is especially important when synthesizing texts to ensure you clearly distinguish where ideas from one source end and another begin. For more guidance on citations, check out our citation guide. 

How to Assess Your Source Utilization—The Color Method

Effective source utilization hinges on a balance of voices (i.e., yours as a writer and those of your sources). One of the easiest ways to gauge your source utilization is to color code your paper. 

To use this strategy, select three colors. For the purposes of this example, we’ll use the stoplight method: 

• Red for quoted material

• Yellow for summarized, paraphrased, or synthesized material

• Green for your original ideas and analysis 

Color code your draft according to this system. Once you are finished, analyze the balance and distribution of color in your draft. Specifically, you might consider:

1. Do you notice an overabundance of one color in your paper? If so, what might that indicate? For example, a lot of green (i.e., your ideas) might suggest that you need more support from your sources. An abundance of quotes might suggest that you either need to utilize alternative source integration techniques or offer more robust analysis.

2. Is the color distribution in individual paragraphs appropriate? You might expect a literature review paragraph, for example, to include a lot of summary and synthesis, but if you notice that a body paragraph is all one color, that might indicate that you need more support or you need to offer clearer connections between your evidence and your overarching argument.

3. Does the color distribution make sense for the assignment and for your discipline? Different styles and genres of writing require various approaches to source utilization. For example, a literary analysis in an English class would likely utilize a decent number of quotations, while a research paper for a sociology class would likely utilize more synthesis. 

This basic method can also be adapted to better suit your needs. For example, you can assign colors to additional forms of evidence (e.g., statistics, observation, interviews, etc.) to provide a more granular perspective on your source integration. 

Conclusion

As you’ve probably realized by now, effective source utilization can vary depending upon several factors, including your discipline, the kind of assignment you’re completing, and your rhetorical goals. However, in any context, effective source utilization has the following qualities: 

1. Intentionality. Strong writers think critically about what sources they use and how they weave them into their papers. For each quotation, paraphrase, summary, or synthesis you use, try to justify why you are using a particular source and why you have chosen a given source integration technique. If you draw a blank, that might be a sign that you need to spend more time assessing either (a) the relevance of a source or (b) your source integration strategy. 

2. Variety. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, varied writing tends to be stronger writing. Try to use a healthy balance of source integration techniques in conjunction with your own original ideas to create papers that are interesting and well supported. 

3. Connection. No matter how relevant or compelling a source is, it cannot support a paper’s argument or purpose if it is not clearly woven into the draft. Be sure to carefully contextualize and, if necessary, analyze source content to connect it to a paper’s overarching argument. 

4. Citation. Effective source integration cannot happen without clear and consistent citation. Be sure to clearly cite your sources to attribute credit where it’s due and make it possible for your reader to track down additional information about your topic. 

Although it can take some practice, falling back on these basic principles will ensure you have the knowledge and skills you need to craft effective source dialogue and make a meaningful contribution to scholarly discourse in your discipline. 

Special thanks to Emily Smith for writing this post and contributing to other College Writing Center resources