Learn how to introduce and correctly summarize, paraphrase, and cite sources. Clarify the research methods employed by your sources.
Your instructors do not want to read miscellaneous quotations that are thrown together one after another. The problem with essays that use extensive direct quotations is that they tend to lack voice, continuity, or authority. If you offer quotations every few lines, your ideas become subordinate to other people's ideas and voices, which often contradicts your instructor's reasons for assigning research papers—that is, to learn what you think about a subject. Therefore, you are generally better off paraphrasing and summarizing material and using direct quotations sparingly.
Below are some guidelines that you can employ to introduce and effectively paraphrase, summarize, or quote sources.
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