English 216: Selecting Evidence

Selecting and Presenting Evidence

Three ways to bring evidence into your writing:
Direct Quotation--word for word from the original, placed within quotation marks and attributed to the original source.
Paraphrase--the original idea(s), statement(s) data put in your own words and attributed to the original source.
Summary--condensing the whole into several of your own sentences and attibuting the original source

Selecting Evidence
Points to Consider:
[If you have collected 4-5 examples from several different sources, all illustrating similar points, you need to choose among these. As interesting as they may all be, you cannot give each of them the same amount of space.
[ You should, instead, select a few examples and either disgard or briefly refer to the others. Remember your goal is to suppply just enough information about each piece of evidence to make your readers appreciate its interest and its relevance to your project.
[ In making choices between and among examples, you might want to investigate the status of your source materials and the writers' whose work you're considering. Citing well-known scholars will lend more credibility to your points than will citing renegade scholars or people whose work has been challenged or even dismissed.

Dos and Don'ts of Selecting Quotations
Do use quotations for support; to preserve vivid or technical language; to comment on the quotation; and to distance yourself from the quotation.
Primary sources are often worth quoting--if they are clear and understandable
Use single and double quotation marks to differentiate between primary and secondary sources.
Do Not quote something just because it sounds impressive, and do not quote something that you find difficult to understand

Presenting Evidence
Points to Consider:
Learn about your sources--authors, dates of publication, where published; look for potential bias
[Investigate your source's education, professional experience, and published works; you can find this information in a number of biographical dictionaries and indexes such as Who's Who, Biographical Index, and Current Biography
Select sources that work well together
[News Magazines usually provide factual information; popular periodicals/magazines usually present popularized ideas; academic journals usually contain a depth of analysis and breadth of research. Be sure not to rely on one source or one kind of source. Questions to consider:
    1. Is the content primarily theoretical or practical?
    2. How often does the writer offer evidence in support of his/her conclusions? What kinds of evidence?
    3. Does the argument depend upon a series of broad generalizations?
    4. What is the scope of the research?

Integrating Quotations and other supporting evidence

[You need to introduce quoted material and "weave" it into your own prose; a quotation cannot simply be dropped into a paragraph without first letting the reader know you will be using someone else's words or ideas and demonstrating why you are using them.

[Generally speaking, quotations belong within paragraphs and not at the beginning or end of them. The quotation is SUPPORTING evidence--it is not to do the work for you but to support the work you are doing.

[One you've presented a quotation, let it do the work of making the point; your job is to explain or interpret its meaning, not to translate it word for word. In other words, show your readers why this quotation is relevant, but don't tell us what it "says."