{"id":617,"date":"2014-02-03T00:00:07","date_gmt":"2014-02-03T00:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/?p=617"},"modified":"2015-01-13T21:12:05","modified_gmt":"2015-01-13T21:12:05","slug":"sorting-your-sources-writing-academically-part-iv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/sorting-your-sources-writing-academically-part-iv\/","title":{"rendered":"Sorting your Sources: Writing Academically Part IV"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/research-paper-writing.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-619 alignright\" alt=\"research-paper-writing\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/research-paper-writing-300x170.jpeg\" width=\"300\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/research-paper-writing-300x170.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/research-paper-writing.jpeg 508w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Have a research paper looming on the horizon? No problem! In continuation of my series on academic writing, I\u2019m here to make the prospect of that research paper a little less daunting. Once you understand the \u201cresearch mechanics\u201d of a research paper, this will be easier than you think.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s talk sources.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><b>What is a source? <\/b><\/p>\n<p>A source is very generally a text or object of some form utilized in some fashion within your research paper. This \u201ctext\u201d can be a book, journal or newspaper article, podcast, lecture, interview, artwork, artifact, video\/film, webpage, official document and\/or manuscript\u2014the list goes on! In your research paper, you will \u201cconsult\u201d specific sources and \u201ccite\u201d them in your research paper, as a means of supporting, extending, and evidencing an argument.<\/p>\n<p>There are two significant types of sources: <b>primary <\/b>and<b><i> <\/i>secondary <\/b>sources.<\/p>\n<p><b>A primary source <\/b>is a document or physical object that was written or created during the time under study. These were actually, physically <i>present <\/i>during a certain time period. Think of primary sources as giving an insider\u2019s perspective on a certain event or time. Some types include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Original documents, like letters, articles, speeches, autobiographies, news film footage, manuscripts, pamphlets, early works, and diaries (<i>The Diary of Anne Frank<\/i>; a collection of letters sent between several London residents in 1581; a political treatise; film footage of a tornado)<\/li>\n<li>Relics or artifacts: furniture, buildings, clothing, you name it!<\/li>\n<li>Creative works: Drama, novels, poetry, music, art \u00a0(Dickens\u2019 <i>Bleak House<\/i>, a collection of Simon Armitage\u2019s poetry, a Mozart symphony)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>A secondary source <\/b>analyzes and interprets primary sources. These sources, it is important to note, were not necessarily written during the time of the primary source. Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Publications: criticisms, commentaries, textbooks, magazine articles, histories, encyclopedias<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>How do you find sources?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Most university libraries have extensive collections of secondary and primary sources. Rare books and special collections departments additionally contain archives of mostly primary sources, for these include rare manuscripts and texts. Most often you will have to register as a patron or reader in order to look at these manuscripts. But many libraries have online, digitized copies of older texts, which still count as primary sources. Don\u2019t forget that primary sources aren\u2019t always <i>old <\/i>either! There are just as many contemporary primary sources as there are old.<\/p>\n<p>It should be fairly easy to tell the difference between primary and secondary sources, especially when you are searching for your sources using an online catalogue. That being said, don\u2019t be afraid to ask your librarian for assistance if you are confused about where to find something or whether a book qualifies as primary or secondary.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u00a0Which type of source do you use most?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>It depends upon the research paper. If you are writing a literature essay, you will automatically be using at least one primary source: the text you are writing about! A basic English paper might include one primary source (say, <i>The Diary of Anne Frank<\/i>) and 1-3 secondary sources (scholars\u2019 criticism or ideas about <i>The Diary of Anne Frank <\/i>or the Holocaust). A lengthy research paper may include several pages of sources, both primary and secondary.<\/p>\n<p><b>What does it mean to \u201ccite\u201d?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>It is absolutely critical that you cite every source you use in order to avoid plagiarism. There are several established methods used to cite sources. The most popular two are the MLA or Chicago formats, which entail in-paragraph citation or footnotes, and a <b>bibliography <\/b>or <b>works cited <\/b>page at the end of your essay. I will be discussing these in depth in the coming weeks. For now, just remember: never quote something without citing it!<\/p>\n<p><b>Want more?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>See Caroline\u2019s blog post on <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/2013\/11\/introducing_and_integrating_textual_evidence\/\">textual evidence<\/a> for more on integrating sources into your research paper. Stay tuned for next week\u2019s blog about <a title=\"Citation 101: Writing Academically Part V\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/2014\/02\/citation-101-writing-academically-part-v\/\">different methods of citation<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Additional Reading:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Check out the next posts in this 8 part series on writing academically:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"Citation 101: Writing Academically Part V\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/2014\/02\/citation-101-writing-academically-part-v\/\">Writing Academically Part 5 &#8211; Citations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"A Writing Vocabulary: Academic Writing Part VI\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/2014\/02\/a-writing-vocabulary-academic-writing-part-vi\/\">Writing Academically Part 6 &#8211; Writing Vocabulary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"\u201cHello, my name is Essay:\u201d Writing a Gripping Introduction\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/2014\/02\/hello-my-name-is-essay-writing-a-gripping-introduction\/\">Writing Academically Part 7 &#8211; Introductions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Writing Academically (Part VIII): Wrapping Things Up\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/2014\/03\/writing-academically-part-viii-wrapping-things-up\/\">Writing Academically Part 8 &#8211; Wrapping things up<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Check out my previous posts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"Writing Academically: What\u2019s the Point? (Part I)\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/2013\/12\/writing-academically-whats-the-point-part-i\/\">Writing Academically Part 1 &#8211; What&#8217;s the Point?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Writing Academically Part II: A Lexicon\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/2014\/01\/writing-academically-part-ii-a-lexicon\/\">Writing Academically Part 2 &#8211; Lexicon<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Structuring Your Essay: Academic Writing (Part III)\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.princetontutoring.com\/2014\/01\/structuring-your-essay-academic-writing-part-iii\/\">Writing Academically Part 3 &#8211; Structure<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>About the author: <em>Kathleen McGunagle is a senior in Princeton University\u2019s English department and Interdisciplinary Humanities Certificate Program. Concentrating in British Renaissance Literature, she will be writing a thesis this spring on Shakespeare and epistolary culture. Kathleen is an Academic Peer Adviser at Princeton, tutor through Princeton Tutoring, and avid performer. She has recently returned from a year of study at Worcester College, Oxford.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have a research paper looming on the horizon? No problem! In continuation of my series on academic writing, I\u2019m here to make the prospect of that research paper a little less daunting. Once you understand the \u201cresearch mechanics\u201d of a research paper, this will be easier than you think. Let\u2019s talk sources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[54,55,69,68],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=617"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":893,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617\/revisions\/893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.princetontutoring.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}