Signal the Use of
a SourceStrategy 3: Use Key Phrases
You may not need to quote entire sentences or passages of a source
to get your point across. In this case, you may want to quote key
phrases.
With this technique, you will integrate key phrases from your sources
into your sentences. You may choose these phrases for several reasons.
You may believe that the words of the author are memorable or remarkable
because of their effectiveness or historical flavor. Additionally,
the author may have said a phrase so well that you feel you could
not improve upon the phrase itself, or you may need to comment upon
the words themselves. Let’s look at a few examples:
Reporter Jack Nimeson (2000) speculated in his Opinions column
whether modern cinema should be “bemoaned for its lack of heart and
intellect” (A-2).
Locker (2000) indicates that Web searches can yield thousands of
results, unless the searcher is careful to employ “wild cards,” which
are symbols (p. 380). These symbols allow for variations such as
plural endings.
As with all strategies, when you include key phrases, your surrounding
text should accurately represent the intent of the original document.
Essentially, you can’t use an author’s words out of context
to support your point.
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