5.7: Locating Sources
- Page ID
- 304808
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)A. Choosing Effective Evidence
There is so much information out there, and even though your choices are limited to the provided source list, choosing which evidence to use can still be an overwhelming prospect. Here are some tips to get you started.
\(>\) First things first: read the titles on the Source List. The entire Source List. Compare article/lecture titles to your subpoints and look for keywords and synonyms, and mark those articles to look at later.
You want to make sure the sources you find will be useful without wasting too much time. Look up the sources you marked and skim them: look at charts/graphs, read subheadings, watch the first minute of the lecture. If it’s an academic research article, read the abstract to see if the source will be useful to you. Use your browser’s search feature to look for keywords connected to your subpoint. Mark all relevant sources on your Source List.
\(>\) Read the sources in their entirety. Annotate important sections/sentences that you could use as evidence to support your argument. (See Annotating for Evidence below.)
Fill in any gaps in your outline with personal experience or examples. (You could also start with this step if you know you have relevant stories that support your argument.)
After this process, you may find that you have more evidence than you could possibly use in your essay, especially if you have both personal experience and an outside source that are relevant to the same subpoint. If that’s the case, you’ll need to narrow down your focus and decide which pieces of evidence will be the most effective. There are four questions to ask yourself when deciding what evidence to use.
- Does this piece of evidence directly relate to my subpoint?
Really effective evidence flows like an uninterrupted continuation of your subpoint. Remember: the evidence you use is meant to prove part of your argument; if it’s off-topic or doesn’t connect to this specific subpoint, it won’t effectively prove anything. Does the evidence help you make your point?
2. Do I actually understand what this piece of evidence is saying?
If you can’t paraphrase it, you probably don’t actually understand what your source is trying to tell you, and therefore using it effectively in an essay will be extremely difficult. Ask your professor for help, or keep searching for a source that you do understand.
3. Is this type of evidence effective?
Your essay shouldn’t consist of only one type of evidence: strive for a balance between outside sources and personal experience. Additionally, choose your evidence type carefully. For example, statistics are always an attractive type of evidence, and you may want to include some in your essay, but stop and think: can my subpoint be supported by statistics, or would an expert opinion be better suited?
4. Is this piece of evidence too long?
The focus of this assignment is you, and your voice should be the most prevalent in your writing; after all, the evidence is only supposed to support your argument. A good guideline is 2 sentences: if a quotation that you want to use is longer than two sentences, consider summarizing the relevant section or finding another source/passage that argues something similar.
Analyze your answers to the questions above and ask yourself if you need to make adjustments to the evidence you’re using.
PRACTICE 1: Identifying Evidence to Support Claims
Using the Source List, copy/paste the titles of at least three sources that would be relevant to your argument. If you can, include which subpoint/claim the title could support.
| TITLE OF SOURCE | SPECIFIC EVIDENCE FROM SOURCE |
|---|---|
B. How to Find Your Sources: Videos
- How to Use EBSCOHost: Use this video to understand the basics of using the UIC Library website and how to find academic sources.
- Using the Source List to Search EBSCOHost: Academic search engines don’t always operate like Google: you can’t simply search a sentence. This video explains how to search the database EBSCOHost while using the Source List.
- Finding an Article Using Google Scholar: Using Google Scholar effectively is more like using EBSCOHost than using the regular Google search engine. While not many of the articles from the Source List come from this website, it is a good tool to have in your academic search engine toolbelt. Watch this video to understand how the Google Scholar search engine works.