5.9: Composing Source Sandwiches

If you have ever written a summary/response essay before, then you have incorporated sources into an essay: you have already picked out relevant information from an outside source, introduced it with a signal phrase, and learned how to paraphrase it. Now you will take your source integration skills even further by learning about and writing source sandwiches: how you will bring together the subpoint and evidence columns in your outline.

A. Parts of a Source Sandwich

There are three parts to a source sandwich:

We refer to this writing strategy as a sandwich not only because there are three parts but also because the "top" and the "bottom" of the "sandwich" both come from the same source: you. The bread in this analogy is your argument and the filling of the sandwich comes from a source. Let’s discuss each of these sections separately.

i. Claim/Context

The claim, as you know, comes from the Subpoint column (Column 2) in your outline and lays out the next part of your argument. You always want to start with at least one sentence of your own argument because the reader will want to know how this evidence fits into your overall argument. Starting out a paragraph with a source will cause confusion for the reader.

Context is an optional, not-always-necessary part of the sandwich’s first section that gives more information about the source or the situation surrounding the evidence in order for the reader to understand how it all fits together. Think of the claim portion as connecting your argument to the evidence and the context as connecting the source to the evidence.

Here’s an example when both a claim and context are necessary:

Planting a larger number of trees reduces the loss of water and the production of pollution. Al Stefan tells the story of Uruk, an ancient city dependent on the development of irrigation cities, as an example. In his article, "What Happens if You Cut Down All of a City’s Trees?" Stefan argues that "But without trees to filter their water supply, Uruk’s irrigation system became contaminated. Evaporating water left mineral deposits, which rendered the soil too salty for agriculture."

Without the context in this example, the reader would be very confused: what’s Uruk? A city? A person? And how does it prove the writer’s claim? The writer added a bit of context from the original article to help situate the reader in relation to both the claim and the outside source.

Below is another example where the context was simply more information expanding on the claim.

Electric scooter riders must be required to wear a helmet because helmets reduce the risk of serious brain injury. If a scooter hits a rock or a pothole, the operator could easily lose control, fall, and hit their head. Brain injury would be a result.

ii. Source Material

Source material comes from the Evidence column (Column 3) of your outline and supports the argument put forth in the claim. Therefore, when we say source material, we’re talking about anything from quotations of outside sources to examples to personal experience. Just like there are numerous foods you can put into a sandwich, there are numerous types of evidence you can use for your sandwich, and they all get treated the same way in crafting your argument.

As mentioned in Chapter 1, you must always cite any outside information you use in an essay, and just like a summary or summary/response essay, as mentioned in Chapter 3, you should introduce your source first. Introduce the source by including the title and the author’s name the first time you use it; if you mention the source again, you only need to use the author’s last name per MLA citation guidelines. \({ }^{3}\) Additionally, remember to punctuate the title correctly.

? =0

¹³

??=0

¹⁴

For longer works, like books, use italics.
\(\rightarrow\) Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

For shorter works, like articles or TedTalks, use double quotation marks.
\(\rightarrow\) "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
(For more information on introducing a source with a signal phrase, including templates and suggestions for signal verbs, see Chapter 3.)

If you are using information from an outside source, there are three main strategies for incorporating them into your source sandwich:

1. Quote: As aforementioned, a quotation is a passage taken directly from the original source, which then needs to be cited. You would use this strategy if the original source material says the idea in such a way that it cannot be improved upon, and a quotation should be no longer than 1-2 sentences maximum.
2. Paraphrase: As you learned in Chapter 2, a paraphrase is when you keep the meaning from the specific passage of an outside source, but you put it into your own ideas, cite the original source, and don’t use quotation marks. You would use this strategy to vary your evidence format and avoid quoting too much.
3. Summarize: As you learned in Chapter 3, a summary boils down the information from a longer passage or source into only the necessary and important information that pertains to your argument. You would use this strategy if the evidence you want to use is longer than 2 sentences.

In-Text Citations (MLA Format)

In order to give full credit to a source as well as to signal to the reader that your evidence is complete, you may need to include in-text citations. (For citing sources through a Works Cited page, see below.) Starting the source material with a signal phrase that includes the title and author’s full name shows the reader where the source’s ideas begin, and ending the source material with in-text citation shows the reader where the source ends and your own ideas begin again.

Sources that have page numbers include books and some articles that were originally published in physical journals, magazines, or newspapers; sources that won’t have page numbers include websites, articles published electronically, and videos. A good rule of thumb is to consider how you’re viewing the source: if it’s a website, there won’t be a page number; if it’s a PDF, check the corners of the pages for numbers - if there are numbers, you should include the number of the page where you found your information.

• When the source is used for the first time, and it includes a page number, the source material part of the source sandwich includes the author’s full name, title, source material, and page number:

As Gabriel García Márquez states in his book Love in the Time of Cholera, "What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it" (1).

• If the same source is used again, and it includes a page number, the source material part of the source sandwich includes only the author’s last name, source material, and the page number:

Márquez implores the reader to "think of love as a state of grace: not the means to anything but the alpha and omega, an end in itself" (35).

OR

Another definition of love is "as a state of grace: not the means to anything but the alpha and omega, an end in itself" (Márquez 35).

• When the source is used for the first time, and it does not include a page number, the source material part of the source sandwich includes the author’s full name, title, and source material:

According to Angela Demarko in her article "Bike Helmets: Unused Lifesavers," wearing a helmet gives extra padding to the head and takes the shock of an accident, reducing head injury risk by \(85 \%\).

• If the same source is used again, and it includes a page number, the source material part of the source sandwich includes only the author’s last name and source material:

Demarko claims that wearing a helmet gives extra padding to the head and takes the shock of an accident, reducing head injury risk by \(85 \%\).

OR
In fact, in terms of helmets, wearing one gives extra padding to the head and takes the shock of an accident, reducing head injury risk by \(85 \%\) (Demarko).

Remember, authors are listed in the Source List and your Works Cited page by last name (e.g. LastName, FirstName \(\rightarrow\) Demarko, Angela), and you will have to reverse the order when you refer to the authors in your essay itself (e.g. FirstName LastName \(\rightarrow\) Angela Demarko).

PRACTICE 1: Incorporating Signal Phrases

Using the strategies above, introduce the quotations below using a signal phrase and correct in-text citations.

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Original Quotation: "[M]inority students who attend racially segregated schools perform

worse academically than minority students at racially integrated schools."

Citation: "New York’s Schools are the Most Segregated in

the Nation" by Grace Chen; online article

& Mention: first mention
Integrated Quotation: &

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Original Quotation: "Currently, computational systems can infer all sorts of things about

you from your digital crumbs, even if you have not disclosed those things."

&

Citation: "Machine Intelligence Makes Human Morals

More Important" by Zeynep Tufecki; TedTalk

& Mention: second mention
Integrated Quotation: &

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Original Quotation: "Growth of culture, inheritance and transmission is through

communication, language, symbols and other artistic forms."

Citation: "Culture, Tradition, and Globalisation: Some

Philosophical Questions" by Asha Mukherjee; journal

article; found on page 54

& Mention: second mention
Integrated Quotation: &

iii. Analysis/Comment

The analysis and comment are arguably the most important part of your source sandwich. This section is where you connect the evidence and your argument and expand on them; it’s where the heart of your argument happens, so logically it should be the most well-developed portion. There are two components - the analysis and comment, of course and they serve different functions.

• The analysis paraphrases, rephrases, or explains what you think the author means. It highlights in your own words the most important point the evidence makes.
• The comment explains how the source material fits into your argument, whether it supports or opposes it, and finishes by wrapping up that subpoint/portion of the argument.

You never want to end a paragraph on the source material: the reader needs to understand how you interpret the evidence and how you think it supports your argument, and the analysis/comment is where the writer explains that logic.

Here’s an example of one writer’s analysis and comment:
This reduction is directly attributable to wearing helmets. Because scooters are unprotected and can travel at relatively fast speeds, the risk of injury - especially head injury - is large. Concussions and similar consequences cause lasting damage such as light sensitivity, memory issues, and even death in severe circumstances. If bicyclists are required to wear helmets, operators of motorized scooters should be held to the same requirements. Scooter riders must protect themselves with a helmet.

B. Putting It All Together

A full source sandwich with claim/context, source material, and analysis/comment would look like this:

Electric scooter riders must be required to wear a helmet because helmets reduce the risk of serious brain injury. If a scooter hits a rock or a pothole, the operator could easily lose control, fall, and hit their head. Brain injury would be a result. According to Angela Demarko in her article "Bike Helmets: Unused Lifesavers," wearing a helmet gives extra padding to the head and takes the shock of an accident, reducing head injury risk by \(85 \%\) (348). This reduction is directly attributable to wearing helmets. Because scooters
"Roast beef sandwich" by Eric Hossinger is licensed with CC BY 2.0 .

are unprotected and can travel at relatively fast speeds, the risk of injury - especially head injury -
is large. Concussions and similar consequences cause lasting damage such as light sensitivity,
memory issues, and even death in severe circumstances. If bicyclists are required to wear helmets,
operators of motorized scooters should be held to the same requirements. Scooter riders must
protect themselves with a helmet.

REMEMBER! Each subpoint should be its own source sandwich. Therefore, each body paragraph should have two source sandwiches, and the whole essay should contain 6 source sandwiches.

INTRODUCTION
- Hook
- Background Information
- Thesis Statement

BODY

- Supporting Point 1
- Subpoint 1 + Evidence

- Subpoint $2+$ Evidence

- Supporting Point 2
- Subpoint 1 + Evidence

- Subpoint $2+$ Evidence

- Supporting Point 3
- Subpoint 1 + Evidence

- Subpoint 2 + Evidence

CONCLUSION

- Restatement of Thesis
- Summary of Supporting Points
- Final Comment

Follow the directions below to determine which sentences belong in which parts of the source sandwich.

1. Read the source sandwiches/body paragraphs below out loud to your group.
2. Highlight the subpoint(s)/claim(s) in pink.
3. Highlight the source material/evidence in green.
4. Highlight the source analysis/comment in purple.

Paragraph 1:

Al replacing humans is advantageous as robots are creating jobs for humans and not taking away jobs. One reason Al creates jobs is machines need supervision and monitoring. Driverless cars help in reducing risk on road and at the same time create jobs for people for supervision. In the article "Making AI Into Jobs" by David Rotman explains the concept of self-driven cars has come into the economy which is reducing accidents, risk of lives and is creating jobs for humans for monitoring and guiding robots (4). Driverless cars may be safe but at the same time, humans are required to ensure that the robots are functioning properly or not. Humans still need to keep an eye on the machines as they always cannot work solely. Either the automobile companies or the government would create supervisory jobs for humans to monitor the functioning of robots. Hence, robots supplement people rather than taking away their jobs completely.

Paragraph 2:

Moreover, a large part of air pollution in cities comes from automobile exhaust, and the construction of a perfect public transport system can greatly reduce the use of cars, but this solution needs a lot of money. Improving the public transport system can reduce urban pollution. Air pollution in many cities is caused by a lot of automobile exhaust. Manole Olivia-Elena say that "transport, besides their positive impact on the developing of economy and the welfare of civilians, because of its increasing number, has become one of the major sources of pollution, both because of the noise, but mostly because of the gas emissions with greenhouse effect being responsible for the global warmth" in the article "Transportation. Pollution. Fiscality" (33). As Olivia-Elena said, more and more cars have become one of the main causes of air pollution. The way to solve this problem is to provide people with a more convenient and cheaper way to go outside, so that they can give up driving. And a perfect public transport system just meets this standard. Thus, the construction of a sound public transport system can effectively improve the environmental problems of the city.

PRACTICE 2: Analyzing and Evaluating Source Sandwiches

For each of the paragraphs, highlight each part of the source sandwich. Then evaluate the sandwich using the chart below.

1. Read the source sandwiches/body paragraphs below out loud to your group.
2. Highlight the subpoint(s)/claim(s) in pink.
3. Highlight the source material/evidence in green.
4. Highlight the source analysis/comment in purple.

Paragraph 1:

Changing society cannot be guaranteed when people change society through social media. First of all, information from social media is not all true. According to Naim, the function that people are able to click ’like’ when they look at someone’s social account makes a good illusion that people are active with protest. People clicking ’like’ on social media have tons of reasons. Some people just want to prove that they have browsed this message; some people mentally support movements but they will not spend time making a plan for it and going into action; the rest of the people possibly do something about it. Therefore, social media can only bring few people who protest things for a social change in the real world, in the end.

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Is there a clear supporting point (topic sentence) in the

paragraph?

& YES & NO & SO-SO
Is the subpoint (claim) clear? & YES & NO & SO-SO
Does the source material support these claims? & YES & NO & SO-SO

Is the source material from the source list or personal

examples?

& YES & NO & ???

Does the analysis for each source sandwich connect

back to the claim?

& YES & NO & SO-SO
Is there enough analysis? Do you want to know more? & YES & NO & SO-SO
What additional comments do you have? & & &

Paragraph 2:

Social media can easily disseminate important information on social matters. Social media enlightens people in relation to public awareness pertaining to public health because of a policy of using social media analytics. The diversity of social media platforms and available analysis techniques provides multiple ways to offer insight for policy making and decision making. Social media content can provide timely information about the impact of particular
policy and need to intervene. The author Jonathan Moyer in the article "Political Activism On Social Media Has Grown SomeTeeth" leads us to believe that it is the "advent of a new era where social media is being used to change public opinion, mobilize activists, and even shape public policy." The Climate March and Women’s March are fully prepared and put into action on social media. This is virtually becoming political activism, may be public health policy or any other policy on any social issues. The Occupy Wall Street movement is another example in this field. Let us conclude that social media is effective on all public policies for making any amendments or changes.

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Is there a clear supporting point (topic sentence) in the

paragraph?

& YES & NO & SO-SO
Is the subpoint (claim) clear? & YES & NO & SO-SO
Does the source material support these claims? & YES & NO & SO-SO

Is the source material from the source list or personal

examples?

& YES & NO & ???

Does the analysis for each source sandwich connect

back to the claim?

& YES & NO & SO-SO
Is there enough analysis? Do you want to know more? & YES & NO & SO-SO
What additional comments do you have? & & &

PRACTICE 3: Composing Source Sandwiches

Using the information in the box below, along with the given quotation, create a full source sandwich. Consider these questions to help you: what argument is the source material proving? What does the source material mean and how does it connect back to your claim?

Supporting Point: Open-concept offices have drawbacks that include distraction and decreased productivity.
Subpoint: distraction

Claim:

Source Material:

". . One of the issues around distraction is that once you’re distracted, trying to refocus your

attention back on the task at hand [. . .] there’s a time lag there." (From "The Open-Concept

Office: Is This Modern Setup Sabotaging Our Productivity?" by Professor Theresa Kline; online

video)

Analysis/Comment:

Write your complete source sandwich here:

PRACTICE 4: Evaluating Source Sandwiches
Using the chart below, evaluate the source sandwich from Practice 3 or a source sandwich from your research paper.

|l|lll| & &

Is there a clear supporting point (topic sentence) in the

paragraph?

& YES & NO & SO-SO &
Are the subpoints (claims) clear? & YES & NO & SO-SO &
Does the source material support these claims? & YES & NO & SO-SO &
Is the source material from the source list or personal examples? & YES & NO & ??? &

Does the analysis for each source sandwich connect back to the

claim?

& YES & NO & SO-SO &
Is there enough analysis? Do you want to know more? & YES & NO & SO-SO &
What additional comments do you have? &

FOCUS ON COHESION

See the section on Cohesion. Which cohesion strategies would be the most effective to connect the subpoints and topic sentences? List them below.

While revising your body paragraphs, consider: while skimming, can you tell where the first subpoint ends and the second subpoint begins? Are those ideas distinct but connected? Which cohesive devices did you use and were they used effectively?