The Bedford Researcher: Chapter 15 Summary and Review

Chapter fifteen in The Bedford Researcher reviews ways to effectively incorporate sources into a research paper. There are various strategies for using source information in a way that supports a position and Palmquist offers some for the introductory section in 15a. He notes that a quotation or paraphrase from a credible source at the start of a paper immediately sets the tone and direction of the paper. The ways in which a writer contrasts ideas and arguments will cue the reader as to the writer’s position; the use of paraphrases and summaries are often used to express complex ideas, whereas quotations may be used to convey emotional qualities of the writer’s position. By aligning one’s argument with an authority or expert, providing examples, and qualifying a point, sources may be used in a variety of ways. Subsequent sections in the chapter include ways to properly include in-text citations, properly cite quotations and the use of attributions.

This chapter included a lot of great ways to begin writing the introductory section to a paper. I liked reviewing the examples provided in the text because they illustrated how effective the right quotation can be when setting the tone of a paper. Additionally, the chapter underscored the importance of and different ways to use examples, especially if an issue is complex. The attribution examples at the end of the chapter are useful. I also liked that the chapter reiterated the importance of distinguishing source ideas and the writer’s ideas, as they can easy to blur together when writing and re-wording a draft.