Writing

Annoying Ways People Use Sources

Watch the video, read Kyle Stedman's essay for more detail, then practice fixing common problems with quotes.

Watch the video

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Read the essay

The video is based on an essay by Kyle Stedman. Read it for more detail and many more examples.

“Annoying Ways People Use Sources” by Kyle Stedman (opens in a new tab)

Stedman's essay uses MLA style. In our class we use APA, so the citations in the practice below look a little different. The ideas are the same.

Practice

Each example below has an annoying version. Read it and decide what is wrong. Then click to reveal the fix. A good use of a source follows three moves: prepare the reader, quote, then analyze.

These examples use the sample topics for the OQTA packet (Therac-25) and the SQYD packet (the Tropicana 2009 packaging redesign). The sources are made up, so you will not find them in a library.

APA tip: When your focus is the event or idea, not the author, introduce the source with a noun, such as one investigation or the report, and put the citation in parentheses: (Last name, Year, p. #). Use only the author's last name, with no first name or title. For the verb, use the past tense (explained, found) or the present perfect (has argued), not the present tense.

Example 1 (OQTA packet): The quote shows up from nowhere

Annoying version The Therac-25 radiation therapy machine caused serious patient injuries. “Removing the older hardware safety interlocks left software as the only safeguard against overdose” (Okafor, 2019, p. 22). Software testing needed to be stronger.
Click to reveal the fix
Better version The Therac-25 radiation therapy machine caused serious patient injuries. One investigation described the cause: “Removing the older hardware safety interlocks left software as the only safeguard against overdose” (Okafor, 2019, p. 22).

What changed: The better version names the source with a noun (one investigation) and a past-tense verb (described) to set up the quote. The citation stays in parentheses at the end, which keeps the focus on the event instead of the author.

Example 2 (SQYD packet): Who said it, and where?

Annoying version Tropicana's 2009 carton redesign made the product harder to recognize on the shelf. One book on package design explained that “shoppers look for familiar shapes and colors before they read any words.”
Click to reveal the fix
Better version Tropicana's 2009 carton redesign made the product harder to recognize on the shelf. One book on package design explained that “shoppers look for familiar shapes and colors before they read any words” (Alvarez, 2018, p. 41).

What changed: Naming the source with a noun (one book on package design) tells the reader what kind of source it is, but it does not replace the citation. The citation goes in parentheses after the quote, with the author's last name, the year, and the page number. The period goes after the parentheses. The full source also needs an entry in your References list, with a hanging indent:

Alvarez, M. (2018). Shelf impact: How shoppers read package design. Studio Press.

Example 3 (OQTA packet): The quote just sits there

Annoying version Therac-25 operators often saw error messages they could not interpret. One investigation noted that “operators saw cryptic error codes and learned to click past them” (Okafor, 2019, p. 35). The next section describes the company's response.
Click to reveal the fix
Better version Therac-25 operators often saw error messages they could not interpret. One investigation noted that “operators saw cryptic error codes and learned to click past them” (Okafor, 2019, p. 35). This means the machine's warnings did not tell operators what was wrong or how serious it was. If operators learn to ignore a warning, it no longer protects anyone, so a fix needs clearer messages as well as better code.

What changed: After the quote, the writer explains what it means and why it matters. Never leave the reader to guess why you included a quote.