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Since I just did exactly what John warned against, I copy my reply below: **** To Baldur: I recommend you look at Swales' descriptions of integrative and nonintegrative citations in either Genre Analysis or Research Genres -- for your own information. However, like you, I can't recall any "authority" ever discussing exactly what you describe students doing (and which I've also observed, and not just with students): confusion over handling an extended bit of information from the same source or commentary on that single source. But since this pattern is pretty common in certain fields (philosophy, literary criticism, some branches of history), it's not too hard for us to extrapolate and tell developing authors in other fields what to do about placing the references. (In certain fields, citing several data-rich sources for a single conclusion is far more common.) Here's what I say about cite placement, leading into what to do when information from a single source extends over several sentences: - Cites should be tied to specific affirmations -- even several in one sentence -- whether integrative or nonintegrative. But sometimes you want to spend more time on a single source. Since you still have to tie the cite to a specific affirmation -- even the first of many to come -- be sure the FIRST affirmation/information carries the cite because the reader wants to know you're discussing XXX right from the start: - Locate the start of information from the source (facts, opinions, whatever) from the source. Cite at that point (either integrative or nonintegrative cites). - After that, use natural phrasing to signal that you're still deriving information or ideas from the same source (for instance, "the authors also found that...." or "another issue xxx raised was whether...." and so on). - If you're still citing the same source when you change paragraphs, the cite needs to be worked in again. The main mistake the confused (young?) authors make is that they don't bother to put the cite at the beginning. They wait until they're "finished." What they need to do is move the cite up to the front of the discussion and then write about it naturally. A problem we have when working with authors in the sciences is that they don't do this type of writing often enough to get the hang of it -- and often not until they're at the height of their careers. But handling the cites this way actually makes it easier for them to weave their own thoughts into the prose in interesting ways. I'm not sure there's an "authority" to cite on this, but you can find lots of examples in prose that's better written than my email! On Fri, Apr 11, 2014 at 4:07 PM, john t <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > This is a very relevant question Baldur raises. I note that sometimes, > members reply directly to the 'author'. Can I encourage members to ensure > that in view of the importance of this question that replies are posted to > EATAW. > John t > *From:* Baldur Siguršsson <[log in to unmask]> > *Sent:* Friday, April 11, 2014 3:51 PM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Where to place the in-text citation > > > Dear EATAW colleagues. > > Can you point out to me authorative guidelines that explain how you place > in-text citations differently according to the length and nature of a > summary or paraphrase from a source? I have access to a lot of handbooks, > guidelines and many useful websites like Purdue, but no one adresses this > issue (to my knowledge). > > I suppose you know the problem: When summarizing or paraphrasing, students > have problems placing their in-text citations (Author, Year) properly in > relation to the content. The result may be of two kinds: The reader goes on > for several lines (up to a whole paragraph) without knowing what is the > source (of if there is a source) or is not sure what is from the author and > what is from the source. > > The undergraduates use few sources and usually only one at the time, so > whole paragraphs, of up to half a page, are a summary of only one source, > which is referred to at the end of the paragraph in parenthesis (Author, > year, page). And this can go on for several paragraphs and pages, the > source is cited at the end of each paragraph. > > Using the APA style of citations I do not like this, I want to see the > author and citation earlier. I teach my students using signal phrases and > notice the difference between introductory sentences and connecting, > argumenting or explicatory sentences, phrases etc. But I feel pretty alone > in trying to explain this to my students and my colleagues, nobody seems > to bother, maybe because no handbook on citation mentions this problem. If > a problem is not mentioned in your handbook it does not exist. The students > see a lot of this way of citating in final student theses and dissertations > in the library and think this is how to do it. > > I am here concerned with the transfer from how beginning students write > their essays by paraphrasing long stretches of text from one source and how > they gradually learn to compose their paragraphs from multiple sources. > Going through available literature and guidelines I can not find any > discussion on this issue. All textbooks and manuals only show you examples > of paraphrasing a source that are only a couple of lines, the type of > citating trained scholars are used to. Noone deals with the problem of how > you cite when paraphrasing long stretches of text from the same source, > which is so common among our undergraduate students, and lives on in their > writing as long as noone comments on it. > > I am looking for a reference I can use for convincing my colleagues that > they should bother as I do. > > Best wishes J > > Baldur Sig. > > > > Baldur Siguršsson, [log in to unmask] > Senior lecturer, University of Iceland, School of Education > Director of the School of Education Writing Centre<http://vefsetur.hi.is/ritver/> > Direct: +354 525 53 39, central: +354 525 40 00, mobile: +354 693 38 41 > Writing Centre: +354 525 5975 > ------------------------------------------------------- > Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at > all. (Charles Babbage 1792-1871) > > > -- Mary Ellen Kerans Barcelona, SPAIN