Key Terms and Main Ideas

• Readers get frustrated by writers who incorrectly implement sourcing guidelines.
• The platform on which an author’s writing is presented and the audience the author anticipates to be reading the writing will alter the appropriate forms of using citations.
• It is in poor following of convention to present a quotation or dialogue without first introducing or sourcing it.
• Similarly, it is unwise to begin or end a paragraph with a quotation.
• “Prepare, quote, analyze.”
• Using an abundance of quotes in short succession of one another may distract the reader from the point the writer is trying to make.
• Quotations should smoothly flow into the surrounding text without mixed tenses or adverbs. Reading one’s work aloud can exhibit mistakes such as these.
• One must match the first word of their in text citation with the first word of their citations list.
• Every quote should have a citation; every citation should include at least the author’s surname.
• The material the citation is referring to should be absolutely clear. One make obvious what are their own ideas as opposed to the thoughts and research of others.

Summary

In a chapter of the open textbook series Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Kyle D. Stedman seeks to educate students on the Annoying Ways People Use Sources, as the chapter is titled. Stedman emphasizes that poor usage of in text citations can diminish the readability of a text and the credibility of a writer. To avoid such mistakes, Stedman presents several techniques, all memorably named, for student writers to use. The first set of techniques relate to when and where sources are used. Stedman advises students to clearly introduce quotations with their sources and the purpose they serve in the essay itself. He asserts that in many situations, it is inappropriate to implement quotations at the beginning or end of a paragraph, and that the language around citations should match grammatically and flow clearly. Stedman’s next few techniques are more technical; he recommends that students match the first word of their in text citation with the first word in the citation list. Often, in text citations should begin with the surname of the author or speaker of the quote. Finally, Stedman emphasizes that the original ideas of a writer and the ideas and information quoted and paraphrased from others should be absolutely apparent, both out of respect for the sources of ideas and to seamlessly implement the writer’s research.

Commentary

From a reader’s point of view, Annoying Ways People Use Sources by Kyle D. Stedman carries throughout it an annoying, whining tone. Much of the material is shaded with a certain negativity. For example, the title itself, Annoying Ways People Use Sources does not introduce itself as a constructive resource to help students improve their writing skills. Instead, it conveys the character of a teacher who has graded four too many research papers and needs to vent.

With the benefit of doubt and the requirement of class, one can ignore the title and is still met at the beginning of the essay with the aforementioned negativity. The first page begins with the sentence “I hate slow drivers.” (Stedman) and continues to display the author’s anger issues when it comes to road rage.

While the paper does ascend from road rage to academic writing, the entire essay/chapter uses demeaning language of various brutality, complaints about the author’s Uncle Barry (who I’m sure is just trying to make a connection with his nephew), and more than one passive aggressive comment about who I’m sure are previous students (see: I Swear I Did Some Research!”)

In retrospect, I imagine that the author was attempting to use anger and ‘annoyance’ to his advantage, trying to get students to feel an emotional vigor about his subject. In my own perspective, there is enough negativity in the word as is. While grammar continues to serve its purpose, which is to help us understand each other to the best extent, there are better things to be frustrated about.