Writing Style and Mechanics - Essay Example

The phrases for integrating source material into one’s essay depend on whether it is a direct quote or a paraphrased material. A paraphrased material allows a writer to integrate source material to supply appropriate acknowledgment to the original writer. A good example is given as; Daniels (2004) states that Darden Restaurants are among the 50 best organizations for minorities. Another way of integrating the same is given as; Darden Restaurants are among the 50 best organizations for minorities (Daniels, 2004).

The other way is given as; according to (Daniels, 2004) Darden Restaurants are among the 50 best organizations for minorities. It is to be remembered that for paraphrased material, there is no need to include page or paragraph numbers. Among the best ways of integrating sources into one’s writing is by using the signal phrase. Signal phrases are mainly used to mark the borders between the writer’s words and the source material. The use of signal phrases should not leave the readers guessing why a quotation has been used in the paper.

After a signal phrase has been used, it is also important to follow it up by exploiting discussions or interpretive remarks to provide the link with the argument of the paper. A good example of how to integrate sources into writing is given here. “It's a good idea to embed a quotation--especially a long one--between sentences of your own.” (Diana 2005). The other way is Diana (2005) stated that “It's a good idea to embed a quotation--especially a long one--between sentences of your own” (p. 98). Whenever there is a quotation of fewer than 40 words, it is necessary to enclose the text in double quotation marks. Additionally, “quotations containing more than 40 words are indented in a block format without quotation marks” (APA, 2010, p. 175).