Dylaine Jean

ENG 101
July 14, 2019

How to Build Credibility for an Argument & Why It is Important to Correctly Document
Research
Why is citing important? How is Credibility Built? How many different ways are there for citing
material? Is a works cited page necessary? What is the correct way of documenting research?
These questions are commonly asked when writing an argument and citing evidence that was
used throughout the argument. This paper will explain how credibility for an argument is built
and how to correctly document research.
The first step to building credibility is Infotention. Infotention is a way of multitasking
information that is on the internet and paying attention to what is happening. It was a word that
was made up by Howard Rheingold which he said described “A mind- machine combination of
brain-powered attention skills and computer powered information filters” (pg. 437). It is a way to
stay focused online and avoid distractions such as social media or jumping from web page to
webpage. Which can cause critical mass. Critical mass is when there are multiple sources of
evidence that get right to the point of your claim. There should not be any circumstantial
evidence, it is when indirect evidence hints that something happened but cannot be proven. After
gathering all the information needed it is time to synthesize. It is figuring out how the
information fit together to support the claims.
The next step is to paraphrase and summarize sources. Paraphrasing is when you
summarize in your own words. When a person paraphrases it shows that they understand the
material by highlighting and taking notes. Summarizing is the gist of an idea, enough evidence to
identify a point. It helps the person reading your paper understand the sources that have been
used. This is where using quotations happen. When summarizing a paragraph, quotations are
often used to support the argumentative claims. It is important to use quotations correctly
because it can broaden the argument by appealing to the mind of the reader. Sometimes using
charts, graphs, and images work just like quotations by providing evidence for the argument.
The last step is Plagiarism, it is when a person claims that the work of someone else is
theirs. When doing research, it is important to always give credit to the author, article etc., that
way you can avoid being accused of plagiarizing and breaking copyright law. When collecting
information from the internet it is important to remember that the rules are still valid. Books,
photos, music, and videos are all under the Creative Commons License which allows the public
to use them as long as credit is given to the creator of the work. Sometimes there are often
materials that do not have a copyright symbol it is likely that it is protected by the copyright laws
and permission may need to be requested to use it.
Now onto documenting sources. It is always important to gather accurate information and
document them accurately. It should not be done carelessly as it the most important part of the
argument because that is where you cite your evidence and show that it is understood. There are
two different ways to create a works cited page by using MLA or APA formats. MLA format is
where it is directly quoted using quotation marks on both ends and some note that identifies the
author or source. APA format is using in-text citations in the beginning of the argument to record
sources of quotes, paraphrases and summaries. They occur at the end of the text.
In conclusion, the effective way to use sources are by using Infotention,
Paraphrasing/Summarizing and Plagiarism. These steps are important when using sources to
build credibility. Also, the different formats of documenting sources on works cited pages which
include using APA and MLA formatting to correctly cite any source from the internet or other
forms of research.