Annoying Ways People Use Sources

**Armadillo Roadkill**: dropping in a quotation without introducing it first.

Example: You should walk away saying, “both sides presented a good argument”, there was passion and determination in all of the research and studies that went into the content.  I will say that none of the evidence on either side will change what I already believe and it should be the same for you.

In this example, notice how there is nothing that leads up to the quotations, they are just thrown into the paragraph with no explanation and this can leave the reader confused.

The Correct Way: We should all be prepared with a backup plan if a zombie
invasion occurs. Max Brooks suggests a number of ways
to prepare for zombies’ particular traits, though he underestimates
the ability of humans to survive in harsh
environments. For example, he writes, “Unlike its human
counterparts, an army of zombies is completely independent
of support” (155). His shortsightedness could have a number
of consequences. . . .

In this example, notice how the writer leads you into the quoted sentence by saying "Max Brooks suggests." This warns the reader that quotations are to follow.

**Dating Spider Man:** starting or ending a paragraph with a quotation.

Example: I need to work on my patience and also I need to work on staying focused and on task.  Sometimes I even wonder if I have a good plan or not, maybe even doubting myself a little bit.

I plan to spend no more than one more week on my current topic and then I will move on in my studies.  My main source of study for the CCIE will be Internetworking Expert (INE), they have a bundle that consists of videos and it also comes with a lab book for the practical knowledge.

In this example, look at how the first paragraph ends with the writer talking about needing to work on patience and staying focused. The next paragraph should flow and take the reader into how the writer is going to work on patience and stay focused, instead the writer starts talking about another topic.

The Correct Way: “Nothing is ever simple: Racism and nobility can exist in the
same man, hate and love in the same woman, fear and loyalty,
compromise and idealism, all the yin-yang dichotomies
that make the human species so utterly confounding, yet so
utterly fascinating” (Hunter). The hypocrisy and complexity
that Stephen Hunter from the Washington Post describes is the
basis of the movie Crash (2004).

In this example, the quotations immediately grabs the reader's attention. The quotation is prepared, quoted, and analyzed.

**Uncle Barry and His Encyclopedia of Useless Information**: using too many quotations in a row.

Example: In “Did Noah Really Collect all Species of Earthly Organism on his Ark” (2001), Clifford Pickover conveys that”…most scientifically trained people no longer ask whether an actual man named Noah collected all species of Earthly organism on his Ark”.  Pickover justifies this argument by proclaiming there are over 300,000 species of beetles  and over 1,830 variety of fleas; moreover he states, “even if Noah took ten or twenty of each kind of mammal, very few would be alive after a thousand years because approximately 50 individuals of a single species are needed to sustain genetic health.

In this example, notice the repetitive quotations. The issue is that the reader never has the chance to know more about a topic because the writer moves on with quotation after quotation.

The Correct Way: Robin Toner’s article, “Feminist Pitch by a Democrat named Obama,” was written a week after the video became public and is partially a response to it. She writes, “The Obama campaign is, in some ways, subtly marketing its candidate as a post-feminist man, a generation beyond the gender conflicts of the boomers.” Subtly is the key word. Obama is a passive character throughout the video, never directly addressing the camera. Rather, he is shown indirectly through speeches, intimate conversations with supporters and candid interaction with family. This creates a sense of intimacy, which in turn creates a feeling of trust.

In this example, the writer uses only a single quotation. The writer is demonstrating a balance between source and analysis very well.