Citation Analysis

CITATION ANALYSIS is a strategy for both reading and writing. The practical goal of citation analysis is to scan a text and highlight every passage that references a primary or secondary source.

In scanning a text for references, you ask: what is the writer doing with source material, and how is the writer using that source material to build a claim or argument?

When you apply this strategy to your own draft, citation analysis will allow you to see how you are marshaling source material to build your argument; support your logical, procedural, or analytic claims; and establish your position in an ongoing disciplinary or professional community.

When you use source analysis to help you better understand a text you are reading, it can help you gain a broader perspective of who and what matters in a field of study, and the habits of mind that define a discipline or profession.

Acknowledgement: Many years ago, we found a version of this activity left behind on the printer in my office suite. If you happen to know who may have created this activity, please share our sincere gratitude!

 

Source Analysis for Self-Assessment of Peer Review

STEP 1 | SCAN TEXT

Read through the text and underline every passage that references a primary or secondary source. Try this activity with a peer and exchange drafts!

STEP 2 | CITATION ANALYSIS

For each passage, consider the following questions:

  1. Is the reference effectively introduced based on your understanding of disciplinary norms and audience expectations? Is there adequate context, including a brief summary of the source material as well as how the source is related to and advances the claim or argument?
  2. Is the source properly cited based on the style sheet you are using (APA, MLA, Chicago Style)? Is it included in the bibliography?
  3. Are you using precise verbs to introduce quotations?  ("Freidman says," "Freidman writes," "Freidman disputes." (Click here for more ideas.) 
  4. Have you added your own voice in the discussion following the reference that moves from this part of the argument or claim to the next?
  5. Review Gordon Harvey’s “Ways of Bringing a Source In” (15-17) in his book, Writing with Sources. Label each cited passage with one of Harvey’s categories: Summary, Paraphrase, Gist, Mention, Citation Only, or Exact Reproduction, and consider the following questions:
  • Do you notice any patterns? What do these patterns (or lack thereof) suggest about the purpose of the writer’s project, use of certain types of sources, or use of a particular source?
  • Would  any cited passages be more effective if the writer had used a different citation strategy? Why? How?

 

Source Analysis for Reading 

STEP 1 | SUMMARY STATEMENT

Preview the text (read the abstract, introduction, conclusion, headings, and images), and write out the argument of the text in 1-2 sentences. In 2-4 additional sentences, identify the purpose of the work and the intended audience. 

STEP 2 | SCAN TEXT

Read through the text and underline every passage that references a primary or secondary source. Linger a bit on the bibliography; a quick scan of a bibliography can give you a sense of a text’s rigor, relevance, point of view, and sphere of influence.

STEP 3 | CITATION ANALYSIS

For each passage, consider the following questions:

  1. How is the reference introduced and what does its framing tell you about how the writer understands disciplinary norms and audience expectations? 
  2. Is there adequate context? What key terms, concepts, topics might you need to review or research? Look in the bibliography for the source’s full citation. What more can you learn about the source by knowing its publication details?
  3. How does the source relate to and advance the claim or argument? What is its micro- and macro-level function in the text? How does spending time with it, help you understand both the larger contest and its nuances?
  4. Review Gordon Harvey’s “Ways of Bringing a Source In” (15-17) in his book, Writing with Sources. Label each cited passage with one of Harvey’s categories: Summary, Paraphrase, Gist, Mention, Citation Only, or Exact Reproduction, and consider the following questions:
  • Do you notice any patterns? What do these patterns (or lack thereof) suggest about the writer, the discipline, and/or the genre? About the ways that the writer, discipline, and/or genre makes use of certain types of sources, or uses particular sources?
  • Do you find any passages challenging to read? Would any of those passages be more accessible if the writer had used a different citation strategy? Revise if you can; perhaps doing so will help you understand. If you can’t produce a meaningful revision, consider tracking down and reading the cited source yourself!

STEP 4 | Compare the SOURCE ANALYSIS with the SUMMARY STATEMENT

Consider the following questions:

  • How well does your SUMMARY STATEMENT capture the argument of the text?
  • How might you revise and expand the SUMMARY STATEMENT to more effectively document the work of the text?
  • What have learning about yourself as a reader? How might you read differently next time?

__________

Harvey, Gordon. “Integrating Sources.” Writing with Sources: A Guide for Harvard Students, 2nd ed., Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, 2008, pp. 15–17.

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