Adapted from “Chapter 17: Integrating Sources” of ENG 101 & 102 Rhetoric: College Composition at Central Arizona College by Traci Gardner. Copyright © 2024 by Central Arizona College; Shelley Decker; Kolette Draegan; Tatiana Keeling; Heather Moulton; and Lynn Gelfand. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

There are four main reasons to bring other voices into your conversation.

• Background information. Establish historical context or background information necessary for your audience to know to understand your argument.
• Support. As a type of evidence, an authoritative opinion from an expert or other credible source will help you build a logical connection to your claim.
• Opposing viewpoint. A strong argument requires you to address opinions and views that oppose yours. This type of source may also provide a way into your discussion, if you choose to begin by identifying the opposition, then present your claim.
• Inspiration. During the research process, you may have been inspired by a particular source, and this inspiration led to your own original ideas. Building on what another said is a normal conversation progression and appropriate for academic writing.