Academic Writer
academic writer: organization: introductions: quotations
Quotations
It is possible to start your text with a quotation in the
opening paragraph. This is particularly useful when you have found somebody else's point
of view useful or interesting as a start point for your own work. You
will then use it to develop your own argument. A well known quotation perhaps
from a famous person can also act as a focus for your paper and capture your reader’s attention.
Authorities in the academic world: there are cases where a particular
person's point of view, theory or research has become widely accepted in a particular
field (e.g. Einstein, General Theory of Relativity, physics). That person becomes an
authority in the field. If this work has influenced you, it is then standard academic
practice to acknowledge this person's contribution in your work, before going on to
describe your own research or give your own point of view. Quotations will of course
normally include citations.
Possible exceptions might be very famous quotations which have entered the language and
almost become sayings (see Example 3 below). Note: A quotation is by itself NOT
sufficient for an introduction. Example 1 is a good example of quotation
connected to commentary.
EXAMPLE 1
Notice the way in which the key concepts (formative and summative evaluation) are
defined by short quotations and citations from the work of leading authorities in the
field (Cronbach and Lynch). This is a cautious and common tactic. The writer then
summarizes the position of a third authority (Stake) who is commenting on the first two
statements. Finally the writer himself goes on to comment on the overall position ('The
distinction is perhaps not as sharp as it would seem...')
| Should an evaluation be formative or summative? A formative evaluation is one which "regards the programme as fluid and seeks ways to better it" (Cronbach, 1982:12). Conversely, a summative evaluation "determines whether or not a programme has been successful" (Lynch, 1996:22). Stake (1977) suggests that the distinction reflects the difference between what programme insiders and outsiders want to know: the insiders are generally more concerned with formative, developmental aspects rather than achievements. Outsiders, on the other hand, tend to be more concerned with issues such as the impact of the programme. The distinction is perhaps not as sharp as it would seem, with most evaluations probably having both formative and summative elements. It can perhaps be most usefully seen in terms of a difference in focus: the formative evaluation focusing on the process of the programme, whereas the summative evaluation focuses on the product. |
EXAMPLE 2 Style note: A quotation may be an indented paragraph.
| Life long education: How can we keep our
engineers well educated? In this Information Age, learning is all part of the job—especially for engineers. Rapid information delivery is fueling rapid changes in technology, and with those changes there is a growing demand for continuing engineering education (CEE).
We shall take this statement as a start point in our examination of the engineering curriculum... |
EXAMPLE 3
| The uses and abuses of writing in the
information technology age "I think, therefore I am," Rene Descartes commented famously on human consciousness. Since Descartes knew the power of the written word he might have said: "I write, therefore I am immortal." Not all written words will help a person achieve the immortality of Descartes or Shakespeare, but in most cases, writing helps people extend who they are, and how they think, across the boundaries of time and space. |
EXAMPLE 4
| U.S. Wage Trends over the last 25 years The microeconomic picture of the U.S. has changed immensely since 1973, and the trends are proving to be consistently downward for the nation’s high school graduates and high school drop-outs. "Of all the reasons given for the wage squeeze – international competition, technology, deregulation, the decline of unions and defense cuts – technology is probably the most critical. It has favored the educated and the skilled," noted M. B. Zuckerman, editor-in-chief of U.S. News & World Report (7/31/95). Since 1973, wages adjusted for inflation have declined by about a quarter for high school dropouts, by a sixth for high school graduates, and by about 7% for those with some college education. Only the wages of college graduates are up. |
Find out about other types of Introductions
Academic Writer 2000