My showcase writing project contains a few examples of integrating other authors with my own thoughts and examples. The first example is about research science. I pulled a quote from Steven Pinker’s “Science Is Not Your Enemy:” “Our minds are prone to illusions, fallacies, and super-stitions.” I then illustrate an example of a creationist performing an evolution experiment as a way to show a fallacy. The idea is that the creationist may observe micro-evolution but say it is not evidence of evolution and go on believing what they believe, factual or not.
Another example is when I quote Yo-Yo Ma’s “Necessary Edges: Arts, Empathy, and Education.” The first instance I use Ma is for his idea to be introduced in his own words. I go on to disagree with his ideas, so I do not want to misrepresent what his idea is. Here’s an excerpt from my essay as an example:
One of his main arguments is about the value of arts integration: “The values behind arts integration – collaboration, flexible thinking, and disciplined imagination – lead to the capacity to innovate,”(258). In my own experience, I learned these things through work experience. I worked in an aquaculture facility as a class in high school. If we did not collaborate, think flexibly, or imaginate certain things, organisms would die. These qualities were necessary, and sometimes they were necessary in a very short amount of time. Not only are these skills being learned, they are being applied to a real world application in aquaculture.
I present the idea and go right into my disagreement. I use Ma’s words as a frame for my own argument
It really is all about finding the right quotation to frame your argument to right way while also not misrepresenting your source. This applies both for sources that expand an essay and sources that contradict an essay. This is how we can all promote our ideas in an honest way.
