The document discusses the rhetoric of source citations and implications for teaching. It argues that focusing on what sources do, what we do when citing them, and what citations themselves do shifts the conversation from templates to how citations direct attention and reflect on the author. The author discusses getting students to think more about the sources they associate with and implications for hands-on classroom activities, grading practices, and potential colleague pushback.

1. The Rhetoric of Source Citations:
An Argument & Implications for
Teaching
Elizabeth Kleinfeld, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English & Writing Center Director
Metropolitan State University of Denver
ekleinfe@msudenver.edu
Slides are at http://www.slideshare.net/lizkleinfeld

3. source citation =
“cover your ass” move

4. A Patchwrite
Original Patchwrite
• “Sousa’s outrage is not hard to
understand. Though he was a
famous conductor, some of
Sousa’s income came from the
copyrights he had secured in
the work he had composed and
arranged.”
--from Lawrence Lessig’s Remix
• Sousa’s anger isn’t hard to
comprehend. Although he was
well known as a conductor, he
also made money from
copyrights on musical
compositions and
arrangements. (Lessig 23)

5. When we focus on
• what sources do,
• what we do when we cite them, and
• what source citations themselves do

6. the conversation shifts from “here
is the template for a works cited
entry” to “How does this source
citation direct readers’ attention?”
and “How does this source citation
reflect upon the author?”

7. source citation =
“cover your ass” move

9. Questions
1. How does the writer signal the reader that source material is being referred to?
2. What types of sources does the writer cite?
3. To what degree does the writer rely on paraphrase, summary, and quotation?
4. What does the writer do with those sources? Does the writer elaborate on the
source material? Interpret the source material? Something else?
5. How do the citations make you feel toward the source material? For example, do
you feel invited to go to the source material?
6. How do the citations make you feel toward the writer? For example, do you feel
close or distant?
7. Describe the writer’s voice. How do the citations contribute to the writer’s voice?
8. How does the writer come across (serious, trustworthy, goofy, etc.). How do the
citations contribute to this impression?
9. How is social capital or a network being created?

10. Student Comments
• FYC: “In the past, I would have just picked the
top source, but now I’m thinking do I want to be
associated with that source?”
• Upper Division: “Now that I understand that
readers may actually go look at my sources, I
think more about the sources I associate myself
with.”

11. Implications
1. We have to create hands-on classroom
activities.
2. Grading practices will need to be brought in
line.
3. There will be colleague pushback.

12. Works Cited
Downs, Doug. “Rhetoric, Not Modes: The Inadequacy of ‘Critical’ Reading for
Writing-about-Writing.” Conference on College Composition and Communication
Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV: March 2013. Conference Presentation.
Fister, Barbara. “Docudrama: Why Sources Matter—And Why Citing them
Correctly Doesn't.” Conference on College Composition and Communication Annual
Conference, Atlanta, GA: April 2011. Conference Presentation.
Howard, Rebecca Moore. Standing in the Shadow of Giants: Plagiarists, Authors,
Collaborators. Stamford, CT: Ablex, 1999.
Jamieson, Sandra and Rebecca Moore Howard. “Phase I Data.” The Citation Project, n.d.
Web. 1 Jul 2011.
Power, Lori G. “University Students’ Perceptions of Plagiarism.” The Journal of Higher
Education 80.6 (2009): 643-662.
Rheingold, Howard. Net Smart: How to Thrive Online. Cambridge, MA: MIT P, 2012.
Stout, Diana. Teaching Students About Plagiarism: What it Looks Like and How It Is
Measured. Dissertation. Western Michigan University, 2013.