2 Learning to Cite Sources
2.1 Integrating Information from Research (Peer Reviewed Literature)
One of the purposes of an introduction section is to provide the reader with the relevant background knowledge that supports your present research. A well-written introduction integrates information from several credible sources (peer reviewed) into a coherent, unified presentation. In the Moodle quiz following this activity, you will be expected to use APA style citation to properly format the in-text citations. If you have not already done so, please work through the APA Style Citations Pressbook by Ulrike Kestler before proceeding.
Activity: Determine which information to cite
This exercise will lead you through a process of identifying how sources are integrated effectively. Below, you will read several paragraphs of an introduction section. However, you will observe that though the writer evidently referred to outside sources, the in-text citations are absent. As a result, a lab instructor would consider this to be an academic integrity violation. To learn to avoid such a violation read the following writing sample then answer the questions below it:
Student Writing Sample
Earthworms (Order Oligochaeta) are annelid worms that live and burrow in moist soil rich in decaying organic matter. These detritivores are found in nearly every terrestrial habitat and greatly influence soil ecology. They have bristles (setae) along their body, which allow them to crawl through the soil via the peristaltic contractions of their body segments. They require moist soil to facilitate gas exchange as they lack specialized respiratory organs such as lungs, rather exchanging gases via diffusion through moist skin.
Earthworms play a critical role in the soil ecosystem by participating in nutrient cycling and their burrows influence soil structure by improving water permeability and aeration. Different species of earthworms burrow through different soil layers: epigeic species crawl through the top soil strata, endogeic species burrow in the humic and mineral soil layer, while anecic species inhabit vertical burrows deep in the soil.
Earthworm burrows support a diverse community of microfauna. The feces or casts excreted by earthworms are rich in microorganisms because the soil they ingest is inoculated as it passes through the digestive tract of the worm. As such, any change in the movement of earthworms may influence the creation of burrows and ultimately soil ecology by altering the structure, nutrient availability, microfauna diversity, and microorganism activity of the soil.
Perreault and Whalen found that the burrowing activity of the endogeic earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa and the anecic earthworm Lumbricus terrestris was influenced by soil temperature and moisture. They found there was less burrowing, but more weight gain and surface castings produced in wetter soil than in drier soil, suggesting that these worms were burrowing less, but feeding more in wetter soils.
Complete the quiz below on writing sample above before proceeding: