The four-step process for integrating and analyzing evidence
This process will help you avoid the dreaded FSQ (free-standing quotation) by helping you generate thesis-related paragraphs based on evidence, and it can be used whether the evidence in question is a direct quotation or a paraphrase of the source.
1. Set up the quotation with a topic sentence stating what you’ll be proving in the paragraph. The idea stated in this sentence should always have some clear relationship to your main thesis idea.
2. Lead into the quotation so as to make it part of your sentence. Often this can be as simple as using a phrase like "Smith writes," but in some situations, you can also combine this step with step 1—as long as the sentence as a whole remains grammatically correct. Remember that some introductory phrases require a comma, while others require a colon; make sure the punctuation you use fits the sentence correctly.
3. Give the quotation or paraphrase correctly and in the proper format, including documentation. In the rare cases when you need to alter a quotation, be sure to use square brackets to indicate additions and ellipses to indicate omissions within the quoted passage.
4. Analyze the quotation in order to explain how it relates to the specific point of your paragraph and how it relates to the thesis of your paper. This step usually takes a few sentences. The key is to be specific in pointing out exactly what it is about the evidence that proves your point, and why it does so. For example, you might mention a particular word or phrase from the quoted passage and then explain the meaning of its connotations, of a figure of speech, or of an allusion. Even if these things seem obvious to you, your job here is to make them obvious to your readers in order to convince them of your interpretation.
A few examples of how to do this fourth step:
Manfred shows his true nature when discussing his dead son, even going so far as to say he would be given "reason to rejoice" in a few years (Walpole 27). Walpole's use of the word rejoice expresses how little empathy Manfred has for his family.
When Theodore is about to be executed, the author writes, "The undaunted youth received the bitter sentence with a resignation that touched every heart but Manfred's" (Walpole 50). Walpole uses the word "undaunted" to prove tot he reader that Theodore is courageous and does not fear death. The phrase "touched every heart but Manfred's" helps the reader appreciate the compassion that the bystanders had for Theodore despite Manfred's "bitter" decision. Walpole chooses his words carefully to create sympathy for Theodore and to make readers believe that Theodore's rise to the throne is just.