Source use in academic writing: Challenges for students and assessors

Integrating information from outside sources is a key requirement for academic writing in many disciplines, and for this reason we have seen a rise in the use of integrated writing tasks, which require test takers to refer to at least one written or aural outside source in the production of their own texts. Such test tasks require students to understand the source text, analyze the assigned writing topic, select appropriate information from the source text, and organize source ideas and their own opinions into a cohesive text. These task requirements pose significant challenges for second language (L2) writers, and previous research has shown that L2 writers are more likely than first language (L1) writers to use source information inappropriately by not citing sources or relying too much on the language of the source text. In this talk, I will share findings from a research project designed to explore the specific challenges students faced in an EAP program in order to develop specific pedagogical materials to help address those challenges. In Phase 1 of the project, we collected students’ source-based essay exams and analyzed the following aspects in these essays: (1) language used to refer to source information, (2) accuracy of source information presented in the essay, and (3) purpose for the inclusion of source information. We also interviewed EAP students and their instructors to get a better understanding of their perception of students’ challenges in integrating source information appropriately. In Phase 2 of the project, we examined the effectiveness of the pedagogical materials we designed to address the challenges identified in Phase 1. From an instructor perspective, I will discuss the implications of the findings for EAP programs. From an assessor perspective, I will discuss the challenges that integrated writing tasks pose and how they might be addressed.