Create a clear context for the quotation. Never simply throw a quote or fact into a paragraph just to use the source. The idea is to weave the cited information into the main body of the paragraph. Begin by discussing the topic in the broader context. Write a topic sentence which introduces the reader to your topic. For example: "Much of the current work done in the scientific community has focused on climate change in the Southwest." This sentence lets the reader know the topic you will discuss in detail.
Include the specific quote or statistic in the body of the paragraph. You may quote information word for word or rephrase it. In this step, follow the citation format guidelines for your discipline. Historians use the "Chicago Manual of Style," an example of footnote and endnote citation format. Anthropologists use American Anthropological Association style and psychology papers utilize American Psychological Association style. These are examples of an intext citation format, in which the author's last name and the page number usually appear in parentheses at the end of the sentence and before the closing punctuation. In order to locate and consult the work cited, a reader would refer to the complete bibliographical details in the bibliography or reference list for the article, chapter or book. In a footnote or endnote style, you would insert a number within the structure of the sentence. The number corresponds to a numbered footnote at the bottom of the page, or at the end of the work for endnotes. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the many details of either system, as provided in the discipline-specific style manual.
Follow up on the citation you utilized. Illustrate how that quotation, fact or finding bolsters your argument and fits into the literature of the rest of the field. For example: "Clearly, the study performed by Smith and Smith illustrates the dire need for water conservation in the southwest in response to drastic climate change." By creating an introduction to the cited information and a conclusion you will weave the evidence from another work into your own writing.