Building Signal Phrases
A key step in introducing a source effectively is to build a signal phrase. A signal phrase will give an indication of the origin of the paraphrase or quote you are incorporating.
The basic structure is:
SOURCE ORIGIN + REPORTING VERB
- A recent study by scientists at the Northern Lights Ecological lab found that…
- Journalists working for the Toronto Sun reported that…
- Students polled at the beginning of the semester indicated that…
Rather than introducing the authors, you also have the option of focusing on the date, method, or other characteristics of the source. Choose what to include based on the relevance to your work.
- A 2012 study at Simon Fraser University found that…
- A recent report analyzing the effects of poor posture explored how…
- Three studies exploring the potential mental health effects of climate change each concluded that…
By including a signal phrase, you are helping to show the audience the origin of the information and provide a clear indication that you are referencing someone else’s work.
Usage Note 1: Signal phrases can be WITH the fact or they can be separate, depending on the amount of close analysis you are including of your sources. A signal phrase without the source embedded will look like this:
- In 2019, the BC Ministry of Education conducted a study on the feasibility of online learning for students in rural communities. One of the key findings was that students often struggled with motivation in self-paced courses (BC Ministry of Education, 2019).
Usage Note 2: Review the table below for what must be included for in-text citations accompanying signal phrases.