When you cite the work of other authors, you may choose to focus either on the information provided by that author, or on the author him-or herself. The first focus we call information prominent because the information is given primary importance. The author’s name(s) and date of publication are parenthetically attached at the end of the sentence . More complete source information is found in an alphabetical list of references at the end of the paper.
An alternate type of information prominent citation uses numbers between the parentheses (instead of author’s name and date). The number refers to the alphabetical and numbered list of references at the end of the paper.
Information prominent citations are commonly used to signal the beginning of Stage II, where the citations refer to research in the general area of your study. (They may appear in Stage I as well.)
As the literature review continues, the citations refer to studies more closely related to your own. In this kind of citation, the author’s name is given more emphasis. It serves as the subject of the sentence, followed by the date or citation number in parentheses, and then by the information. This kind of citation is called author prominent.
Activity 5-1: Analysis
Look back at the following article about desert ecosystems. For each sentence (5 through 8) in Stage II, indicate whether the writers used information prominent or author prominent citations.
Sentence 5 ______________________
Sentence 6 ______________________
Sentence 7 ______________________
Sentence 8 ______________________
Spatial Distribution of Litter and Microarthropods in a Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystem
Stage I
l. In most deserts of the world, transitions between topographic elements are abrupt and watercourses which are dry most of the time tend to dissipate their occasional waters within local basins. 2.Occasional torrential rainfall, characteristic of most desert regions, washes loose debris into watercourses or transports this material, depositing it in and along the shores of ephemeral lakes. 3.These physical processes result in a redistribution of dead plant material (Iitter), affect the distribution of soil water and create a heterogeneous biotic community. 4.Therefore, before the dynamics of desert ecosystems can be adequately understood, the spatial relationships must be clarified.