Unit 13 of Business Communication Today, 12th edition, Bovée and Thill is about utilizing research effectively in your writing. In academia, the business world, and journalism, it is crucial that you use research in the correct way and use it in a way that maximizes its benefit to your arguments or points in your writing. You can use direct quotations, you can paraphrase, and you can incorporate it into charts and pictures with analysis. The research can in turn come from articles, academic publications, academic research, scientific research, census or government information, or information collected by yourself if you have conducted surveys or experiments.
Roane State has laid out many of the ways to properly and effectively utilize research in your writing. They cover everything from paraphrasing and what exactly to do when paraphrasing, to introducing in-text citations in ways that flow easily in your paper. They also stress the validity of your sources. It is necessary to introduce the people that you are referencing, as it wields some credibility. "Texas A&M, with access to the best research facilities and tech departments, has released a study...." They suggest using scholarly or government sources, although many argue that esteemed publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Forbes can make excellent sources as well.