Using Evidence and Citations Effectively

[vtorosort]

I just got called out for using quotes like "filler" in my last essay. The tutor said I dropped in citations without connecting them to my argument properly, and honestly, they were right. I thought having more references made my work look solid, but now I realize I was just throwing them in to sound academic. How do you guys actually use evidence without it sounding forced or just thrown in for the sake of it?

[palmariums]

Man, I had the same issue during my second year. I'd cram in stats and quotes thinking it made my writing look more "professional," but half the time I wasn't even explaining why they mattered. What helped me was focusing on how the evidence connects to my point—not just dropping it in. Also, I picked up some good strategies from this post on https://www.ozessay.com.au/blog/how-to-memorise-an-essаy/ — even though it's about memorising essays, it had some surprisingly useful tips on structuring ideas around key facts and examples.

[CaesarVespasianus]

I feel like a lot of people get caught up in sounding “academic” and forget the whole point is to communicate clearly. Honestly, when I stopped worrying about sounding clever and just focused on explaining things well, my writing got way better. It’s not even about dumbing it down—just making sure your reader actually follows your logic instead of having to dig through jargon and awkward quotes.