Textual Evidence
When analyzing a text, it is important for writers to cite evidence in order to support their claims. Citing evidence means providing examples from a text in order to prove that the information is true and accurate. This can be accomplished with both direct quotations from a text or with paraphrasing. A direct quotation is when a writer uses the exact words as they appear in the original text in their own paper. When a writer uses a direct quotation, it is imperative that the quotation is offset with quotation marks to show that the writer is using the exact words of another author. Paraphrasing is another way to incorporate textual evidence into literary analysis. Paraphrasing is when a writer takes the main ideas from of a text and puts those ideas into their own words.

Although textual evidence is vital when analyzing a text, writers should be sure to make their own arguments and connections in their papers. The purpose of textual analysis is for the writer to use textual evidence in order to prove a claim. If the paper consists mostly of textual evidence, the writer's claim will be lost. It can be challenging to strike the right balance between original ideas and textual evidence. In general, no more than 25% of a paper should consist of quotations or examples from a text. In order to strike that balance, it is important to think about how to chose textual evidence to include in a paper.

Writers can use direct quotations or paraphrase when citing evidence.
 
 

Writers should consider relatability and specificity when selecting textual evidence to support a claim. In order to support a claim with textual evidence, the quotation or example should relate specifically to the claim. If the writer hopes to show that the theme of a poem is despair, they should choose quotations from the poem that show despair. A quotation from the poem that gives a description of a house will not help the writer to support their claim that the poem is about despair. If the writer cannot find a specific example of despair in the poem, then the poem may not be about despair after all! If nothing in the text relates to a claim that the writer wants to make, it is a good idea for the writer to reconsider the claim.

Another important element of citing textual evidence is using both primary and secondary sources. Citing a primary source allows the writer to prove or provide and example of something that occurred in the text. A secondary source can provide textual analysis that either offers background information on a text or helps to confirm a part of the writer's argument. In both cases, any information from a secondary source that the writer incorporates into their paper needs to be properly attributed to the author of the source. When a writer cites a secondary source they are giving credit to the author of that source.

It is important to support claims with textual evidence
 
 

Why is Textual Evidence Important?
It is helpful to think of textual evidence as proof of the writer's claim. If there is no proof, anyone can refute the writer's claim. Analyzing a text is not like solving a math problem. There is almost always more than one correct way of looking at or analyzing a text. For instance, a short story may seem depressing to one person, but uplifting to another person. If both people can cite textual evidence to demonstrate their claims, neither person's analysis of the short story would be incorrect. The challenge is to find the best way to prove a point. Analyzing a text and finding textual evidence to support the claims is similar to the way a lawyer presents evidence to jury. The textual evidence needs to be directly related to the writer's claim and it needs to be specific enough that cannot be easily refuted.

Citing Textual Evidence
Citing textual evidence involves a number of steps:

Select claims in the paper that require textual evidence.
Find evidence in the text to support the claims.
Decide whether to use a direct quotation or paraphrasing.
Set up the textual evidence by providing background information before introducing the evidence into the paper.
Explain where the information came from. If it is from a primary source consider including some information that will help the reader understand what part of the text the evidence is from (i.e. "in chapter seven" "at the beginning of line three). If the information is from a secondary source, introduce the author and explain why they are reputable (i.e. "Jane Doe, who teaches Renaissance literature at Louisiana State University, explains that..." or "According to John Doe's biography of Jane Austen...").
Make sure that any direct quotations are flanked by quotation marks.
Provide a citation using whichever style guide is required (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.).