Relying on one book too much in an essay

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When writing an essay that heavily relies on a single book, it's advisable to acknowledge this in the introduction to avoid any perception of plagiarism. Citing the book explicitly can clarify its significance in your exploration of the topic. While using one primary source is not ideal, it can be acceptable if proper citations are maintained. Diversifying sources by referencing additional works, especially those cited within the primary book, is beneficial. This approach not only enriches the essay but also demonstrates thorough research. Ultimately, while relying on one book is not inherently problematic, incorporating multiple sources is encouraged to strengthen the argument and provide a broader perspective.
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I'm currently writing an essay and I'm finding myself using and quoting one particular book a lot. Obviously I'm referencing everything, but would it be a good idea to add something like 'In particular, I will make use of Bart Simpson's excellent book 'The Excellent Book' in my exploration of...' to my preamble? I'm afraid my essay might come across as borderline plagiarism otherwise. Not because of literally copying stuff, but because my essay follows the same train of thought, so to speak.
 
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A better idea would be to use more books.
 
Brilliant.
 
Does the book you're using so much have citations to other references?
 
It does, and I've looked up those books and referenced to them instead where possible. I'm still left with a large chunk of citations to this book and outside of this book there is really not much information to be found about the subject.
 
Have you looked to see what other things the author has written?
 
As long as you cite things properly, it's not too terrible to use things mostly from one book. I mean, it's not ideal, but nor is it the end of the world.
 
always try to plagiarize from at least two books.
 
One source is plagiarism three sources are research.
 
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