Paraphrasing, Summarazing and Quoting / Paraphrasing - student handout ver 2
.docxParaphrasing and Quoting
How do I paraphrase?
Read and understand
Make notes
Rewrite using some of the techniques above
Check your version against the original
Paraphrased version should basically say the same things in different words / order
Example
(Taken from: http://faculty.mckendree.edu/writing_handouts/paraphrase.htm)
The original passage:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
Source: Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.
A legitimate paraphrase:
In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim (Lester, 1976, pp. 46-47).
A plagiarized version:
Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many of them in the final research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of source material copied while taking notes.
Your turn to practise
Paraphrase the following sentences:
Students must learn to use paraphrasing and referencing correctly to get good marks in assignments.
Without the use of paraphrasing, it is impossible to incorporate research into an assignment.
Communication skills are essential in all areas of life. They enable us transfer our intended message clearly.
Paraphrase the following paragraph:
Original text
Face to face interviewing has the advantage of allowing you to observe the non-verbal behaviour of the respondent. Should you detect inconsistencies between what is being said and what is being expressed non-verbally, for example, you can adapt the flow of the interview accordingly to ensure you are getting accurate responses. It may also be easier to establish rapport with a person face to face than over the telephone.
Source: Eunson, B. 2008. Communicating in the 21st Century p.104
Summarising
Same principles as paraphrasing
Shorter
Main points only
Used when we only want to represent key ideas of another author
How do I summarise?
Read whole text
Highlight / take notes of main ideas
Use paraphrasing techniques to rewrite
Summary presents only main points in your own words – a condensed form of the original
Example
(Taken from: http://faculty.mckendree.edu/writing_handouts/paraphrase.htm)
The original passage:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
Source: Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.
An acceptable summary:
Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester, 1976, pp. 46-47).
REMEMBER
For both paraphrasing and summarising:
Read, understand, make your own notes
Use a variety of techniques to change the original
Always reference
Don’t forget :
a summary contains only main ideas of original
a paraphrase includes all info from original source
An assignment is likely to contain a mixture of paraphrasing, summarising & direct quotation
Useful paraphrasing & summarising websites
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/
http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/paraphrase.html
http://faculty.mckendree.edu/writing_handouts/paraphrase.htm
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