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![An acceptable paraphrase is a balance between
the ideas of the source and your own words that
convey those ideas.
Your words Source’s meaning
G., Gerald. “Balance Scale.” 31 Oct. 2007. 4 June 2009 http://openclipart.org/media/files/Gerald_G/514
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Uploaded byDonna Levy
Using Quotations, Paraphrases and Summaries in Essays
The document provides guidance on incorporating research sources into an essay using quotations, paraphrases, or summaries. It explains that quotations use the source's exact words, paraphrases restate the idea in the writer's own words, and summaries concisely describe the main idea. The document advises determining which approach to use by asking questions about the purpose and whether the source includes distinctive language, concepts, or information that needs explanation. It warns that paraphrasing requires more than minimal word changes to avoid plagiarism.
In this document
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Introduction to incorporating research materials into essays; highlights challenges of overwhelming information.
Describes three methods: Quotations, Paraphrase, and Summary; emphasizes correct attribution.Defines summaries as brief overviews of main ideas from sources; importance of clear understanding highlighted.
Guides on deciding when to quote directly from sources; emphasizes situational appropriateness for quoting.
Outlines considerations for paraphrasing versus quoting; warns against superficial paraphrasing and plagiarism.
Explains when to summarize information, focusing on the need for brevity and core ideas.
Reiterates the importance of using one’s own words in the majority of writing, favoring paraphrasing and summarizing.
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Using Quotations, Paraphrases and Summaries in Essays
- 1. Donna Levy’s helpfor students to succeed at the Objective: Given a format, self-identified topic, and research from scholarly sources, the learners will select specific ideas from source and identify the scope of the idea to best support purpose, audience and topic. Question: I have this all this great information from a source that I want to use in my essay; how do I put it into my essay?
- 2. Good research oftenleads to an overwhelming amount of information. Before you set out to incorporate research that you have found into your essay, you need to make sure you understand how this is done and what your options are.
- 3. There are threeways to incorporate source information into an essay. These will depend upon how much you want to use. Quotations Paraphrase Summary First, what they mean:
- 4. Quotation A quotation isa word-for-word segment from the source. Quotes must match exactly and be attributed to the author. Quoting should be done sparingly, and there needs to be a good reason to quote.
- 5. Paraphrase A paraphrase isputting a passage from the source material into your own words, usually shorter than the original passage, condensing a broad segment of information. The paraphrase must be attributed to the original source. To make sure that you understand how to write a paraphrase, complete this tutorial. http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=WCN4802
- 6. An acceptable paraphraseis a balance between the ideas of the source and your own words that convey those ideas. Your words Source’s meaning G., Gerald. “Balance Scale.” 31 Oct. 2007. 4 June 2009 http://openclipart.org/media/files/Gerald_G/514 [text added]
- 7. Summary A summary involvesputting the main ideas of the passage into your own words, including only the main point(s). It is necessary to attribute the summarized ideas to the original source. A summary is significantly shorter than the original, significantly shorter than a paraphrase, and serves as a broad overview of the source material. A good summary means that you understand the text. To make sure you understand the finer points of summarizing, read this handout. http://www.english.udel.edu/wc/student/handouts/writing_summaries.html
- 8. When a paraphraseor summary is done improperly, both yours and the source’s meaning and purpose will be as difficult to comprehend as this leopard-spotted dog.
- 9. Sukanto Debnath. UniqueSpotted Dog Seen in India 22 Dec. 2007. 4 June 2009 http://animalphotos.info/a/2007/12/22/unique-spotted-dog-seen-in-india/
- 10. Now that Iknow what they mean, how do I know which one to use? You must remember that most of your paper should be in your own words, so don’t overuse the quotations. The reader wants to know that you know what you are talking about, which means accurate paraphrases and summaries should be considered first.
- 11. Now it’s timeto ask yourself questions. These questions help in determining which will work better for you: the quotation, the paraphrase, or the summary.
- 12. Should I Quote? Anytimeyou are using someone else’s words in your paper, you must put them in quotation marks and document the source. Before you use that quotation, answer the following questions:
- 13. Should I Quote? DoI have a good reason for using this, or am I just filling up space?
- 14. Should I Quote? Doesthe author use wording that is distinctive, interesting, or insightful that would be lost if I tried to paraphrase it?
- 15. Should I Quote? AmI quoting a passage because I don’t understand it enough to paraphrase it?
- 16. Should I Quote? Doesthe whole sentence need to be quoted or should I just quote a choice word or phrase instead?
- 17. Should I Quote? Doesthe quote lend support to the position of my paper?
- 18. Should I Quote? DoI employ quotations from the other side?
- 19. Should I Quote? Does it sound like I am relying too heavily upon the quotes and not drawing my own conclusions? Source: Wilhoit, Stephen W. A Brief Guide to Writing from Readings: Second Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2001
- 20. Should I Paraphrase? Again, a paraphrase is an indirect quotation that must be documented because it relates in your own words and style the thoughts you have borrowed from another person. Paraphrases are more flexible than quotations. They fit more smoothly into your text, and you can express your own interpretations as you paraphrase. Before you paraphrase, answer the following questions:
- 21. Should I Paraphrase? DoI need to restate a difficult passage the reader may not understand?
- 22. Should I Paraphrase? DoI need to explain or interpret concepts or unfamiliar terms?
- 23. Should I Paraphrase? DoI need to make abstract facts and ideas concrete?
- 24. Warning about Paraphrasing Watch out with paraphrasing: plagiarism will occur if all you are doing is changing a word here and there. A true paraphrase involves changing sentence structure of the original and using different words but conveying the same meaning as the source.
- 25. Should I Summarize? Again, a summary involves putting the main ideas of a passage into your own words. Like a quotation and a paraphrase, you must document the source. By summarizing, you will offer as accurately as possible the full sense of the original, but in a more condensed form. Before you write a summary, answer the following questions:
- 26. Should I Summarize? DoI understand the information enough to use only my own words?
- 27. Should I Summarize? DoI need a paragraph, a section, or even an entire chapter or article that is valuable to me for its major point and not for all the particulars?
- 28. Should I Summarize? DoI need to include very little detail from the passage? (If you need detail, then paraphrase.)
- 29. Should I Summarize? DoI need a mixture of reducing a long text to a short text and to present only relevant information?
- 30. Nagging Reminder You mustremember that most of your paper should be in your own words, so don’t overuse the quotations. The reader wants to know that you know what you are talking about, which means accurate paraphrases and summaries should be considered first.