dr. ryan allen assistant professor of english & writing director, writing center briar cliff...
TRANSCRIPT
Using Source Material Effectively:Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Synthesizing,
and Quoting
Dr. Ryan AllenAssistant Professor of English & WritingDirector, Writing CenterBriar Cliff [email protected]
Why These Skills MatterSummarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, and
synthesizing are direct preparation for what you’ll be doing in any type of research-based writing projectYou will need to be able to paraphrase and
handle your source material effectively, adhering to all of the rules of standard English and style and formatting requirements
You will need to be able to pull various sources together to examine cause/effect relationships, to articulate main ideas, and to evaluate points of comparison/contrast
SummarizingA summary is a kind of general review of some
particular subject matter. Think of a summary as an ‘overview.’
Summaries should be in your own words and your own sentence structure.
Summaries do not generally contain the direct language of the original source material.
Summaries do not generally include your personal observations, opinions, or arguments—they are a condensed transmission of the source’s main ideas.
Summaries REQUIRE citations because you are using the intellectual property of someone other than yourself.
Paraphrasing A paraphrase is:
your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form.
one legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source.
a more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea.
a more point by point by rendering of original infoParaphrases should contain citations as well.
6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing1. Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
2. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
3. Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
4. Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
5. Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
6. Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.
Paraphrasing Example The following example includes a short quote taken from Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., followed by examples of both unacceptable and acceptable paraphrases: “It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in
handling the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather ‘nonviolently’ in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation.” (King, 1963).
King argues that although the police have exercised some discipline in controlling the demonstrators, they have exerted control to preserve an evil system, that of segregation. Unacceptable Paraphrase (borrows too much original language)
King points out that police who showed restraint in confronting demonstrators were still upholding segregation (King, 1963). Acceptable Paraphrase
King, M.L. (1963), Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Retrieved October 20, 2008 from http://www.mlkonline.net/jail.html
Notes on Previous SlideWhat makes King, Jr. example unacceptable?
1. Borrows too much original language without directly quoting
- “police have exercised”- “some discipline in controlling the demonstrators”- “preserve an evil system, that of segregation”
2. No in-text citation is provided
QUESTIONS SO FAR?
Synthesizing A synthesis is:
an analysis of the whole article (or book chapter) or of several sources together
a personally meaningful rewriting of the article’s main points
not like a paraphrase; rather, try to think of it as an “engaged” assessment of the article—also, will not follow original source or author’s ideas point by point
more like a reflection and a review of the article’s main points
focusing on uniqueness of article—what might be left out or strengthened or most creative
Some Questions to Ask of SourceWhat is effective in the article?What needs further development or is
ineffective?What unique contributions might the article
make to the topic?What might the article leave out?What succeeds and what fails in the article?
Synthesis Steps1. Read the whole article2. Take notes on main points, crucial insights, special
points that author(s) is/are making3. Rewrite what the article is saying in such a way that
makes you see the meaning/relevance of this article for your topic
4. Avoid using a point by point structure of the original article (this is what you do in paraphrase)
5. Ultimately, you are “teaching” your reader about the article, so retell it in a way that makes sense to you
6. Goal here is personal understanding and personal assessment
Synthesis Phrases The report carefully reveals that which is often
missed in other sources….The main point of the article is….Main issues within the article can reveal that . . . One would wonder if . . . . Though the author presents six points, there is
room for more research in the area of…. Although the author does a great job of
explaining….(s)he should also consider….The author’s point here is unique because….
A Helpful Way to Think About Synthesizing
Whenever you report to a friend the things several other friends have said about a film or CD you engage in synthesis.
People synthesize information naturally to help other see the connections between things they learn.For example, you have probably stored up a mental data bank of the
various things you've heard about particular professors. If your data bank contains several negative comments, you might synthesize that information and use it to help you decide not to take a class from that particular professor.
Synthesis is related to but not the same as classification, division, or comparison and contrast. Instead of attending to categories or finding similarities and differences, synthesizing sources is a matter of pulling them together into some kind of harmony.
Synthesis searches for links between materials for the purpose of constructing a thesis or theory.
QUESTIONS???
Quoting EffectivelyIt is incredibly important to present an
author’s original language as it is/was intendedThis means that part of quoting effectively is
making sure you are contextualizing the quote in a meaningful way
Quotes should be ‘sandwiched’Lead-inQuoteAnalysis or synthesis of quote (why it’s
significant)
Additional Resources to Examinehttp
://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/
http://web001.greece.k12.ny.us/academics.cfm?subpage=943
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/930/10/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/930/01/
Questions?Concerns?
Complaints?Criticisms?
Please contact the Writing [email protected]
712-279-5520 Heelan Hall 050