Copying is taking sentences and/or phrases from the source and putting. The following will give you some basic information on paraphrasing and summarizing, and then you will have the chance to reflect on appropriate paraphrasing and summarizing yourself.Įxercises for beginner proficiency levels can be found here. When paraphrasing and summarizing, it is important to avoid copying and patch writing. Citing the source of any quote, paraphrase, or summary is an important step to avoid plagiarism. Using evidence from credible sources to support your thesis is an important part of academic writing. Summarizing and paraphrasing are frequently used together, but not always. Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing are all different ways of including evidence and the ideas of others into your assignments. Third, what authors write is considered to be their property, just like a coat or a car by copying it (without giving credit), you can be accused of plagiarism. Or when giving directions, we explain only the most important decision points (not every street lamp or graffitied wall). Second, the original writers did not write for the audiences you are targeting there are inevitably contents and language choices that will not necessarily work for your audience. We summarize for our families and friends all the timeinstead of explaining every single detail of a trip recently taken or a movie recently seen, we choose to explain only the highlights. These steps are necessary for three reasons.įirst, if you used the original writer’s language without any changes, it limits your own learning by paraphrasing and summarizing, you make a piece of information your own, and you understand it better. Two unavoidable steps in that process are paraphrasing (changing the language into your own) and summarizing (getting rid of smaller details and leaving only the primary points). Whether you are writing for the workplace or for academic purposes, you will need to research and incorporate the writing of others into your own texts. This resource provides guidelines for paraphrasing and summarizing the sources you have researched. Paraphrasing: Explain the meaning of the author's ideas, in your own words Use an in-text citation right after the paraphrase Then after the paraphrase and citation, add your own ideas or comments Summarizing: Explain only the author's main points, in your own words Will be a lot shorter than original text Use an in-text citation right. Writing Letters of Recommendation for Students. You will also be able interpret and discuss others' ideas using your own words. There are times when it may be best to quote the sources directly, while other times may be better served by paraphrasing or summary. The reader wants to know what you think about the source information, not about the exact information expressed in the source.Īs you become more familiar with your subject matter you will rely less on using on direct quotations because you will be able to use new vocabulary and ideas confidently. An essay that has a lot of direct quotations can often be weak in identifying your own thoughts on the information provided in the source material. Direct quotations should be used sparingly, and only when paraphrasing the original source cannot be done without losing the writer's meaning. The words used must be enclosed in quotation marks and include an in-text reference with the page number where the original words were found in the source material. The words used must be accurate and follow the word order, punctuation, and spelling of the original source. Summarising is the best way to show your voice and convince the reader you understand what you are talking about.įor both paraphrasing and summarising you must indicate the source with an in-text reference and provide full details of the source in your reference list.Ī direct quotation is the use of source material word-for-word in your own work. Keep in mind that your purpose is to use the source material by tying the ideas in the summary to the general point you are making. It is academically unacceptable to create a long paraphrase from a source and simply put a reference citation at the end. Paraphrasing shows the reader what you think about the source material or how it fits into your work. If there is a key phrase, well expressed by the original writer, then use it as a short direct quotation (see below). Think what the original writer is trying to say and write a completely new sentence if you can. Paraphrasing is not substituting a few words or rearranging sentences.
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