Chapter 9: Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Synthesizing Sources ENG 113: Composition I

Using Sources O After evaluating the quality of potential sources, you choose the best ones to use to support your argument O Then, you must decide where you might use each source O You will need to choose how you will integrate each source into your argument

Integrating Sources O Summary O Paraphrase O Quotation O The goal is to synthesize the sources into your paper by blending them with your own ideas and interpretations O Remember, your voice should dominate the essay O The sources should support your argument, not dominate

Summarizing Sources O A summary restates the main idea of a passage (or even an entire book or article) in concise terms O A summary leaves out examples, explanations, and stylistic devices of the source O A summary is much shorter than the original O Summarize when you want to give readers a general sense of a source’s position on an issue

Summarizing Sources O A summary: O Does not include your opinions O Is stated in your own words and phrasing, not those of the source O If you want to use a particularly distinctive word or phrase from the source, you can O Put the word or phrase in quotation marks O Document the origin with in-text citations and an entry in the Works Cited page O Including distinctive words or phrases from the source material in the summary without quotation marks and proper documentation is plagiarism

Summarizing Sources O An effective summary: O Conveys a general but accurate sense of the original without using the source’s phrasing or including the writer’s own opinions O Is much shorter than the original O Documents any distinctive words or phrases from the original source with quotation marks, in text citations, and an entry on the Works Cited page

Summarizing Sources O DO O Convey the main idea of the original source O Be concise O Use your own original words and phrases O Place any words taken directly from the source in quotation marks O Include documentation O DO NOT O Include your own analysis or opinions O Include digressions O Argue with the source O Use the source’s syntax and phrasing

Paraphrasing Sources O A paraphrase presents the source’s ideas in detail, including its main idea, its key supporting points, and perhaps even its examples O A paraphrase is longer than a summary O It may even be as long as the original O Paraphrase when you want readers to understand a source’s key points in specific terms

Paraphrasing Sources O Uses your own words and phrasing, not the language and syntax of the original ( O Style and sentence structure are different than the original O Any words or phrases taken directly from the source must be placed in quotation marks O You may or may not follow the same order as the source’s points, O Always try to convey the write’s emphasis and most important points

Paraphrasing Sources O DO O Convey the source’s ideas fully and accurately O Use your own words and phrasing O Convey the emphasis of the original O Put any words borrowed from the source in quotation marks O Include documentation O DO NOT O Use the exact words and phrasing of your source (unless you are quoting) O Include your own analysis or opinions O Argue with or contradict your source O Wander from the topic of the source

Quoting Sources O A quote is made up of words and phrases taken directly from the source O Be sure to quote accurately O Every word and every punctuation mark matches the source exactly O Conveys the meaning its author intended O Quoting out of context is when that meaning of the quote is distorted or that a key part of the quote is omitted

Quoting Sources O Quote a source’s words only in the following situations: O Quote when your source’s words are distinctive or memorable O Quote when your source’s words are so direct and concise that a paraphrase would be awkward or wordy O Quote when your source’s words add authority or credibility to your argument O For example, when your source is a well-known expert on your topic O Quote an opposing point when you will go on to refute it

Quoting Sources O A quote should add interest and credibility to your paper O The writer’s words should be compelling O You should not over-rely on quotations O Too many quotations—especially long quotations— distract readers and make it difficult for them to follow your points O Quote only when you must O If you include too quotations, your paper will be a patchwork of other people’s words, not an original, unified whole O The quotes should support your argument, not dominate the essay O Your voice should be the dominant voice

Quoting Sources O DO O Enclose borrowed words in quotation marks O Quote accurately O Include documentation O DO NOT O Quote out of context O Distort the source’s meaning O Include too many quotations

Integrating Source Material O When you use source material in an argumentative essay, your goal is to integrate the material smoothly into your argument O This means blending summary, paraphrase, and quotation with your own ideas O To ensure that your writing flows well you need to: O Introduce information from your sources O Explain why the information is important

Integrating Source Material O To help readers follow your discussion, you need to: O Indicate the source of your information clearly O Distinguish your ideas from the ideas of your sources O Never simply drop source material into your discussion O Instead, introduce quotations, paraphrases, and summaries with an identifying tag (also known as a signal phrase) O Always follow source material with proper documentation O Be sure to offer an explanation as to why you are using a particular source and what the exact relationship is between your source material and your own ideas

Using Identifying Tags O Using identifying tags (also known as a signal phrase) will allow you to: O Introduce source material O Provide context for source material O Improve the flow of the paper O Avoid accidental plagiarism

Using Identifying Tags O SUMMARY WITH IDENTIFYING TAG: O According to Thomas Friedman, a writer for the New York Times, the popularity of blogs, social-networking sites, cell phone cameras, and YouTube has enhanced the “global discussion” but made it hard for people to remain anonymous” (23)

Using Identifying Tags O The identifying tag can be included at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the summarized, paraphrased, or quoted material O IDENTIFYING TAG AT THE BEGINNING O In his article “The Whole World is Watching,” New York Times writer Thomas L. Friedman notes that the popularity of blogs, social-networking sites, cell phone cameras, and YouTube has enhanced the “global discussion” but made it hard for people to remain anonymous (23).

Using Identifying Tags O IDENTIFYING TAG IN THE MIDDLE: O The popularity of blogs, social-networking sites, cell phone cameras, and YouTube, observes New York Times writer Thomas L. Friedman, has enhanced the “global discussion” but made it hard for people to remain anonymous (23).

Using Identifying Tags O IDENTIFYING TAGS AT THE END: O The popularity of blogs, social-networking sites, cell phone cameras, and YouTube has enhanced the “global discussion” but made it hard for people to remain anonymous, points out New York Times writer Thomas L. Friedman in his article “The Whole World is Watching (23)

Using Identifying Tags O Identifying tags can become repetitive O Try varying the form and content of the identifying tags O This might help you: O Provide context for the source material O Hold the reader’s attention

Using Identifying Tags [Name of Writer]notes, acknowledges, proposes The writersuggests, believes, observes The articleexplains, comments, warns The essayreports, points out, predicts, implies, concludes, states

Working Quotations Into Your Sentences O When you use quotations you may need to edit them to: O Provide context O Make them fit smoothly into your sentences O If you edit a quotation: O Be careful not to distort the source’s meaning O Indicate your edits

Working Quotations Into Your Sentences O When you add or change words in a quotation, use brackets to indicate your edits O Adding Words O ORIGINAL QUOTATION O “Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, FourSquare, Fitbit, and the Sensecam give us a simple choice: participate or fade into a lonely obscurity” (Cashmore) O WORDS ADDED FOR CLARIFICATION O As Cashmore observes, “Twitter, Flickr, FourSquare, Fitbit, and the Sensecam [as well as similar social- networking sites] give us a simple choice: participate or fade into a lonely obscurity.”

Working Quotations Into Your Sentences O Changing Words O ORIGINAL QUOTATION O “The blogosphere has made the global discussion so much richer—and each of us so much more transparent” (Friedman 23). O WORDS CHANGED TO MAKE VERB TENSE LOGICAL O As Thomas Friedman explains, increased cell access to cell phone cameras, YouTube, and the like continues to “[make] the global discussion so much richer—and each of us so much more transparent” (23).

Working Quotations Into Your Sentences O When you delete words from a quotation, use ellipses—three special periods—to indicate your edits O Never use ellipses to indicate a deletion at the beginning of a sentence O ORIGINAL QUOTATION O “Just as companies sometimes incorporate social functions into their interview process to see if potential hires can handle themselves responsibly, they may also check out a student’s Facebook account to see how the student chooses to present him or herself” (“Beware”). O UNNECESSARY WORDS DELETED O “Just as companies sometimes incorporate social functions into their interview process,…they may also check out a student’s Facebook account…” (“Beware”).

Misrepresenting Quotations O Be careful not to distort a source’s meaning when you add, change, or delete words from a quotation O Example O ORIGINAL QUOTATION O “This incident is by no means an isolated one. Connecticut authorities are investigating reports that seven girls were sexually assaulted by older men they met on MySpace” (“Beware). O DISTORTED O “This incident is by no means an isolated one. [In fact,] seven girls were sexually assaulted by older men they met on MySpace” (“Beware”) O The writer intentionally deletes material from the original quotation that would weaken his argument O “Connecticut authorities are investigating reports” which means that it is not yet a “fact”

Synthesizing Sources O In a synthesis, you combine summary, paraphrase, and quotation from several sources with your own ideas to support an original conclusion O A synthesis: O Identifies similarities and differences among ideas O Indicates where sources agree and disagree and how they support or challenge each other O Uses transitional words to identify points of similarity (also, like, similarly) or difference (however, in contrast) O Includes identifying tags and parenthetical documentation to identify each piece of information you get from a source O Distinguishes each sources ideas from the others O Distinguishes your sources ideas from your own

Synthesizing Sources O Effective synthesis includes: O The writer’s own idea expressed clearly and supported by evidence O Source material used appropriately O Summary O Paraphrase O Quotation O Source material integrated well O Identifying tags O Documentation O Writer’s evaluation of the source (why it is significant or what it adds to the argument)

Synthesizing Sources O Unacceptable Synthesis: O Does not use source material effectively O Drops in quotations without identifying tags O Uses quotes when information should be paraphrased or summarized O Does not cite sources appropriately O Does not identify sources or include proper documentation O Does not flow well O Ideas are not connected smoothly O Seems like a string of unconnected ideas O The writer’s key points are unclear or obscured by the source material