Summary, paraphrase, direct quote, plagiarism… What’s the difference?

Why do we need to know this stuff?? You will be completing a research paper and will need to use these terms. In the not-so-distant future, you will be juniors and seniors and write research papers in your classes-and EXPECTED to know this stuff already! In the somewhat-distant future you will be in college or tech school and asked to write all kinds of research papers! In the grown-up world, you will find that research is a part of everyday life and you will want to be equipped for it.

Summarizing Definition Condensing longer material, keeping the essential or main ideas and omitting unnecessary parts. A summary is written in your own words. A paragraph of information turns into one sentence in your own words.

An example of summarizing The intensity of Favre’s relationship with the Packers faithful goes far beyond mere longevity. He arrived in Green Bay in 1992 through a trade with the Atlanta Falcons, and in the third game of the season came off the bench to lead a madcap comeback against the Cincinnati Bengals, throwing the winning touchdown with 13 seconds left. He has refused to leave the starting lineup ever since, harnessing his hair-on-fire style to win an unprecedented three MVP awards (1995, ’96, ’97) and lead Green Bay to a Super Bowl triumph following the 1996 season. Favre has been on the starting lineup ever since he was traded to Green Bay from the Atlanta Falcons, has earned three MVP awards and has helped the team through the 1996 Super Bowl.

Paraphrasing Definition Presenting someone else’s ideas in your own words, phrases, and sentence structure. One sentence from the source becomes one sentence in your own words. Plagiarism = 3 or more of the same words in the same order, or using the same sentence structure as the source. Note that there are some very specific nouns that can not be paraphrased depending on the context.

An example of paraphrasing The Packers’ iron man is, at 38, enjoying one of his finest NFL seasons. His passing is more precise, his leadership more evident than ever, but his greatest attribute is the devotion he inspires in those he touches – and his dedication to making their lives better. 38-year-old Brett Favre is doing well on his team this football season. His work is done with more precision, leadership and devotion to others.

Which is the best example of a paraphrase? “Judging from the flood of email and internet traffic, the Newspaper has disappointed and infuriated countless Harry Potter fans by Reviewing the seventh and final book in the series two days before it officially goes on sale.” a. The newspaper has made millions of Harry Potter fans angry by reviewing the seventh and final book of the Harry Potter series 2 days before it has come out. b. There are loads of emails and internet traffic about how the newspaper has disappointed Harry Potter fans by reviewing the final book before it comes out. c. The newspaper did an early review of the new Harry Potter book, disappointing many readers. d. Harry Potter fans were angry about the final book being publicly reviewed before it was released.

Direct Quotation Definition The use of borrowed ideas, works, phrases and sometimes sentences as they appear in the original source. Reasons to direct quote: Accuracy: when the precise language of the original is important Authority: when the exact words of a writer or speaker carry more weight than a summary (as in the person is important) Conciseness: when a quotation states an idea in fewer words than a summary would require Vividness: when the language of the source is more colorful or more descriptive than a summary would be

An example of a direct quotation “‘I don’t know how it’s going to end,’ says Favre. ‘But I do know this: Throwing a touchdown pass for the Green Bay Packers is pretty neat. Every one of them was a lot of fun.’” Notice the Quotation Marks?!

Plagiarism Definition The use of another person’s words and/or ideas without properly documenting or giving credit to the source

An example of plagiarism “When Favre decided to return for the 2007 season, even die-hard Cheese heads must have been hoping only that he would not tarnish his legacy. What no one expected was that Favre would reinvent himself yet again, enjoying one of his best years at age 38 while Cajolin a talented but callow team to a stunning 10-2 record.” Farve returned for the 2007 season, even though die-hard Cheese heads were hoping he would not tarnish his legacy. No one expected he would reinvent himself again, having one of his best years at age 38 leading the team to a 10-2 record.

The Source! All of the excerpts in this PowerPoint were taken from the following source: Shipnuck, Alan. “Sportsman Of the Year.” Sports Illustrated. Dec. 2007: 43-56.