there is a difference paraphrasing vs. summarizing

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing

Common Myths

Students often make the assumption that paraphrasing and summarizing written materials are the same thing.

Sadly this premise results in poor writing mechanics as well as running the risk of failing a written assignment.

The intent of this presentation is to provide an overview of: How to define what each process entails, & Provide a manner in which the student may determine

if their writing is correct.

Framing the Question: What is the difference?

Basic details:Paraphrasing is a restatement of the

author’s original thought and meaning.Summarization is the condensing of a

passage or thought into a much smaller package.

Paraphrasing

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines a paraphrase as: “a restatement of text or passage in another form or

words” (1009a)Etymology:

Paraphrase derives from the Latin paraphrasis and the Greek paraphrazein meaning to show or explain. (1010)

Perhaps the best working definition for paraphrasing is : to restate another’s work in your own words but maintain

the author’s original meaning.

Paraphrasing Checklist

Contained on the next slide are suggestions for determining if your paraphrase is indeed a paraphrase.

Checklist for Paraphrasing

1. Reread the original passage carefully in order to fully understand the concept & author’s meaning.

2. Identify the main points of the passage.

3. Rewrite the passage in your own words (not just substituting synonyms or order for some of the text).

4. Compare your text to the original and use the 5 finger test.

(If you count more than 5 exact words, you need to change it!)

5. Build in the in-text citation and be sure to include the page no. or paragraph no.

(See the Parenthetic Citations pptx. for more help.)

The 4 “Musts” for Paraphrasing

A paraphrase must:1. Be in your own words!2. Be near or longer than the original passage.3. Be used to explain a difficult/complex

concept or passage.4. Convey the original meaning.

Paraphrase Examples

Using the passage found on the following pages, please utilize the “4 Musts” & “5 Finger Test” to determine why one paraphrase is “good” and the other is “bad”.

From:Trotta, Alison A. “Plagiarism: the best defense is a good offense.” Information Today Sept. 2013 : 11. General OneFile. Web 2 Dec. 2013.

Good Example: In the passage below the word choice reflects the author’s original thought, but does not have too many simple synonym substitutions.

Plagiarism doesn’t only happen in student essays. In March 2013, the National Science Foundation (NSF) began investigating nearly 100 potential cases of plagiarism within its funded proposals. In the same month, Jane Goodall’s new book, Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder From the World of Plants, was delayed due to at least a dozen uncited passages that were reportedly taken from multiple sources, according to Steven Levingston’s Washington Post article on March 19, 2013.

Alison Trotta illustrates in her article “Plagiarism: the Best Defense is a Good Offense”, that the act of omission, otherwise known as plagiarism, is not solely relegated to classroom essays. Inquiries were made in March of 2013 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) into at least 100 examples of plagiarism in research proposals. She also observed that during that time period Steve Levingston of the Washington Post notes that there are nearly a dozen plagiarized passages can be found in Jane Goodall’s new book, Seeds of Hope: Wisdom, and Wonder From the World of Plants (11).

Paraphrase Example 1


BAD Example: The text below is too closely related in word choice to be considered a n acceptable paraphrase.


Alison Trotta states in her article “Plagiarism: the Best Defense is a Good Offense”, that student essays are not the only place for plagiarism. The National Science Foundation (NSF) began inquiries in March of 2013 into 100 possible cases of plagiarism in funded research proposals. Also on March 19, 2013, Steve Levingston of the Washington Post reported that Jane Goodall’s new book, Seeds of Hope: Wisdom, and Wonder From the World of Plants contains a dozen plagiarized passages from numerous other sources (11).

Paraphrase Example 2

Summarization

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines a summary as: “a presentation of a body of material in a condensed form, or by

reducing it to its main points” (1382)Etymology:

Paraphrase derives from the Middle English/Med. Latin summārius and the Latin summa meaning of or concerning the sum. (1382)

Perhaps the best working definition for summarizing is : A condensed version of an original passage or writing. It

provides only the main points and eliminates extra details , but a summary is considerably shorter that the original work.

Summarizing Checklist

Contained on the next slide are suggestions for determining if your summary is indeed a summary.

Checklist for Summarizing

1. Reread the original passage carefully in order to fully understand the concept & author’s meaning.

2. Identify the main points of the passage.

3. Rewrite the passage using only the main points of the original work (e.g., thesis statement and conclusion)

4. Compare your text to the original and use the “vision test”.

(The original work must be twice the size as your work. If not, you need to “shrink” or cut down the number of words you use!)

5. Build in the in-text citation and be sure to include the page no. or paragraph no.

(See the Parenthetic Citations pptx. for more help.)

The 4 “Musts” for Summarizing

A summary must:1. Be in your own words!2. Be shorter (by half) of the original passage.3. May contain some of the words from the

original work, however these single words must be contained in “quotation marks”.

4. Convey the original meaning but does not evaluate or comment on the author’s original work.

Summarization Examples

Using the passage found on the following pages, please utilize the “4 Musts” & “Vision Test” to determine why one summarization is “good” and the other is “bad”.


Good Example: In the passage below the word choice reflects the author’s original thought in a condensed form.


Alison Trotta, in her article “Plagiarism: the Best Defense is a Good Offense”, plagiarism is not a solely a classroom occurrence. She notes that in March 2013 both the National Science Foundation and the Washington Post reported multiple plagiarism incidences by professionals (11).

Please look after the article introduction, and note that the summary is half the size and scope of the original passage. It also leaves out unnecessary wording but still imparts the original intent of the author’s passage.

Summary Example 1


Bad Example: In the passage below the word choice reflects the author’s original thought in a condensed form.


Alison Trotta, in her article “Plagiarism: the Best Defense is a Good Offense”, plagiarism is not a solely based on student essays. In March 2013 the National Science Foundation began an investigation into almost 100 incidents of plagiarism contained in its funded proposals. Also in March 2013 a Washington Post reporter, Steven Levingston reported that Jane Goodall’s new book multiple incidences of plagiarism from varied sources (11).

Please look after the article introduction, and note that the summary is almost the same the size and scope of the original passage. Although it does convey the author’s original message, it is too much like the original passage to be considered an accurate summarization.

Summary Example 2

Works Cited

Driscoll, Dana L., and Allen Brizee. "Purdue Online Writing Lab." Quoting,

Paraphrasing and Summarizing. Purdue University, 15 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Dec.

2013.

"Paraphrasing and Summarizing." Coconino Community College Library

Services Handouts Workshop. Coconino Community College, 27 June. Web. 13

Dec. 2013. <http://

www.coconino.edu/sa/library/Pages/HandoutsWorkshops.aspx>.

Trotta, Alison A. “Plagiarism: the best defense is a good offense.” Information

Today Sept. 2013 : 11. General OneFile. Web 2 Dec. 2013.

http://www.coconino.edu/sa/library/Pages/HandoutsWorkshops.aspx



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