a Position Essay on Student Source Use in the Academy.

Professor Porter EN 102 ! Quoting, Paraphrasing, & Summarizing ! Summary: This handout is intended to help you become more comfortable with the uses of and distinctions among quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. This handout compares and contrasts the three terms, gives some pointers, and includes a short excerpt that you can use to practice these skills.

What are the differences among quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing? These three ways of incorporating other writers' work into your own writing differ according to the closeness of your writing to the source writing.

Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author.

Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.

Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s). Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material.

(See your MU handbook, “Decide When to Quote and When to Paraphrase,” 56-58.)

Why use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries? Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries serve many purposes. You might use them to . . .

• Provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing

• Refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing

• Give examples of several points of view on a subject

• Call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with

• Highlight a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by quoting the original

• Distance yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue readers that the words are not your own

• Expand the breadth or depth of your writing !! Writers frequently intertwine summaries, paraphrases, and quotations. As part of a summary of an article, a chapter, or a book, a writer might include paraphrases of various key points blended with quotations of striking or suggestive phrases as in the following example: In his famous and influential work the Interpretation of Dreams, Sigmund Freud argues

that dreams are the "royal road to the unconscious" (62), expressing in coded imagery

the dreamer's unfulfilled wishes through a process known as the "dream-work" (75).

During this process unacceptable desires are censored internally and subjected to

coding through layers of condensation and displacement before emerging (Freud 83).

How to use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries Helpful steps:

• Read the entire text, noting the key points and main ideas.

• Summarize in your own words what the single main idea of the essay is.

• Paraphrase important supporting points that come up in the essay.

• Consider any words, phrases, or brief passages that you believe should be quoted directly.

There are several ways to integrate quotations into your text. Often, a short quotation works well when integrated into a sentence. Longer quotations (more than four lines) must be inserted your text as block quotations. Remember that quoting should be done only sparingly; be sure that you have a good reason to include a direct quotation when you decide to do so. (See MU handbook, “Integrate Quotations,” 58-59.)

*Unless your professor instructs otherwise, you must use in-text citations AND include a Works Cited page to give credit to outside sources and avoid plagiarism. (See MU handbook, “Avoiding Plagiarism,” 50-56.) ! Additional Help

In-text citations: MU handbook, 62-63, 66-69

Works Cited: MU handbook, 64-65, 70-94

Sample research paper: MU handbook, 94-105 ! *Lesson adapted from the Purdue OWL

!! Practice !

(Use your Ethelbert Miller source for this practice exercise. Make sure to complete each step. I will collect & grade your work.) !

1. Write a 1-2 sentence summary of your source. You should avoid using quotes. Provide in-text citations where necessary. ! 2. Choose any 3 consecutive sentences that appear in the source to paraphrase. Provide in-text citations where necessary. !

3. Ready for some quotation integration? • Write out the main idea/thesis of your source in your own words. • Find a sentence or part of a sentence within the source that you can quote to

support the main idea/thesis you just identified. • In a brief paragraph, use the quote you have chosen as textual evidence to support

the source’s main idea/thesis. Make sure that you identify the main idea/thesis, set up your quote, and finish with your own thoughts (hint: quotation sandwich!).

You must provide in-text citations. ! 4. Write out an MLA citation for your source that would be included on a Works Cited page. !