How To Effectively Use Summary Capturing The Idea Quote

How To Effectively Usesummary Capturing The Ideaquote Using Nugget

How To Effectively Usesummary Capturing The Ideaquote Using Nugget

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY USE: SUMMARY (CAPTURING THE IDEA) QUOTE (USING NUGGETS OF TEXT) PARAPHRASE (BORROWING LANGUAGE) Summary, Quote, Paraphrase A summary restates only the main ideas and a couple of the most important examples. A quote uses the actual words that someone else said or wrote. A paraphrase restates all of the supporting details in addition to the main ideas, but in your own words. You should cite your source for summaries, quotes, and paraphrases.

* Summarize when you want to give the general outline, or an overview of a lot of material. Quote when something is said in a unique way or the person saying it has authority.

Paraphrase when you want to say all the details but there is nothing special about the person you are quoting or the way they said it. When do I use each? Summary helps the reader understand how the source fits into the research. Readers better understand the text. Readers better understand how the source fits into the topic. Readers better trust the writer as a researcher. A writer picks only the main points for a summary. In a summary, you: Highlight the key ideas. Delete minor supporting details and repeated information. Collapse lists (replace a long list of items with a general category—precious gemstones instead of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, etc.).

Summary Check the topic sentence of a paragraph to get a clue about the “big idea.”

Example: Original: Writing things in a calendar helps me manage my time better. For example, instead of napping in the afternoon, I’m more likely to start working on my ENG 102 paper that’s due in 10 days. I fit my grocery shopping in before a busy weekend. I plan my visits to the laundromat during the football game when more machines are likely to be open. Summary, contd. Summary: I get more school work and chores done by keeping track of my obligations on a calendar.

Summary, contd. Summary Exercise The original passage: “Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.” Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.

* The original passage: “Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.” Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47. An acceptable summary: Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in the final research paper (Lester 46-47).

Summary Exercise It is very important to give your reader clues that you are doing a long summary. You can do that by mentioning the author’s FULL name at the start of the summary, this is called an "author tag” / “source attribution phrase". Then as you continue, you can use author tags / source attribution phrases like “Jones says,” or “she mentions,” or “he explains/reveals/notes/argues/illustrates/conveys/claims/discusses/suggests/reminds readers that/creates the impression that” as you write. You can also use the name of the book or article instead of the author to break up the monotony of your writing. Example: John Miller, in his article, “How to Mentor,” suggests many ideas for effective mentoring programs. One idea he promotes is xxxxx. Miller also says xxxxx. A final suggestion in the article is that xxxxxx (Miller 34). How do I let my reader know I am summarizing? Objectivity matters! When you’re summarizing someone else’s text, you need to leave your opinion out of it. When proofreading your summaries, replace biased words such as the following: “positive, negative, good, bad, strong, weak, conservative, liberal, hard, difficult, easy, funny, interesting, well-supported, disappointing, not surprisingly.”

Consider the following two examples to see how easily a writer’s bias can slant a summary. Summary, contd. Summary: "Not surprisingly, the students did not like the test, for it showed their ignorance in a broad spectrum of topics.” summary: “The article reveals his [the author’s] opinion that students do not ask pertinent questions in an attempt to keep their ignorance concealed.”

Summaries, contd. Quotations can be used: When the specific language of the source is critical, as in the wording of certain laws. When the language is unusual or biased, and you think it will help develop a particular point. When the quotation is particularly eloquent or colorful. When the author or speaker is well-known in the area you’re writing about. When to use quotations When you mention a source, you need to at least tell the name of the writer. Usually, it is also good to tell the title of what you are quoting from too. Additionally, you can strengthen your writing if you explain how that source is going to support your idea. You can do this by including the claim you are trying to support in the sentence, and also by explaining the authority of the person you are citing. How do I mention the source in my own sentence? Good: According to John Miller, “Many mentors feel lost when they encounter children with problems impossible for them to understand” (Miller 23). Better: John Miller explains that it is important for mentors to be trained because, without training, “Many mentors feel lost when they encounter children with problems impossible for them to understand” (Miller 23). OR Best Mentors need to be well trained to be effective. John Miller, international director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters, says that mentor training is essential because “Many mentors feel lost when they encounter children with problems impossible for them to understand” (Miller 23). Here are some examples: ARE ALL OF THESE QUOTES NECESSARY? NO STRINGING ALONG QUOTES WEAKENS OUR WRITING How do we choose which to keep and which to ‘cut out’? GENERAL RULE OF THUMB USE QUOTES SPARINGLY Consider this example: Orange text highlights quotes. Individuality helps young girls appreciate their body image. For example, “in a recent study conducted by the University of Alaska, researchers believe that girls who try to practice some form of expression, whether it is in art or with experimentation with hair styles, tend to be more self confident and more apt to challenge their culture’s notions of the ideal woman” (Jones 14). I think that this study is interesting because it explains a way to help young girls who are so self conscious. The study seems to say that if a young girl is allowed to express her own interests, without restraints, she might not have such a hard time if someone makes fun of her later on. In an interview with a student at Jackson Community College, I found this to be true. Sara states: “High school was hell, and I did what I could to fit in. I did not like the styles I wore, and I was not comfortable with my weight. I was a shadow” (Smith). I remember my own experience in high school, and I can relate to both the article and the interview… YIKES!!!!!

THE WRITING HAS WAY TOO MANY QUOTES. IT WEAKENS THE TEXT. IT MAKES US TIRED AS WE READ. WE WALK AWAY UNCLEAR WHERE IS THE WRITER AND ANALYSIS? Here is a revision of the previous slide: Individuality helps young girls appreciate their body image. For example, in a recent study conducted by the University of Alaska, researchers link self-expression with confidence. They believe that these girls will later “challenge their culture’s notions of the ideal” (Jones 14). I think this study is interesting because it explains a way to help young girls who are so self-conscious. The study seems to say that if a young girl is allowed to express her own interests, without restraints, she might not have such a hard time if someone makes fun of her later on. In an interview with a student at Jackson Community College, I found this to be true. Sara calls herself “a shadow” and saw her high school experience as “hell” (Smith). I remember my own experience in high school, and I can relate to both the article and the interview… A paraphrase is similar to quoting, but this skill involves talking to the audience about what the original writer has said in the text while using some borrowed language or original tone—only important information is paraphrased.

Paraphrase is used more often than quoting because it allows the reader to hear the writer’s voice. The writer is talking the research to his/her audience. Paraphrase: a restatement of someone else’s ideas in your own words. Read your original source over three, four or more times, for understanding. Turn the page or book over so you can’t see the text. Imagine someone has walked into the room and asked, “What were you just reading?” Write down what your response would be. Don’t just change a few words. You should often change the sentence structure when you paraphrase. Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for some words if you get stuck. Check it against the original to make sure you’ve used your own words, and that you’ve captured the gist of the material.

Saying it in your own words Things to consider about Paraphrasing: 1. We are allowed to use key terms, such as author’s name or topic. No quotation marks are necessary when we use these. If we borrow any necessary language, we must put it in quotations. We must box in the source by introducing it first and then citing the source at the end of the paraphrase.

Paraphrase Example: In the book called Birds of the Northeast, Joe Schmoe calls the woodpecker the “most beautiful” bird in that region. He continues to say that nature gives us many examples of the “fluid motion” the woodpecker allows artists (97). Paraphrase Example The original passage: “Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.” Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47. Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many quotes in the final research paper. In fact, only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of source material copied while taking notes (Lester 46-47).

* …always cite your sources! Even though you’re using your own words, you’re borrowing your facts and ideas from another source. Whether you summarize, paraphrase, or quote… Apply in-text citation: author-page style (MLA). Example: Always cite your sources! Create a bibliographic entry for each source. (Look for “Core Elements” first!) Example: Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford UP, 1967. Print. Jones, Jacqueline. “Antonio: A Killing in Early Colonial Maryland.” A Dreadful Deceit: The Myth of Race from the Colonial Era to Obama’s America. Basic Books, 2015, pp. 1-45. Always cite your sources! Apply in-text citation: author-page style (MLA). Example: William Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263). Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263). Always cite your sources!

References

• Jones, Jacqueline. “Antonio: A Killing in Early Colonial Maryland.” A Dreadful Deceit: The Myth of Race from the Colonial Era to Obama’s America. Basic Books, 2015, pp. 1-45.
• Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed., 1976.
• Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. Oxford University Press, 1967.
• Dollahite, N.E., & Haun, J. (2005). Sourcework: Academic writing from sources. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.
• Hacker, D. (2009). Rules for writers (6th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
• Kissner, E. (2006). Summarizing, paraphrasing and retelling. Newmarket, ON: Heinemann.
• “When to use direct quotations.” Virgil Undergraduate Writing Center. Retrieved from [URL]
• Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide. Retrieved from [URL]
• Colorado State University. (n.d.) Example summaries. Writing @ CSU. Retrieved from [URL]
• Dollahite, N.E., & Haun, J. (2005). Sourcework: Academic writing from sources. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.