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Exposition: Non-Fiction Writing Research Assignment: Citation, Documentation & Information Ethics

TEENS AND CELL PHONES -- OR -- TEENS AND BALANCING SCHOOL WITH WORK: This guide will assist Exposition students work through the research process and write the best argumentative paper involving the choice between the two topics.

Other Citation Generators & Tools

Summarizing, Paraphrasing & Quoting

Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting

You can borrow from the works of other writers as you research. Good writers use three strategies—summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting—to blend source materials in with their own, while making sure their own voice is heard.

Quotations are the exact words of an author, copied directly from the source word for word. Quotations must be cited!

Use quotations when:

  • You want to add the power of an author’s words to support your argument
  • You want to disagree with an author’s argument
  • You want to highlight particularly eloquent or powerful phrases or passages
  • You are comparing and contrasting specific points of view
  • You want to note the important research that precedes your own
Paraphrasing means rephrasing the words of an author, putting his/her thoughts in your own words. A paraphrase can be viewed as a “translation” of the original source. When you paraphrase, you rework the source’s ideas, words, phrases, and sentence structures with your own. Paraphrased text is often, but not always, slightly shorter than the original work. Like quotations, paraphrased material must be followed with in-text documentation and cited the on the Works-Cited page.

Paraphrase when:

  • You plan to use information on your note cards and wish to avoid plagiarizing
  • You want to avoid overusing quotations
  • You want to use your own voice to present information
Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) or one or several writers into your own words, including only the main point(s). Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summarized ideas are not necessarily presented in the same order as in the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material.

Summarize when:

  • You want to establish background or offer an overview of a topic
  • You want to describe common knowledge (from several sources) about a topic
  • You want to determine the main ideas of a single source

Joyce Valenza, Springfield Township High School

Documenting Accurately vs Plagiarizing

Plagiarism vs. Documentation

Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's work as your own. It is the theft of intellectual property. The following examples should help you distinguish plagiarism from well-documented research.

Original text from:

McCullough, David. John Adams. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. p. 57

His marriage to Abigail Smith was the most important decision of John Adams's life, as would become apparent with time. She was in all respects his equal and the part she was to play would be greater than he could possibly have imagined, for all his love for her and what appreciation he already had of her beneficial, steadying influence.

Writing sample #1

John Adam’s marriage to Abigail was the most important choice in his life. He was to come to understand this better with time. In so many ways, she was his equal, and he could not have imagined the importance of the role she was going to play, despite his love for her and his appreciation of her good, solid influence.

Unacceptable! This paragraph is the work of someone either deliberately plagiarizing or someone who doesn’t understand what it means to plagiarize. The writer may have changed a few words and switched the order of words in the sentences, but the writer has not changed McCullough’s sequence of ideas and has not used the information in a meaningful way. He or she failed to cite what are really McCullough’s original ideas or words.

Writing sample #2

When John Adams was ready to marry, he sought a woman who was his equal. He found Abigail Smith and loved her for her steadying influence.

Unacceptable! Not only did this student neglect to cite, this paraphrase twists McCullough’s meaning. Though it changes words significantly, it also does a poor job conveying the original idea accurately.

Writing sample #3

The best decisions of a great leader may extend beyond the political. In fact, the course of American history may have been changed by an entirely personal decision. In his biography of Adams, David McCullough notes that Adams’ choice of Abigail Smith as a wife was the most critical decision of his life. “She was in all respects his equal and the part she was to play would be greater than he could possibly have imagined” (McCullough 57).

This is acceptable because the author uses the information in a meaningful way, accurately paraphrases the ideas presented in the original source, credits them and weaves in a quote to emphasize the point. The source is properly quoted and cited using quotation marks and in-text documentation. Note that in this example the student created his/her own topic sentence, following an independent plan and not the necessarily following the structure of another author's material.

You can avoid plagiarism.
  • When you are taking notes, make sure that you copy all original passages in quotation marks.
  • Paraphrase by really putting ideas into your own words; go beyond changing a few words. Recognize that paraphrasing of unique ideas and facts also requires citation.
  • As you write, return to the text and check your paraphrase against the original source to make sure you haven’t unintentionally copied.
  • Use graphic organizers to restructure your facts and ideas.
  • Use your own voice to put a new twist on old information.
  • When in doubt, cite!
What is Common Knowledge?
  • You don’t have to cite everything. Facts or ideas referred to as “common knowledge” do not have to be cited.
  • Common knowledge includes facts that are found in many sources, facts that you assume many people know. A rule of thumb is that if you find a fact in three or more sources, it may be considered common knowledge.
  • An example of common knowledge is that John Adams married Abigail Smith.
  • Remember, you must document little-know facts and any ideas that interpret facts, even if they are paraphrased! For instance, even if you don’t use McCullough’s words, you should absolutely document McCullough’s belief that this marriage may have been the most critical decision of Adam’s life.

Springfield Township High School

Turnitin

A website resource for educators and students.  For students, it helps with plagiarism and grammar issues.  For teachers, it helps in detecting plagiarism in student work.  The student application is titled WriteCheck.  The educator application is titled turnitin.  Requires regisration and there are fees for the services.

MLA Style Tutorial

Works Cited, Works Consulted - Is There a Difference?

WORKS CITED AND WORKS CONSULTED PAGES: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?                                   

 Works Consulted is the term used for the list of sources used in the preparation of a research project.  It is used to list background reading, summarized sources, or any sources used for informational purposes but not paraphrased or quoted.  It is used to document those sources referred to, but not cited in your project. 

 Works Cited is the term for the list of sources actually documented (paraphrased or quoted) in your project, generally through parenthetical citation. All of the parenthetical references in the paper or project should lead the reader to this list of sources.

Should I use one or both? 

A student might prepare only a Works Consulted page if he or she did not quote or paraphrase at all in the project.

A student might prepare only a Works Cited page if he or she paraphrased or quoted from and therefore cited all sources used.  

A student might prepare both Works Consulted and Works Cited pages if, in addition to the sources cited in the project or paper, he or she also consulted other sources that were not paraphrased or quoted.

Paraphrasing - a bit more

The following websites explain paraphrasing and summarizing. These sites include examples of proper ways to paraphrase.