Responsible Researching
Gathering Information in Support
of Your Thesis Statement/How
to cite your sources
What is plagiarism?
 http://www.howcast.com/videos/273986
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fudJFioHc3
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 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mj9yI_OY
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Keep from Plagiarizing
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When researching, note-taking, and
interviewing
When paraphrasing and summarizing
When quoting directly
When quoting indirectly
See handout in student packet
Three Methods of Taking Notes: These will
help you avoid plagiarizing!
Direct Quote
Paraphrase
Summarize
Follow along of page 11 of your
packet!
When to Quote:
Use direct quotes for EMPHASIS and only when NECESSARYWhen a passage is:
* Very clear- "The best things in life aren't
things."
- Art Buchwald
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a
broken-winged bird, that cannot fly."
- Langston Hughes
* Profound -
When you feel that to change the author’s words would change the meaning.
Using the Ellipsis
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Quote only important parts of
passage
Use ellipsis when cutting
information from a sentence or
passage
Follow instructions in handout
for punctuation guidelines
Be cautious, remember that
only using parts of quotes can
sometimes be taken out of
context.
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When should I paraphrase,
and when should I summarize?
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Paraphrase: to
express someone
else’s ideas in your
own language.
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Summarize: to
express only the most
essential points of
someone else’s work.
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Paraphrasing and summarizing are
necessary tools for research
because they allow you to include
other people’s ideas without
cluttering up your essay with
quotations.
Rely on either tool when an idea
from one of your sources is
important to your essay but the
wording is not.
Above all, think about how much of
the detail from your source is
relevant to your argument.
How do I paraphrase?
You must provide a reference.
 The paraphrase must be entirely in
your own words.
 You must do more than merely
substitute phrases here and there.
 You must also completely alter the
sentence structure.
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Paraphrasing is valuable because:
• It is better than quoting
information from an
undistinguished passage.
• It helps you control the
temptation to quote too
much.
• The mental process
required for successful
paraphrasing helps you to
grasp the full meaning of
the original.
Six steps to effective
paraphrasing:
• Reread the original passage until you understand its full
meaning.
• Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on
notebook paper.
• At the top of the notebook paper, write a key word or
phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
• Check your rendition with the original to make sure that
your version accurately expresses all the essential
information in a new form.
• Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or
phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
• Record the source on your notebook paper so that you
can credit it easily if you decide to use the material in
your paper.
Cautions when Paraphrasing:
• Make sure your
wording is not too
close to the original.
• Do not copy the
author’s sentence
structure.
• Make sure your
wording doesn’t
distort the original
meaning.
An Acceptable Paraphrase
Original Text:
People with anorexia nervosa
eat very little because they are
afraid of gaining weight. As a
result they lose large amounts
of weight and become very
thin. However, they still believe
they are too fat and refuse to
eat properly.
Paraphrase:
Individuals suffering from the eating
disorder anorexia nervosa tend to
eat very little food because of a fear
of becoming overweight. In spite of
significant weight loss, they continue
to eat in an unhealthy way.
When to Summarize
• Summarize when a passage is too long to be
quoted or paraphrased.
• Remember: A summary does not give a pointby-point translation.
• First absorb the meaning of the passage.
• Then, capture (in your own words) the most
important points from the original passage.
– A summary is much shorter than a paraphrase.
Description of a Summary:
• Gives an objective overview of the main points
of a passage.
• Clearly and accurately expresses all of the
author’s main ideas.
• Avoids specific descriptive details.
• Is about 60% shorter than the original
passage.
• Does not change the main idea of the original
passage.
Cautions when summarizing:
• Don’t misunderstand the
author’s meaning- (such as
the use of sarcasm.)
• Make sure you use your own
words.
• Do not include direct quotes.
• Do not include new
ideas. Your thoughts must be
based on researched
facts.
Paraphrase/Summary Comparison
Chart
Paraphrase
Both
Summary
Covers a short
passage
Re-state the
author’s words
Covers a longer
passage
Includes all the
points in the
original passage
Use your own
words
Includes only the
main ideas of the
original passage
Is about the
same length as
the original
passage
Preserve the
emphasis of the
original passage
Is about 60%
shorter than the
original passage
Things to Remember: How to set up
your notes pages
• All notes will be taken on
notebook paper.
• Always put your source
information at the top left
corner of your notebook paper.
(See “Sample Notebook
Page”)
• Include page numbers while
taking your notes if the source
is a book, newspaper, or
magazine.
Using Correct Citations
All resources that are used must be properly
cited!
You must write down specific things on the
TOP OF YOUR NOTEBOOK PAGE to
complete a proper citation.
GUIDELINES FOR PARENTHETICAL
DOCUMENTATION
In-Text Parenthetical
Documentation
What? Parenthetical citations are short references
included in the text of your paper or project to show your
reader where you found each piece of information you
have paraphrased, summarized, or quoted.
 The citations should be used wherever you paraphrase,
summarize, or quote. NO EXCEPTIONS!
 The citations are placed in parentheses at the end of the
sentence following the borrowed material.
TURN TO THE PAGE ENTITLED “ GUIDELINES FOR
PARENTHETICAL DOCUMENTATION”
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