Struggling with Sources:
The Citation Project Portrait of Composition Students’
Researched Writing
August 9, 2011
Rebecca Moore Howard
Professor of Writing and Rhetoric
Syracuse University
©2011 Sandra Jamieson and Rebecca Moore Howard
The Citation Project research team
TJ Geiger (Syracuse University)
Sandra Jamieson (Drew University) Jennifer Holly Wells (Drew University)
Nicole Gonzales-Howell (Syracuse
Rebecca Moore Howard (Syracuse
University)
University)
Santosh Khadka (Syracuse University)
Kelly Kinney (Binghamton University)
Contributing researchers
Elizabeth Kleinfeld (Metropolitan
Crystal Benedicks (Wabash College) State College of Denver)
Erin Carroll (Monmouth University) Kathryn Navickas (Syracuse
Sara B. Chaney (Dartmouth College) University)
Kristi Murray Costello (Binghamton Tanya K. Rodrigue (Wheaton College)
University)
Samantha Roy (Albright College)
Dennis Coyle (Drew University)
Tricia Serviss (Auburn University)
Christiane K. Donahue (Dartmouth Wendy Sutherland-Smith (Deakin
College)
University, Australia)
Bess Fox (Marymount University,
Missy Watson (Syracuse University)
Virginia)
Principal researchers
Participating Sites:
16 U.S. colleges and universities
From—
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Alabama
Colorado
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Representing—
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Massachusetts
New
Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Texas
Washington
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Community colleges
Ivy League institutions
Liberal arts colleges
Religious colleges
Private colleges and universities
State colleges and universities
Types of source use
Exact
copying
word
for
word
Paraphrase
Restating a passage
from a source in
fresh language,
though sometimes
with keywords
retained from that
passage.
Patchwriting
Copying source language while deleting
or adding some words, altering some
grammatical structures, or substituting
some synonyms.
Summary
1.
2.
3.
restating in fresh
language (though
sometimes with
keywords retained from
that passage)
and compressing by at
least 50%
the main points of at
least three or more
consecutive sentences.
Preliminary insights: Issues for teaching
Recognizing and
representing
publishers
Writing from
reference sources
Writing from
sentences
Preliminary insights: Issues for teaching
Recognizing and
representing
publishers
1
Preliminary insights: Issues for teaching
Recognizing and
representing
publishers
Writing from
reference sources
Preliminary insights: Issues for teaching
Recognizing and
representing
publishers
Writing from
reference sources
Writing from
sentences
Paragraph from pp. 7-8, paper S03
Studies show that children, as well as parents, in low-income families have very
few assets, so eliminating asset tests for coverage could increase enrollment
(Cox, Ray, and Lawler). Also, states could use "presumability eligibility for
pregnant women and children" covered under Medicaid or SCHIP. Through this,
children or pregnant women who seem eligible for the programs can be
immediately enrolled until a final determination of eligibility can be produced.
To determine who "seems" eligible for health care coverage, school staff could
be trained to judge who should be enrolled. Studies show that children with
health insurance have fewer sick days from school, so this could "yield
educational benefits" (Broaddus). With the increasing diversity and immigration
status of our society, Medicaid and SCHIP should also provide information on
eligibility and enrollment in many different languages, and in both
documentation or letters and personal visits. In every state, many lose coverage
by Medicaid and SCHIP when it is time to renew. In order to change this trend,
the programs should change their period to a 12-month plan, rather than the 6month plan now. Also, to eliminate confusion and difficulty for a family, states
with separate Medicaid and SCHIP programs should coincide their renewal times
and conduct renewal by mail or telephone. States with call centers, and
reminder letters for renewal should increase recertification of coverage. Lastly,
they should consider enforcing a grace period of about one to three months for
renewal (Cox, Ray, and Lawler). Some states have finally begun to take an
initiative on solving these low enrollment problems.
Sentence 1
Student text:
Source: Cox, Ray, & Lawler
• Studies show that
Studies have shown that
children, as well as
most low-income
parents, in lowfamilies have few
income families have
assets. Eliminating
very few assets, so
asset tests. . . .
eliminating asset tests
for coverage could
increase enrollment
(Cox, Ray, and Lawler).
Sentences 2-3
Student text:
• Also, states could use
"presumability eligibility
for pregnant women and
children" covered under
Medicaid or SCHIP.
Through this, children or
pregnant women who
seem eligible for the
programs can be
immediately enrolled until
a final determination of
eligibility can be
produced.
Source: Broaddus
Use presumptive
eligibility for children
and pregnant women.
This temporarily
enrolls children and
pregnant women in
SCHIP and Medicaid as
soon as they apply for
benefits, pending a
final eligibility
determination.
Sentence 4
Student text:
• To determine who
"seems" eligible for
health care coverage,
school staff could be
trained to judge who
should be enrolled.
Source: Broaddus
School staff could be
trained in how to
conduct presumptive
eligibility
determinations and
how to carry out the
necessary follow-up
activities.
Sentence 5
Student text:
• Studies show that
children with health
insurance have fewer
sick days from school,
so this could "yield
educational benefits"
(Broaddus).
Source: Broaddus
In addition to helping
school children gain
better access to health
care and prevention
services, presumptive
eligibility may yield
educational benefits;
recent research suggests
that children who are
insured have fewer sick
days and miss school less
often than children who
lack health insurance.
Sentence 6
Student text:
• With the increasing
diversity and immigration
status of our society,
Medicaid and SCHIP
should also provide
information on eligibility
and enrollment in many
different languages, and
in both documentation or
letters and personal visits.
Sources: Broaddus ("immigration
status"); Cox, Ray, & Lawler
Write Letters
reminding families to
renew SCHIP. Go
door-to-door to help
families in the renewal
process. . . . Give
families materials
about renewal in
multiple languages.
Sentence 7
Student text:
• In every state, many
lose coverage by
Medicaid and SCHIP
when it is time to
renew.
Source: Cox, Ray, & Lawler
In virtually all states,
many people lose
Medicaid and SCHIP
when it is time to
renew or recertify for
benefits.
Sentence 8
Student text:
• In order to change this
trend, the programs
should change their
period to a 12-month
plan, rather than the
6-month plan now.
Source: Cox, Ray, & Lawler
Use a 12-month
recertification period
to ensure that people
in need of health care
remain covered under
Medicaid for a full
year, instead of for
just six months.
Sentence 9
Student text:
• Also, to eliminate
confusion and
difficulty for a family,
states with separate
Medicaid and SCHIP
programs should
coincide their renewal
times and conduct
renewal by mail or
telephone.
Source: Cox, Ray, & Lawler
Coincide Renewal Times
for Medicaid and SCHIP.
In states with separate
Medicaid and SCHIP
programs, eliminate
confusion for a single
family by making the
renewal times of family
members who are
Medicaid coincide with
the renewal times for
family members in SCHIP.
. . . Conduct renewal by
telephone. . . . Mail-in
renewal.
Sentence 10
Student text:
• States with call
centers, and reminder
letters for renewal
should increase
recertification of
coverage.
Source: Cox, Ray, & Lawler
Establish a call center
in which the family is
reminded of their
SCHIP renewal time
and can call for
information. Write
Letters reminding
families to renew
SCHIP.
Sentence 11
Student text:
Lastly, they should
consider enforcing a
grace period of about
one to three months
for renewal (Cox, Ray,
and Lawler).
Source: Cox, Ray, & Lawler
If simplified renewal
processes exist (that is, a
simpler renewal form or
fewer documentation
requirements at renewal
than on initial
application), allow
applicants to re-apply
through this simplified
process if they re-apply
within a grace period of
one to three months after
a missed renewal.
Bulleted list from Cox, Ray, & Lawler
Teaching paraphrase
Writing Matters 16c2
Teaching summary
Writing Matters 16c1
[Preliminary data]
and therefore . . .
Pedagogical principles for source-based writing instruction
from the Citation Project preliminary data
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Less is more.
Work from shared texts.
Work from complex texts.
Focus on intensive engagement with texts.
Teach methods for analyzing the rhetorical moves of a source.
Teach methods for interpreting and evaluating sources, especially Web
pages.
7. Teach both shallow and deep reading—and the rhetorical occasions for
both.
8. Teach paraphrase, summary, and methods for integrating them into
written arguments and analyses.
9. Focus on rhetoric rather than mechanics of source use.
10. Less is more.
RebeccaMooreHoward@gmail.com
citationproject.net
• Associated Content vs. a scholarly article:
students thought the former (which was
longer) was the better