UNIT II STUDY GUIDE
Paraphrasing From Research
Learning Objectives
Reading
Assignment
None
Learning Activities
(Non-Graded)
See information below.
Key Terms
1.
2.
3.
4.
APA Guidelines
CSU Online Library
Paraphrasing
Plagiarism
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Recognize plagiarism and how to avoid it.
Demonstrate the ability to paraphrase.
Locate and paraphrase a passage.
Apply APA Guidelines.
Navigate to and utilize the resources available through the
CSU Online Library.
Written Lecture
Once you have completed your research, it is time to start writing. The following
material provides tips for paraphrasing.
1. Understand the Topic
2. Include the Proper Citations
3. Take Notes
4. Write a Summary
The following lessons will assist you in understanding the topics involved in this
Unit:
Lesson 2.1: CSU Online Library
Click here to view a presentation of the CSU Online Library
Lesson 2.2: Paraphrasing from Research
Paraphrasing from Research
Once you have completed your research, it is time to start writing. The
following information provides tips for paraphrasing.
Understand the Topic
It is important to have a good understanding of the topic in order to
paraphrase properly. Read and re-read the text until you have a good
understanding of what you are reading.
Try not to use too many quotes in your writing assignment. Even if you
use appropriate citations, use of direct quotes can become excessive.
Instead, paraphrase the information into your own words – write your
own interpretation of the information.
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One of the main purposes of writing assignments is to
ensure you have a good understanding of the concepts. If
you do not put the concepts into your own words, your
professor will not know if you understand or not. You may
also be plagiarizing if you do not paraphrase and cite
properly.
It is important to have a good understanding of the
topic in order to paraphrase properly.
Include the Proper Citations
You need to include citations even when you paraphrase. Even though
paraphrasing puts the idea into your own words, be sure to reference
where you found the idea. Doing so avoids plagiarism and serves as
support for the points you are discussing within your writing assignment.
Use APA Formatting!
Take Notes
Take notes on the important concepts. Then, try to group your notes into
segments that are relevant to your writing assignment. Read over your
notes. You will be ready to paraphrase when you are comfortable
enough with the material to tell someone else about it. Paraphrasing is
like reading a book or newspaper article and then telling someone else
the general idea of the story or article.
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Use outlines, graphic organizers, etc. to help you
take notes and organize them effectively.
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Developing your outline or graphic organizer
before you even start taking notes might be
helpful. That way, as you read you can write your
notes directly into your outline.
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Do not feel like you are restricted to using your
computer only. The words you write might come
more easily if you are just using a pen and paper;
you can type your final draft later.
Write a Summary
When you are ready, start writing your summary. At first, do not put too
much pressure on yourself and your writing; just write the summary as if
you were telling someone else about what you read. Once you have
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your thoughts written down, then go back and update your wording to
ensure you are using appropriate language.
You do not have to summarize every statement from the
original passage; just summarize the key points.
What if you just read a 15 page chapter/article, took notes, organized
your notes into an outline, summarized the information into your formal
paper, and you ended up with only one small paragraph of information?
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That is ok! Sometimes only small portions of what you read will
be relevant to what you need to write.
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You might find that an article or chapter really did not provide
you with all of the information you need for your writing
assignment or essay questions. In this case, you can read the
chapter/article again and try and fill in the holes, or you can start
looking for additional resources for support.
Paraphrasing Example:
Below is an example of a passage from a fire science textbook (the
source) and the paraphrased information taken from the passage.
Passage from the book:
Brush and heavy timber may also burn in the same ways. Fire
may flash across and upward through the leaves and finer twigs
(called crowning), leaving heavier portions to ignite later as fire
conditions change. This condition is especially notable downwind
and uphill from a fast-moving fire, in the area sometimes called
the head for obvious reasons. Radiant and convective heat from
an intense nearby fire can raise the temperature of an entire
bush or tree to its ignition temperature, whereupon it “explodes”
in flames.
DeHaan, J. (2007) Kirk’s fire investigation. Upper Saddle River:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Example 1 - Paraphrased from the passage:
The burning of brush and timber might begin from crowning; DeHaan
(2007) defines crowning as the flashing through of easily ignitable parts,
such as leaves and twigs.
Crowning is usually found at the head of a fire. Radiant heat also has an
effect on the spread of a fire. Radiant heat can raise the temperature of
nearby shrubs and trees enough to ignite (DeHaan, 2007).
DeHaan, J. (2007) Kirk’s fire investigation. Upper Saddle River: Pearson
Education, Inc.
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Example 2 - POORLY Paraphrased from the passage (would be
considered plagiarism):
Brush and heavy timber may burn the same. Fire can flash through the
leaves and twigs which can cause the heavier portions to ignite later. In
the area called the head, this condition is especially notable downwind
and uphill from a fast moving fire. Radiant heat from a nearby fire can
also ignite a bush or tree.
This example only reorders the words and changes some of the words.
There is no evidence that the concepts are understood because it was
obviously written from looking at the original passage rather than the
writer’s understanding of the original passage.
Example 3 - POORLY Paraphrased from the passage (would be
considered plagiarism):
Brush and timber may burn similarly. Flames can flare across and up
throughout the foliage and twigs, leaving heavier segments to catch fire
afterward as fire conditions alter. This circumstance is particularly
prominent downwind and uphill from a vigorous blaze, in the area
sometimes called the head. Radiant and convective heat from a strong
close-by fire can elevate the heat of a whole tree to its ignition
temperature, at which time it bursts into fire.
This example only replaces the author’s words with synonyms. There is
no evidence that the concepts are understood because it was obviously
written from looking at the original passage rather than the writer’s
understanding of the original passage.
Learning Activities (Non-Graded)
Reflection Paper
For this assignment, you are asked to prepare a Reflection Paper. After you
finish the reading assignment for this unit, reflect on the concepts, and write
about them. What do you understand completely? What did not quite make
sense? The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity to
reflect on the material you finished reading and to expand upon those thoughts.
If you are unclear about a concept, either read it again, or ask your professor
about it. Can you apply the concepts toward your career? How?
This is not a summary. A Reflection Paper is an opportunity for you to express
your thoughts about the material by writing about them.
The writing should meet the following requirements:
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Be at least two pages in length
Include your thoughts about the main topics
How does it apply to your career?
How does it apply to your personal life?
Format your Reflection Paper using APA style. Use your own words, and include
citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism.
Because this is a non-graded activity, you do not have to submit it. This activity
is designed to help you comprehend and retain the material in the chapters
more easily, and you should save it for future reference.
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