College Composition

College Composition Study Guide

• To provide evidence to validate the writer’s arguments in support of the thesis. • To explain specialized terminology or advanced concepts beyond the experience of the writer. When a writer uses the research of others, there are three ways to incorporate that research into the essay. A writer may summarize, paraphrase, or use a direct quotation. In summarizing , the writer briefly restates the information in the source text rewritten in the writer’s own words. A summary is significantly shorter than the work the writer is summarizing. Summaries are used to present complicated or specialized information in an easy-to-read fashion. They should be used when the main idea of the source is important, but not necessarily the wording. Paraphrasing is a more detailed than a summary and uses similar keywords to the original. This technique is used when the ideas, words, and language are important, but not necessarily the phrasing. It is also used when the writer wants to rearrange some of the ideas, or when the writer is combining ideas. Direct quotes are when the writer uses the exact words of the original. These words are placed in quotation marks and need to be incorporated into a clear sentence. Direct quotes are used for the most important information, or something that is so strong in can’t be summarized adequately. When summarizing, paraphrasing, or using a direct quotation, a signal phrase is needed. A signal phrase in a few words to help introduce to the reader where the information is coming from. A signal phrase lets the reader know the information that follows is not the writer’s own information, and usually provides context as to where the information is coming from. “The Chicago Tribune reported…” or “According to Susan Nightly, a professor at Harvard University…” are both examples of signal phrases. When using source material, the writer must make sure to blend the material smoothly into the writing. Students of writing tend to chunk source material, meaning that the majority of the essay becomes a string of various quotes and summaries. It is important to remember that a reader wants to hear the writer’s words and ideas, and source material should be used to supplement that. Writers also need to be careful to avoid plagiarism when incorporating source material. Plagiarism refers to one writer using material from another writer without properly crediting the original writer. Plagiarism is one writer saying that another’s ideas are his or her own. Plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty and carries significant consequences.

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