Summarizing+and+Paraphrasing

=**Summarizing**=

Summarizing is reading a chunk of material and summarizing it in your own words.

The point is to condense several pages into a paragraph of notes or a paragraph into a sentence.


 * Advantages:**


 * This method is quicker than quoting


 * The process of summarizing forces you to think about the material and make it your own.


 * Disadvantages:**


 * The method does not work well if you are dealing with difficult material that is hard to condense.


 * You will have to go back to your book or journal article if you find later that you need a quotation.


 * You have to be very careful that you understand the things you are reading. If you misunderstand, you have no way of checking for accuracy later on, other than going back to your source material.

=**Paraphrasing**=

The difference between summarizing and paraphrasing is that the former //condenses// material while the latter //rewrites each sentence in the reader's own words.//

For example, if the original book or article said:

//The rate of increase in building costs is rapidly making home ownership impossible for the average middle class family.//

a paraphrase might say:

//The speed of growth in the cost to build is quickly making owning a home impossible for the average family with a middle income//.

whereas a summary might say:

//The rising costs of construction is squeezing out middle class would-be home owners.// (i.e., a briefer **interpretation** rather than a paraphrase)

With a paraphrase, you can expect that your paragraph of notes will be as long as the book's paragraph, if not longer.

//**Possible advantage:**//

This method can be helpful if you are working through difficult material.

Sometimes just the task of rewriting each sentence in your own words makes the writer's meaning clear.

//**Why paraphrasing can be a bad idea:**//


 * While sometimes recommended by professors, this method leaves you particularly open to a charge of plagiarism, since you are still reproducing the writer's work, thought for thought.


 * In fact, people who paraphrase tend to change far too little of the original to qualify the result as plagiarism-free. Most paraphrasing that I see appearing in research papers is out and out theft of most of the original author's words as well as his/her thoughts.


 * The method is laborious. Not only do you have to rephrase each sentence, but your notes will be as long as your original source, maybe longer.

So paraphrase only if you need to explain a piece of writing to yourself.

Word to the wise:

//Avoid letting paraphrased material appear in an actual research paper you have written. Paraphrased material only puts you at risk of a plagiarism accusation. Summarize instead.//

From: William Badke, //Research Strategies//