Plagiarism, summarizing paraphrasing about research writing

ENG3112/3122/3132
ENGLISH V
Lesson 02 – Plagiarism, Summarizing and
Paraphrasing

What is plagiarism?
“Plagiarism is defined as the unacknowledged use, as one’s own, of
work of another person, whether or not such work has been
published”
(The University of Hong Kong cited in Gardner, 1999, p. 1).
◦ It is seen as a form of theft, and is considered to be an academic
crime.
◦ In academic work, ideas and words are seen as private property
belonging to the person who first thought or wrote them.

Why should
students avoid
plagiarism?
The act of stealing someone else’s original
ideas is a violation of academic ethics.
Copying the work of others will not help you
develop your own understanding.
To show that you understand the rules of the
academic community.
Plagiarism is easily detected by teachers and
computer software.
It may lead to the failing a course, or even
expulsion from an academic institution.
The loss of credibility and reputation within
the academic community.

What are the
instances of
plagiarism?
It is plagiarism when you use other people’s:
◦ Examples, data and evidence
◦ Ideas and concepts
◦ Phrases
◦ Images, illustrations, videos and other media
content
◦ Arguments
◦ Conclusions
◦ Methodological frameworks

Types of sources
◦ Encyclopaedias
◦ Dictionaries
◦ Books
◦ Journals/ articles
◦ Research papers
◦ Newspapers/ magazines
◦ Websites/ blogs
◦ Lecturer’s notes/ handouts
◦ Presentations
◦ Data/ statistics
◦ Pictures/ illustrations
◦ Graphs/ charts/ tables
◦ Conversations/ interviews
◦ Conference papers
◦ Videos/ films or other visual
content
◦ Expert/ specialist comments
◦ Other students’ input
◦ Social media content

Activity 01
Read the following and identify if the situations depict plagiarism by stating (Yes) or (No).
Situation Yes/No
1. Copying a paragraph without any citation.
2. Cutting and pasting a short article from a website, with no citation.
3. Taking two paragraphs from a classmate’s essay, without citation.
4. Taking a graph from a textbook and giving the source.
5. Using the results of your own research, without citation.
6. Discussing an essay topic with a group of classmates and using some of their ideas in
your own work.
7. Taking quotes from an online video without citation.
8. Taking quotes from a film with correct citation.
(Bailey, 2011, p. 32)

How to avoid
plagiarism?
Paraphrasing
Summarising
Using correct referencing/
citational methods
Developing good study habits

Activity 01
Examine the example given and identify the differences between summarizing and
paraphrasing.
Original Text
“The fox stalked its prey in the moonlight, its large ears and bright eyes on high alert for the
rabbit’s next move”.
Paraphrase:
“Using its remarkable hunting features, the fox was watching for the hare, but, it stayed still in
the night.”
Summary:
“Foxes hunt for the rabbits during nighttime, using its eyes and ears.”

Activity 02
In groups, fill in the following table.
Parameter of
comparison
Summarizing Paraphrasing
Meaning
a small explanation representing
the core points.
Nature
Involves an individual rewording of
any particular article/text in his/her
own words.
Length
Generally concise when compared
to the original text/article.
Purpose
To simplify/ clarify the original article
Selectivity
Can strike out the statements that
are not very important to include in
the final article and which do not
change the meaning of the original
composition.

Paraphrasing
◦ Paraphrasing means changing the wording of a text so that it is significantly
different from the original source, without changing the meaning.
◦ Paraphrasing involves the re-writing of quotes/ parts of the referred text in
your own words.
Eg:
◦ Original : There has been much debate about the reasons for the industrial
revolution happening in eighteenth-century Britain, rather than in France
or Germany.
◦ Paraphrased text : Why the industrial revolution occurred in Britain in the
eighteenth century, instead of on the continent, has been the subject of
considerable discussion.
(Bailey, 2011, p.50)

How to paraphrase effectively?
◦ Should not directly copy large quotations/ paragraphs.
◦ Should have a different structure to the original.
◦ Should include different vocabulary.
◦ Should retain the same meaning.
◦ Your writing should be clearly distinguishable from the original text.
◦ Try to state only the important points and explain/analyse those points.
◦ Compare and contrast the views of different authors you have read (synthesise).
◦ Add your own comments on the topic under discussion.
(Bailey, 2011, p.51 and Gardner, 1999, p. 3)

Using original quotes within the
paraphrased text
◦ Sometimes, in order to retain meaning of the source,
certain words/ phrases of the original text must be used as
it is.
Eg:
◦ When the exact words are relevant to your
argument/discussion.
◦ When something is expressed in a way which is unique.
◦ When re-writing would cause a loss of impact.

However, when doing so:
◦ Only brief/ short parts must be copied.
◦ Use correct punctuation and correct methods of referencing to
acknowledge the source.
Eg:
◦ Realist IR scholars focus mainly on the states at the centre of the system: the
major powers and especially the great powers. They see underdeveloped
countries as marginal players in a system of power politics that has always
rested on “the inequality of nations” (Tucker, 1977, p.240).
(Source –Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches;
Robert Jackson and Georg Sørensen, p.25)

Techniques used in paraphrasing
1) Changing the vocabulary by using synonyms
Use words with similar meanings to replace the words in the original text
Eg:
*Do not attempt to paraphrase every word which may then change the meaning of the text as
a whole.
Original text Paraphrased text
Jameson argues that… Jameson claims that…
The organisation also covers the wages of the workers The organisation also covers the labour costs of the
workers.
In the eighteenth century… In the 1700s…

2) Changing the word class
◦ In English grammar, a word class is a set of words that display the same formal properties
belonging to a similar grammatical category.
1) Open class words (content/ meaning words)
Eg: nouns/ verbs/ adjectives/ adverbs
2) Closed class words (function/ grammatical words)
Eg: articles/ prepositions/ pronouns/ conjunctions
◦ Paraphrasing can also be done by changing the word class
Eg: Original text Paraphrased text
We studied the statistics then applied (verb) for funding. After studying the statistics, we made an application
(noun) for funding.
In the 1920s, Alfred Sloan’s theories of management
(noun) helped (verb) General Motors to become the
world’s dominant (adjective) car company.
In the 1920s, with help (noun) from the managerial
(adjective) theories of Alfred Sloan, General Motors
dominated (verb) the world’s car companies.

3) Changing word order
Original text Paraphrased text
At the same time, trades unions became increasingly
militant in defence of their members’ jobs.
At the same time, increasingly militant trades unions
defended their members’ jobs.
The best explanation for the British origin of the
industrial revolution is found by focusing on demand
factors.
A focus on demand factors may provide the best
explanation of the UK origin of the industrial
revolution.

Activity 03
Finish these paraphrased sentences by changing the word class/ word and grammar.
1) We were concerned about her health.
We had some _________ about her health.
2) The council cut funding so we could not provide free parking.
Because of council funding _________, there was no_________ for free parking.
3) His proposal was a failure as it was too theoretical.
His proposal_________ because it relied too much on _________ .
4) As the emphasis was only on the UK, there were weaknesses in the evidence.
By _________ the UK only, the evidence was _________ .

Activity 04 - Select most suitable paraphrased text from the following.
1. Adverts are a major part of everyday life.
Paraphrase 1 - Advertising is an important feature of daily life.
Paraphrase 2 - The influence of adverts can be felt in all aspects of our lives.
2. Adverts for the soft drink, Tango, have recently been banned for possibly encouraging playground bullying.
Paraphrase 1 - Advertising for the fizzy drink, Tango, have been disallowed recently for potentially leading to school bullying.
Paraphrase 2 - A ban on Tango adverts has been implemented recently, as some felt the content could encourage school bullies.
3. Opinion is divided over what impact, if any, advertising has on children. What is beyond question is that many people, parents
in particular are worried about its effects. 88% of Swedes supported their government’s ban on children’s TV adverts in 1991
(Willows, 2009) while 36% of adults in the UK thought that advertising was damaging to their children (Sidle, 2011).
Paraphrase 1 - There is little agreement on the effect of advertising on children, though it is undoubtedly a concern, especially for
parents. When Sweden banned children’s TV adverts in 1991, 88% of the population supported the decision (Willows, 2009), while
in the UK, over a third of adults thought advertising could damage their children (Sidle, 2011).
Paraphrase 2 - Views vary on what possible effect advertising can have on the young. What is without doubt is that most people,
especially parents, are concerned about the impact. 88% of Swedish people were in favour of their government’s ban on advertising
on children’s television (Willows, 2009), and in the UK, 36% of adults believed adverts were harmful to their offspring (Sidle, 2011).

Summarising
◦ Summarising means reducing the length of a text but retaining the main points.
◦ In academic writing it is a vital skill, allowing the writer to condense lengthy sources
into a concise form without unnecessary details.
◦ When summarising it is important to:
⁻ Change sentence structure
⁻ Rewrite using your own words
⁻ Using correct referencing methods

How to prepare a summary?
1) Read
◦ Read the selection/ text carefully.
◦ Look for key ideas, evidence and information.
◦ Underline/ highlight or note the above.
2) Scan
◦ Reread the selection/ text and check if you have noted down the most important points.
◦ Try to identify the writer’s major purpose(s) and main sections of the discussion

3) Write
◦ Begin to summarise the selection/ text into a single sentence.
◦ If there are multiple paragraphs/ sections, use a few sentences.
◦ Change sentence structure and vocabulary.
4) Combine
◦ If you have multiple summarised sections/ sentences, combine them to create an overall summary.
5) Revise
◦ Rewrite for logic, correct grammar and for ease of reading and understanding.
◦ Check against the original for accuracy.
6) Document
◦ Use correct referencing methods to indicate the source of the summary.

Activity 5
Choose the main idea of the following paragraph.
Space exploration is a very exciting field of research. It is the frontier of Physics and no
doubt will change the understanding of science. However, it does come at a cost. A
normal space shuttle costs about 1.5 billion dollars to make. The annual budget of
NASA, which is a premier space exploring organization, is about $17 billion. So the
question that some people ask is that whether it is worth it?
A. NASA has a budget of $17 billion.
B. The cost of making one space shuttle can be used for other constructive work.
C. The money spent on NASA can be used otherwise.
D. Space exploration is costly and some people are worried

One myth about exercise is that if a woman lifts weights, she will develop muscles
as large as a man’s. Without male hormones, however, a woman cannot
increase her muscle bulk as much as a man’s. Another misconception about
exercise is that it increases the appetite. Actually, regular exercise stabilizes the
blood-sugar level and prevents hunger pangs. Some people also think that a few
minutes of exercise a day or one session a week is enough, but at least three solid
workouts a week are needed for muscular and cardiovascular fitness.
A. Women who lift weights cannot become as muscular as men.
B. There are several myths about exercise.
C. Exercise is beneficial to everyone.
D. People use many different excuses to avoid exercising.

Activity 06
Summarise the following paragraphs
1)
Research on children’s advertising would not seem to support a ban. Psychology professor, Adrian Furnham, argues against
any restrictions, noting “Peer influences and parenting styles are massively more influential in determining children’s
behaviour and achievements than advertising” (Stokes and Brown, 2011). Furthermore, a German study points out that, on
average, children between three and thirteen years old spend only 1.4% of their waking time watching adverts. That said, in
the UK, this translates into 18 000 adverts a year (Grissom, 2010). However until there has been definitive research linking
behaviour to advertising, it would seem premature to argue for a ban, but perhaps some regulation is needed, especially
given parents’ concerns.
2)
One restriction would arguably be on food advertising. 95% of these during children’s television programmes were for
products high in fat, salt or sugar (Grissom, 2010) and many, including the World Health Organisation, believe that there is
a link between such foods and increasing levels of obesity and high blood pressure. Yet for every $1 spent by the WHO to
combat these effects of a poor diet, the global food industry spends $500, part of an annual industry worth $25 billion
(WHO, 2009). It is obviously not a fair fight and as children’s health is at stake, there is a strong case for a limitation on
food advertising to the young.

Developing good study habits
◦ Set a timeline for your essay/ research study.
◦ Plan your work carefully so you don’t have to write the essay
at the last minute.
◦ Take care to make notes in your own words, not copying from
the source.
◦ Keep a record of all the sources you use (eg: author, date, title,
page numbers, publisher) while you are making notes.
◦ Make sure to include all your in-text citations while you are
writing the essay/ research study.
◦ Make sure to include all your sources of the in-text citations in
the list of references at the end.

References
Bailey, S., 2011, Academic writing: A handbook for international students. 3rd
ed. Oxon:
Routledge.
Gardner, D., 1999. Plagiarism and how to avoid it. [e-book] Purdue online writing lab.
Available at: http://www4.caes.hku.hk/plagiarism/image/all_in_one.pdf [Accessed 1 July
2020].
Purdue online writing lab., 2020. [online] Indiana: Purdue University. Available at:
https://owl.purdue.edu/index.html [Accessed 1 July 2020].

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