Writing with Sources How to Help Students Avoid Misusing Source Material in Their Work Ted Roggenbuck—Bloomsburg University Writing Center

Credible and Ethical Use of Source Material I. Direct Quotation II. Summary and Paraphrase

On a blank piece of paper, paraphrase the paragraph below from Doris Lessing’s The Prisons We Choose to Live Inside. The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people … are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (Lessing 49-50)

Problems to Avoid 1. plagiarism of language 2. plagiarism of ideas 3 intentional misrepresentation of source through omission or alteration of context or misrepresentation through error

GOOD DIRECT QUOTATION? ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people … are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) Direct Quotation While I believe that humans should behave in a civilized manner, some people think of us as animals: “We are group animals” (Lessing 49-50).

GOOD DIRECT QUOTATION? ORIGINAL We are group animals The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people … are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) Direct Quotation While I believe that humans should behave in a civilized manner, some people think of us as animals: “We are group animals” (Lessing 49-50). MISREPRESENTATION—Quotation is placed in a new context that changes its meaning.

GOOD DIRECT QUOTATION? ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people … are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) Direct Quotation Doris Lessing says that “[w]e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with …. not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us” (49-50).

GOOD DIRECT QUOTATION? ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people … are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) Direct Quotation “[w]e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with …. not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us” (49-50). Doris Lessing says that “[w]e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with …. not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us” (49-50). MISREPRESENTATION—Omitted words change the meaning of the original.

What Punctuation Says to Readers ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) I’m going to use another author’s language exactly as it appeared in the original. Doris Lessing says that [w]e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with….not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us” (49-50). What Punctuation Says to Readers ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) I’m going to use another author’s language exactly as it appeared in the original. Doris Lessing says that “ [w]e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with….not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us” (49-50).

What Punctuation Says to Readers ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) I have to make a change to another author’s language. Doris Lessing says that we are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with….not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us” (49-50). What Punctuation Says to Readers ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) I have to make a change to another author’s language. Doris Lessing says that “ [ w ] e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with….not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us” (49-50). (CMS and APA do not require editorial brackets for uppercase and lowercase changes)

What Punctuation Says to Readers ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) I’m finished using another author’s language; after this I am using my own language again. Doris Lessing says that [w]e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with….not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us(49-50). What Punctuation Says to Readers ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) I’m finished using another author’s language; after this I am using my own language again. Doris Lessing says that “[w]e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with….not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us ” (49-50).

What Punctuation Says to Readers ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) This idea can be found on these pages of the original source. You can consult my works cited or reference page for information about how to get to that source. Doris Lessing says that [w]e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with….not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us What Punctuation Says to Readers ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) This idea can be found on these pages of the original source. You can consult my works cited or reference page for information about how to get to that source. Doris Lessing says that “[w]e are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with….not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us” (49-50).

Two Tools for Giving Credit “Credit for language”—Quotation Marks Credit for ideas–name and parenthetical information. (page numbers or other information)

Summary & Paraphrase

GOOD PARAPHRASE? ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) MY PARAPHRASE OF THE ORIGINAL GOOD PARAPHRASE? ORIGINAL The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people…are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) MY PARAPHRASE OF THE ORIGINAL I am a firm believer that while it is fine for us to always be in groups, what might be harmful to us is not realizing how we are affected by them.

3.PLAGIARIZED IDEA—WHAT HAVE I DONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE TO MY READERS THAT THE IDEA COMES FROM DORRIS LESSING. EVEN IF I AM USING MY OWN LANGUAGE, I NEED TO CREDIT MY SOURCES FOR THEIR IDEAS.

GOOD SUMMARY? ORIGINAL (paragraph 4) The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people … are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) In “Group Minds” Doris Lessing claims that what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, but not understanding the group laws that govern us (49-50).

GOOD SUMMARY? ORIGINAL (paragraph 4) (49-50) The fact is that we all live our lives in groups…. Most people … are always seeking groups to belong to, and if one group dissolves, they look for another. We are group animals still, and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, or groups, but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us. (49-50) In “Group Minds” Doris Lessing claims that what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group, but not understanding the group laws that govern us (49-50). PLAGIARIZED--I am giving Lessing credit for the idea, but I’m stealing her language (even though I’m not stealing it word for word).

GOOD PARAPHRASE? ORIGINAL “ “ Readers over the ages have had to learn this game of literacy, how to conform themselves to the projections of the writers they read, or at least how to operate in terms of these projections. They have to know how to play the game of being a member of an audience that ‘really’ doesn’t exist” (Ong 12). MY PARAPHRASE In addition to discussing how successful writers can fictionalize an audience, Ong also discusses how readers have had to learn the game of literacy by conforming themselves to be the imagined audience of the writers they read. They have to know how to play the game of being a member of an audience that doesn’t actually exist (Ong 12).

GOOD PARAPHRASE? ORIGINAL “ Readers over the ages have had to learn this game of literacy, how to conform themselves to the projections of the writers they read, or at least how to operate in terms of these projections. They have to know how to play the game of being a member of an audience that ‘really’ doesn’t exist” (Ong 12). “MY” PARAPHRASE In addition to discussing how successful writers can fictionalize an audience, Ong also discusses how readers have had to learn the game of literacy by conforming themselves to be the imagined audience of the writers they read. They have to know how to play the game of being a member of an audience that doesn’t actually exist (Ong 12).

MISUSE OF LANGUAGE ORIGINAL “ “ Readers over the ages have had to learn this game of literacy, how to conform themselves to the projections of the writers they read, or at least how to operate in terms of these projections. They have to know how to play the game of being a member of an audience that ‘really’ doesn’t exist” (Ong 12). “MY” PARAPHRASE In addition to discussing how successful writers can fictionalize an audience, Ong also discusses how In addition to discussing how successful writers can fictionalize an audience, Ong also discusses how readers have had to learn the game of literacy by conforming themselves to be the imagined audience of the writers they read. They have to know how to play the game of being a member of an audience that doesn’t actually exist (Ong 12).

DO FACULTY WANT THIS FROM STUDENTS? ORIGINAL “Readers over the ages have had to learn this game of literacy, how to conform themselves to the projections of the writers they read, or at least how to operate in terms of these projections. They have to know how to play the game of being a member of an audience that ‘really’ doesn’t exist” (Ong 12). PARAPHRASE In addition to discussing how successful writers can fictionalize an audience, Ong also discusses how readers have had to learn the game of literacy by conforming themselves to be the imagined audience of the writers they read. They have to know how to play the game of being a member of an audience that doesn’t actually exist (Ong 12).

Why This Might be Confusing You have always done this, and nobody has said there was a problem 1. Your teachers --can’t change font color to make it stand out --may not have the original in front of him/her --have 50 to 100 papers to respond to --might not want to accuse you of “plagiarism” because “patchwriting” is not the same as downloading a paper

Editing vs. Paraphrase Paraphrase is not editing or changing another’s language. Paraphrase is stating another’s idea in your own language.

STRATEGY—BECOME PROACTIVE Bring drafts and sources and questions to faculty before you turn work in to be evaluated. When paraphrasing –Read and interpret the idea to yourself. –Close the book/laptop/screen. –Paraphrase what you understand. –Reread the original asking two questions a)Am I illegitimately borrowing language? b)Have I adequately captured the idea? –If you are satisfied, move on. If not, do it again. Come to the writing center and talk to us. Come to the writing center and talk to us.

Ways To Use This Presentation 1.Assign challenging reading material as homework. 2.Have students paraphrase in class. 3.Group activity--“Accidentally” misuse a source in one of the ways discussed. Next, pass the group’s work to the next group and have them try to identify the problem. (See handout).

Works Cited Lessing, Doris. The Prisons We Choose to Live Inside. Toronto: CBC Enterprises, Print. Ong, Walter. “The Writer’s Audience Is Always a Fiction.” PMLA 90.1 (1975): Print.