This is an in-class assignment that I gave to my students to help them understand the importance of referencing and paraphrasing in research essays. The goal of this assignment was to identify and explain some of the problems I was seeing in their first drafts concerning the use of information from sources found on the internet. As you can see below, examples are provided to help students learn appropriate referencing and paraphrasing techniques.
Sample Paragraphs from an Academic Research Essay:
Directions: Read the paragraphs below and compare how information is referenced. Read the articles used as a reference for these paragraphs and then answer the questions below.
Causes of Illiteracy
Wrong
While many people may think that illiteracy is an important issue that only affects children, the truth is that this problem exists for adults as well. Even in developed countries such as the United States
The above situation describes what is commonly called “Functional Illiteracy.” Functional literacy refers not only to a person’s ability literally to read and write: it is a broad term covering an individual’s basic reading and writing skills and ability to process information and apply it to specific tasks.
Right
While many people may think that illiteracy is an important issue that only affects children, the truth is that this problem exists for adults as well. Even in developed countries such as the United States
The above situation is what is commonly called “Functional Illiteracy” because it prevents certain adults from performing certain tasks in their daily lives, such as reading a newspaper or being able to understand a business contract. According to Allen, Functional Illiteracy doesn’t just refer to a person’s ability to read or write; it is a broad term that refers to a person’s ability to process new information and apply it to certain tasks (Allen, 1999).
Read the excerpt from the article written about illiteracy below. What problems can you identify regarding referencing in the "Wrong" example? How has the writer effectively used this information to support his writing in the "Right" example?
February 10, 1999 Illiteracy in America by Allen, Jeanne Backgrounder #690 http://www.heritage.org/Research/Religion/bg590.cfm (Only a small part of the article is shown.) In this way, each level of the federal system, in coordination with informal groups and the private sector can be brought together to defeat illiteracy in America THE SERIOUS PROBLEM OF Illiteracy. Functional literacy refers not only to a person’s ability literally to read and write: it is a broad term covering an individual’s basic reading and writing skills and ability to process information and apply it to specific tasks. By today’s standards, an adult is considered functionally illiterate if he or she has a comprehension level equivalent to the sixth grade or below. Functionally illiterate Americans may be able to read aloud a particular passage, for instance, but they are unable to understand or use the a information it contains. This can prevent them from completing the most menial tasks. In a federally funded survey of 3,600 Americans aged 21 to 25 for example, only 27 percent could make inferences from a lengthy feature story in a newspaper Eleven Percent Literate. At one time, a simple task such as reading and understanding the newspapers would not have been a serious impediment to employment or daily living. Answers: For example, in a survey that included 3,600 people, only 27 percent were able to make inferences from a lengthy feature article in a newspaper. This is a sentence from the "Wrong" example. The problem with using this statistic is that the source is not named. What survey? When was this survey conducted? Who conducted this survey? Also, the article from which this statistic was taken (Illiteracy in America: What to Do About It) is not referenced. Whenever using specific information, such as numerical data, in an essay, the source must be referenced. Below is the right way to use a statistic from an outside source in an essay. For example, in a survey conducted by the United States government in 1999, which included 3,600 participants aged 21 to 25, only 27 percent were able to make inferences from a lengthy feature article in a newspaper (Allen, 1999). 2. The above situation describes what is commonly called “Functional Illiteracy.” Functional literacy refers not only to a person’s ability literally to read and write: it is a broad term covering an individual’s basic reading and writing skills and ability to process information and apply it to specific tasks. This second mistake, which is also taken from the "Wrong" essay sample, is an example of plagiarism. If you compare this sample above to the article from which this information is taken, the wording is exactly the same. In this instance, the writer must paraphrase by changing the wording in the sentences. From the "Wrong" sample: The above situation describes what is commonly called “Functional Illiteracy.” Functional literacy refers not only to a person’s ability literally to read and write: it is a broad term covering an individual’s basic reading and writing skills and ability to process information and apply it to specific tasks. From the article:
Functional literacy refers not only to a person’s ability literally to read and write: it is a broad term covering an individual’s basic reading and writing skills and ability to process information and apply it to specific tasks.
This paragraph below is taken from the "Right" sample and demonstrates the correct way to paraphrase.
The above situation is what is commonly called “Functional Illiteracy” because it prevents certain adults from performing certain tasks in their daily lives, such as reading a newspaper or being able to understand a business contract. According to Allen, Functional Illiteracy doesn’t just refer to a person’s ability to read or write; it is a broad term that refers to a person’s ability to process new information and apply it to certain tasks (Allen, 1999).
Feel free to download this assignment to use in your classroom.
Download sample_paragraphs_from_an_academic_research_essay.doc
