BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE WRITING CENTER
BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE WRITING CENTER |
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Definitions |
Examples Formats for Bibliographies: See the Documentation FAQ |
Handouts |
To paraphrase means to restate a portion of a text with the purpose, usually, of clarifying it. A paraphrase is about the same length (has about the same number of words) as the original passage. A paraphrase should not include the wording of the original passage, nor should it follow the same sentence structure as the original passage. Paraphrased information must be accompanied by a citation, or in-text reference to the source from which you took the information, just as quoted material must be. Failure to provide citation will be interpreted by others as plagiarism, even if you list the source in your bibliography.
To summarize means to restate a portion of a text in a shortened form. A summary should bring out the main ideas of the passage, but it does not need to follow the same order as the original text. A summary should be clear, concise, and accurate in representing the original text. Like paraphrased information, summarized information must be accompanied by a citation, or in-text reference to the source from which you took the information, just as quoted material must be. Failure to provide citation will be interpreted by others as plagiarism, even if you list the source in your bibliography.
To quote means to copy exactly a portion of a text, with the purpose of presenting the author's actual words. More information on quoting and citing sources will be made available at www.bridgewater.edu/WritingCenter/manual/quoting.htm.
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From a definition of color blindness: Original Text "visual defect resulting in the inability to distinguish colors. About 8% of men and 0.5% of women experience some difficulty in color perception. Color blindness is usually an inherited sex-linked characteristic, transmitted through, but recessive in, females. Acquired color blindness results from certain degenerative diseases of the eyes. Most of those with defective color vision are only partially color-blind to red and green, i.e., they have a limited ability to distinguish reddish and greenish shades. Those who are completely color-blind to red and green see both colors as a shade of yellow. Completely color-blind individuals can recognize only black, white, and shades of gray. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.) |
Paraphrase Color blindness, affecting approximately 8% of men and .5% of women, is a condition characterized by difficulty in telling one one color from another, most often hereditary but in some cases caused by disease. The majority of color-blind people cannot distinguish some shades of red and green, but those who cannot perceive those colors at all see red and green objects as yellow. There are people who cannot see color at all and perceive all objects in a range of black through gray to white. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.) |
Common Errors in Paraphrasing: If you follow the sentence structure of your source, only changing words here and there, you are not paraphrasing but plagiarizing. This practice has often been accepted by teachers in reports that students have prepared in early grades and may not be recognized as plagiarism.
Inadequate Paraphrase, Classified as Plagiarism
Based on the quotation above: Color blindness is a visual deficiency shown in a lack of ability to distinguish colors. Some degree of difficulty in perceiving colors is found in 8% of men and 0.5% of women, and is almost always an inherited sex-linked characteristic that is transmitted throught females but recessive in them. . . .
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From a definition of color blindness: Original Text "visual defect resulting in the inability to distinguish colors. About 8% of men and 0.5% of women experience some difficulty in color perception. Color blindness is usually an inherited sex-linked characteristic, transmitted through, but recessive in, females. Acquired color blindness results from certain degenerative diseases of the eyes. Most of those with defective color vision are only partially color-blind to red and green, i.e., they have a limited ability to distinguish reddish and greenish shades. Those who are completely color-blind to red and green see both colors as a shade of yellow. Completely color-blind individuals can recognize only black, white, and shades of gray. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.)
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Summary Color blindness, usually a sex-linked hereditary condition found more often in men than women and sometimes the result of eye disease, involves limited ability to tell red from green, and sometimes complete inability to see red and green. In a much rarer form of color blindness, the individual sees no colors at all. |
Common Errors in Summarizing: If your summary is as long as the original text, it is not a summary. It is important that your summary accurately represents the text; do not change the ideas of the original text by leaving out significant points.
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From a definition of color blindness: Original Text "visual defect resulting in the inability to distinguish colors. About 8% of men and 0.5% of women experience some difficulty in color perception. Color blindness is usually an inherited sex-linked characteristic, transmitted through, but recessive in, females. Acquired color blindness results from certain degenerative diseases of the eyes. Most of those with defective color vision are only partially color-blind to red and green, i.e., they have a limited ability to distinguish reddish and greenish shades. Those who are completely color-blind to red and green see both colors as a shade of yellow. Completely color-blind individuals can recognize only black, white, and shades of gray. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.) |
Quotation, integrated Color blindness is a "visual defect resulting in the inability to distinguish colors" (Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.). Most often it is a hereditary condition that involves only some shades of red and green, but people with complete red-green color blindness see yellow instead, and some people have no color perception at all. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.) |
Common Errors in Quoting: If you misquote your source, you are not making fully ethical use of that source. Be sure to closely check every word and punctuation mark in the original text. Do not quote very long passages; consider using a combination of quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing to represent the argument or information presented in the original text.
Last updated Sept. 27, 2005
