Avoiding plagiarism by summarizing and paraphrasing.

Quotations should not be over-used, so you must learn to paraphrase and summarize in order to include other writers’ ideas in your work. This will demonstrate your understanding of a text to your teachers.

- Paraphrasing involves re-writing a text so that the language is substantially different while the content stays the same.

- Summarizing means reducing the length of a text but retaining the main points.

Task 1

Read the following text and then compare the five paragraphs below, which use ideas and information from it. Decide which are plagiarized and which are acceptable, and give your reasons in the table.

Railway manias

In 1830 there were a few dozen miles of railways in all the world – chiefly consisting of the line from Liverpool to Manchester. By 1840 there were over 4,500 miles, by 1850 over 23,500. Most of them were projected in a few bursts of speculative frenzy known as the ‘railway manias’ of 1835-7 and especially in 1844-7; most of them were built in large part with British capital, British iron, machines and know-how. These investment booms appear irrational, because in fact few railways were much more profitable to the investor than other forms of enterprise, most yielded quite modest profits and many none at all: in 1855 the average interest on capital sunk in the British railways was a mere 3.7 percent.

(From The Age of Revolution by Eric Hobsbawm, 1955, p.45)

a) Between 1830 and 1850 there was very rapid development in railway construction worldwide. Two peoples of especially feverish growth were 1835-7 and 1844-7. It is hard to understand the reason for this intense activity, since railways were not particularly profitable investments and some produced no return at all. (Hobsbawm, 1955: 45)

b) There were only a few dozen miles of railways in 1830, including the Liverpool to Manchester line. But by 1840 there were over 4,500 miles and over 23,500 by 1850. Most of them were built in large part with British capital, British iron, machines and know-how, and most of them were projected in a few bursts of speculative frenzy known as the ‘railway manias’ of 1835-7 and especially in 1844-7. Because most yielded quite modest profits and many none at all these investment booms appear irrational. In fact few railways were much more profitable to the investor than other forms of enterprise. (Hobsbawm, 1955: 45)

c) As Hobsbawm (1995) argues, nineteenth-century railway mania was partly irrational: ‘because in fact few railways were much more profitable to the investor than other forms of enterprise, most yielded quite modest profits and many none at all: in 1855 the average interest on capital sunk in the British railways was a mere 3.7 percent. ‘(Hobsbawm, 1955: 45)

d) Globally, railway networks increased dramatically from 1830 to 1850; the majority in short periods of ‘mania’ (1835-7 and 1844-7). British technology and capital were responsible for much of this growth, yet the returns on the investment were hardly and better than comparable business opportunities. (Hobsbawm, 1955: 45)

e) The dramatic growth of railways between 1830 and 1850 was largely achieved using British technology. However, it has been claimed that much of this development was irrational because few railways were much more profitable to the investor than other forms of enterprise; most yielded quite modest profits and many none at all.

 

	Plagiarized or acceptable?
A
B
C
D
E

Task 2

Write in text citation for the extracts given above

Task 3

Few students deliberately try to cheat by plagiarizing, but some develop poor study habits that result in the risk of plagiarism.

Work with a partner, add to the list of positive habits.

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 (e.g. author, date, title, page numbers, publisher)

Make sure your in-text citations are all includes in the list of references.

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Task 4

Research

Does your university have a policy on plagiarism? Look on the website to find out. It may raise some issues that you want to discuss with colleagues or your teachers.

If you can’t find anything for your institution try one of this sites;

http://owl.english.purduce.edu/owl/resource /589/01/

http://uefap.com/writing/plagiar/plagfram.htm

Self work task:

Explain the ways of avoiding plagiarism and use those ways in your writing. (Papers will be given)

 

UNIT 8