ACADEMIC DISCOURSEB. Mitsikopoulou

INCORPORATING OUTSIDE SOURCES IN A TEXT

SUMMARIZING

REVIEW: Why secondary sources in your text

a) To include in your writing material you have read somewhere (e.g. in a book)

b) To support your own ideas and the points you make in a text

c) To avoid plagiarism

SUMMARY

SUMMARY

WHY Condense a paragraph, a text etc

WHAT a) The gist of a text in one-two sentences (one-sentence summary)b) The main ideas of a text (global summary)c) An aspect of a text you have read (selective summary)

WHEN Recall an idea in a text

HOW By identifying the topic sentence and the main points of a text or an aspect of a text + reference to the source

What is a summary?

A shortened version of an original text. It includes the thesis and major supporting points. It should also reveal the relationship between the major points and the thesis

How long is a summary?

It may be any length, from 25% of the original to one sentence

Difference between paraphrasing and summarizing To paraphrase is to express someone else’s

ideas in your own language. To summarize means to distill only the most

essential points of someone else’s work

TYPES OF SUMMARY

Many types of summary – In this course

1.One sentence summary (we summarize a short text in one or two sentences)

2.Global summary (we summarize the whole content of a text)

3.Selective summary (we summarize only some of the information in a text)

http://vimeo.com/32000765

One sentence summary

we summarize a short text in one or two sentences

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY

STEPS

1.Read the original text carefully at least twice.

2.Identify the main idea of the text.

3.Use your own words to paraphrase the main idea in one sentence. Include in your sentence reference to the source.

e.g. According to Jordan (2003)…

Jordan (2003) argues that …

One sentence summary (Jordan 1999 p.94)Which is the topic/main sentence?

Culture shock

‘Culture shock’ is the state of being confused when in contact with a different and unfamiliar civilization. ‘Shock’ suggests something that is negative: this may be true, especially at first. Typically, a person going to study in another country for the first time may miss family and friends and, consequently, feel homesick. The person may have sleeping difficulties and, in extreme cases, may become depressed or ill.

Below is a one-sentence summary of the text. What makes it a good summary?

Culture shock is the confusion caused by contact with an alien society. Initially, reactions may be negative.

-Inclusion of main idea-Adequate paraphrase-No details

The characteristics of a good one-sentence summary

It conveys the main idea of the original text It paraphrases the main idea using the

writer’s own words It does not include any details (e.g. examples,

statistics) It shows the relationship between the main

points that support the main idea It refers to the original source (e.g. Jordan

2005)

Prepare a one-sentence summaryLeisure activities

In Britain, the most common leisure activities take place at home and include entertaining friends and relatives. Watching television is by far the most popular pastime as 99% of homes have a TV set, and the average viewing time is about 26 hours a week. In addition, using and hiring video tapes is also very popular, with 80% of homes having a video recorder. Listening to the radio is virtually universal as almost every home has a radio; it is listened to, on average, about 16 hours a week.

In preparing your one-sentence summary…pay attention to parallel structure

Examples of summaries on ‘Leisure activities’ Watching TV, rental video tapes or listening to the radio are the most popular ways British people spend their free time at home.

British people spend most of their free time at home; the most common habits are watching television, using video tapes and listening to music on the radio.

The British’s most usual free time activities occur indoors and include TV, radio and video tapes.

The most usual type in the grounds of british leisure activities is for friends and relatives gathering at one’s place and watching television, hiring video tapes or listening to the radio.

In Britain, watching television and video tapes and listening to the radio are the most popular leisure activities.

British people spend their free time at home by watching television, video tapes and listening to the radio.

In England watching television, video tapes and listening to the radio are highly the top activities for entertainment at home.

The most popular pastime in Britain includes watching television and listening to the radio with friends and relatives at home.

In Britain, most people tend to spend their free time at home watching television,video tapes or listening to radio.

In britain the most common activities is to watch televisio,video tapes and listening to the radio.

Global summary

we summarize the whole content of a text

GLOBAL SUMMARY

STEPS

1.Read the original text at least twice.

2.Locate the topic (that word or phrase that says what the text is about) – try to be as specific as possible about the topic

3.Find the purpose of the text (to narrate? to inform? to argue? to persuade?)

Step 4: Find the main idea (thesis)

4. Look for the thesis of the text (what the author is saying about the topic). For the thesis, look first in the introduction, then in the conclusion. Remember: writers often write explicit thesis statements.

Write the thesis in your own words (and make sure it matches your sense of the author’s purpose

Step 5: Divisions of the text

5. Find the main divisions of the text. Remember that each paragraph may be a new division but often several paragraphs go together. In your own words, summarize each division in one sentence.

Also, make a list of all major points.

Step 6: Organize your summary

Work with the sentences you have created to produce a summary

Be bold: leave things out, if necessary Make sure you reveal the relationships

between the ideas. Are there any contrasts or comparisons between some of the ideas?

Write a short paragraph in which you paraphrase the main idea and the supporting points. Include in your sentence reference to the source.

What to leave out

When summarizing leave out examples, statistics, analogies and rhetorical strategies

Keep in mind that your summary must represent the author’s original idea

Do no include your point of view

Checklist for a good global summary

Includes all main ideas of the original text and presents them as the main ideas (does not simply mention them)

Does not leave out important ideas Does not include details (examples, statistics, etc) and

redundant information Paraphrases original ideas adequately If something from the original text is mentioned, it is

placed in quotation marks Does not include personal ideas of the person who

summarizes Is not wordy Is grammatical

A summary is a condensed text

Blaise Pascal French mathematician, physicist and theologian

“I made this letter very long, because I did not

have the leisure to make it shorter.”

Rural tourism: for and against

I. Advantages of rural tourism (Johnson, 1971)

A. economic

B. support for local services and amenities

II. Disadvantages of rural tourism (Walker, 1982)

A. erosion of the countryside

B. traffic

C. pollution

Rural tourism

As Johnson (1971) stated, rural tourism offers both financial and supportive benefits for the local population and service. On the contrary, as Walker (1982) affirmed, earth destruction, traffic jams and pollution are the main obstruction this kind of tourism might cause.

The two major advantages of tourism in rural areas, according to Johnson (1971), are economic prosperity and the support the income provides for local services and amenities. However, according to Walker (1982), there are three main disadvantages, which are: the decay of the countryside, the overpopulation of the area and its causes and the issues that raise with pollution.

According to Johnson (1971), the benefits of agricultural tourism are the enhance in local economy and the support in local facilities. On the other hand, Walker (1982) observed drawbacks in rural tourism such as corrosion of the natural landscape, traffic congestion and contamination problems.

According to Johnson (1971), the main advantages of rural tourism are the boast of the economy and the support of the local services. However, as Walker (1982) states, the main disadvantages are the distraction of rural areas, the traffic and the pollution.

According to Johnson (1971), tourism can be credited for boosting an area’s economy and keeping local services active. Its downsides however, as stated by Walker (1982), include destruction of local wildlife, congestion and pollution due to the high number of tourists visiting the area.

According to Johnson (1971), tourism in rural areas contributes to their economic development and to the development of local services and facilities. However, Walker (1982) suggests that this type of tourism causes three basic problems; erosion of the countryside, traffic jams and pollution.

Selective summary

we summarize only an aspect of a text

STEPS TO SELECTIVE SUMMARY

1. Read the original text at least twice.

2. Identify the main parts of the text which respond to task requirement (e.g. highlight)

3. Prepare an outline with the main points included in the highlighted parts. Your outline should illustrate the relations between different ideas (I, A, 1)

4. Prepare your summary by paraphrasing the points you have included in your outline.

5. Include in your summary reference to the source.

A good summary

Is concise and entirely in students’ words Identifies main ideas of the original Includes important supporting details and key

terms Is organized appropriately according to

source text