 |
| https://www.virtuallibrary.info/paraphrasing.html |
SHOULD I PARAPHRASE OR QUOTE?
In general, an argument paper should be in your own words. This means that 80% of the paper will be you asserting your argument, and about 20% of the paper will be from outside sources that are supporting what you have already argued.
To show that you understand the issue at hand and the sources that are supporting your stance, you should be paraphrasing outside sources that you use in your paper whenever possible. When you paraphrase, you still have to give credit to the original author of that intellectual property; however, you are integrating it more naturally by remodeling the content into your own words. While these paraphrased words are not the same as your own, original thought words, an audience will accept paraphrased words as more genuine and inter-developed compared to dropping quotes throughout your paper to make your argument for you.
You would only use direct quotations if you have a very good reason: such as the content is very technical and cannot easily be rewritten, the content is very short in its original format, or you could not write it any better in your own words. Quotes do serve a purpose in academic argument writing, but they should be limited. When you do use a direct quote, you must make sure that it is not only fully developed within the paragraph it is being used to support your argument, but it must also be properly introduced and cited.
You would only use direct quotations if you have a very good reason: such as the content is very technical and cannot easily be rewritten, the content is very short in its original format, or you could not write it any better in your own words. Quotes do serve a purpose in academic argument writing, but they should be limited. When you do use a direct quote, you must make sure that it is not only fully developed within the paragraph it is being used to support your argument, but it must also be properly introduced and cited.
Whether you quote, paraphrase, or summarize outside content, you still need to use signal phrases and in-text citations to provide proper documentation for others' work. Students tend to "drop sources from the sky" and into their writing if they rush, don't use signal phrases, or over-quote instead of paraphrasing. Always remember...in an argument paper, YOU are making an argument and sources are there to defend what you assert. Therefore, the paper should be in your own words to solidify your knowledge on the topic and strength of argument to your audience.
You can visit these links for help with...
No comments:
Post a Comment