Skills for Success
3.2 (THE TOPIC YOU WILL WRITE ON FOR 3.5, use the same topic for this assignment)
Introduction and Alignment
It is often necessary for us to take a lot of information and condense it. We may need to provide an overview of a meeting’s minutes, or give the short version of a story, or take information from a variety of sources and restate it in our own words. It is important to know which type of writing is needed in any given setting, and have the appropriate skills to provide what is needed.
Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:
  • Demonstrate skills in paraphrasing and summarizing written materials.
Resources
  • Paraphrase & Summary
  • StormSearch Tutorial (5:10) - How to use the Library's search engine.
  • SNU Library - Locate one book or website of your choice.
Assignment Instructions
After reading through the summary and paraphrase definitions in this Paraphrase and Summary article, (you may also Google the terms to find your own definitions), you will want to locate one book or website which contains useful information about the topic you are wanting to write about for your Writing with Sources Paper - Assignment 3.5 (see more details here).
Then, select one paragraph of the book or website to use for this assignment, and provide a summary/synopsis of this information as well as a paraphrase. Label each, and check your work against the information given on the website to ensure these two versions are distinctly different. You will also want to include either a screenshot or copied text of the original paragraph from the book/website, for comparison. Please also share the source information.
After you have a clear understanding of the differences between the two strategies, think through occasions in your life when you need to summarize someone else's information, and times when paraphrasing is most appropriate. Are these skills you use often? How might these skills help you be a better employee, friend, or family member?
Upload your document that contains the original text (or screenshot), paraphrase, and summary/synopsis.


3.5 (MAIN ASSIGNMENT)
Writing a research paper of any length may seem like a daunting task, but it’s simply a matter of developing a process for gathering, organizing, and presenting information. Your process will be unique, and finding an efficient method now will pay off again and again on your journey toward graduation.
Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:
  • Demonstrate proper usage of the current edition of APA formatting style.
Resources
  • APA Formatting - Purdue Owl Writing Lab (Student Paper Info.)
  • APA Student Sample Paper - Purdue Owl Writing Lab
  • Reference List - Purdue Owl Writing Lab
  • Dudley Knox Library
  • Writing Checklist
  • Locate 3 web-based resources on your chosen topic. SNU Library. - for academic resources.
Assignment Instructions
Construct a 3 page paper (not including Title page and Reference page) following these steps:
  ◦ Step 1: Find three web-based resources that provide information about your chosen topic (you may consider writing about what you’ve learned so far in class, a hobby, a country/location you’d like to visit, etc.). For this paper, Google is a good place to start (when you need more academic sources, the SNU Library’s website and its databases and periodicals will be useful). Before closing out of your web resources, make sure you have collected the necessary information for your Reference page.
  ◦ Step 2: Construct your Reference page as you build your list of sources. The Purdue Owl Writing Lab is a terrific resource for APA formatting, and so is the Naval Postgraduate School’s Dudley Knox Library website. Look for the student information when there is a difference in student and professional formatting versions. Building your Reference page as you collect information can prevent having to look up websites again to fill in the missing information.
  ◦ Step 3: As you research, it may be helpful to group similar pieces of information on index cards, or organize them by color, or use separate pieces of paper for separate portions of your paper. Once you have gathered and organized all the information you think you need, you are ready to write. Your outline or mind map will be handy at this stage - make sure you have gathered information about each of the topics you planned to address.
  ◦ Step 4: Use your outline or mind map to construct the body of your paper. Do not forget to create your Title page. Then, begin with an introduction, and then work through your topic according to the organizational framework you have already established. Make sure you are paraphrasing the information you are borrowing (and citing the author each time) and that you’re using signal phrases to alert your reader you’re using borrowed information at that moment. If you use a direct quote, make sure you are formatting your quote and citation properly. Refer to the Purdue OWL as often as needed to ensure borrowed information is handled properly.
  ◦ Step 5: Construct a conclusion that provides a broad overview of the paper’s content and brings the paper to a graceful end. No new information should be presented in the conclusion.
  ◦ Step 6: Proofread. Have a friend read your paper. Read your paper out loud to identify awkward wording or confusing phrases. Writing Checklist may also help you work through your paper while proofreading. Consult the APA Student Sample Paper as well, to get a visual idea of what your paper should look like (make sure you look for the Student version).
  ◦ Step 7: Submit and be sure to include your outline or mind map in addition to your paper.
  ◦ Step 8: Check your Turnitin Similarity Report (which reveals plagiarism), revise, and resubmit if necessary. Your Similarity Report should be no higher than 15%. Here are the instructions for checking this.