Students usually question whether notes should be taken verbatim (word for word) or put into their own words. Quoting information word for word ensures the correct information is being recorded. Paraphrasing or summarizing can also record correct information, but in a more simplified form translated into your own words which can later be easier to incorporate into your paper. You must follow your teacher’s preference. Just make sure you know how to do all three forms properly. See below for examples.
| Original passage: | Skills derived from preparing research papers are by no means just academic. Many reports and proposals required in business, government, and other professions similarly rely on secondary research. Learning how to write a research paper, then, can help prepare you for assignments in your professional career. It is difficult to think of any profession that would not require you to consult sources of information about a specific subject, to combine this information with your ideas, and to present your thoughts, findings, and conclusions effectively. |
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers: Sixth Edition. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2003.
| Quoting: | “Skills derived from preparing research papers are by no means just academic. Many reports and proposals required in business, government, and other professions similarly rely on secondary research. Learning how to write a research paper, then, can help prepare you for assignments in your professional career” (Gibaldi 5). |
| Paraphrasing: | The research process is not only important to students. The professional world also requires an individual to know how to conduct research. Therefore, learning the process as a student will prove to be beneficial later on in the real world. Most professions require an individual to research a certain topic to support his or her own ideas and to do so in an effective manner (Gibaldi 5). |
| Summarizing: | Research is not a skill used only in school. It is also used in most professions. For example, business and government jobs rely on research to create effective proposals and reports. For that reason, learning the research process in school will help prepare a person for their careers later on in life (Gibaldi 5). |
For more examples of these methods, visit Purdue University Research Help
For more explanation on what these methods are and how to do them, visit Research Writing Help
To practice paraphrasing, visit Paraphrasing or How to Paraphrase
To see examples, visit More Paraphrasing Examples
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