INTRODUCTION

This unit is designed to assist students in writing their Literature Review. This unit will deal with
the other three of the four techniques students need to know to write this section of the research
paper; paraphrasing, summarising and synthesizing. APA referencing would also be included
in this unit. Failing to master these techniques students would fall into the trap of plagiarizing,
whereby they would take chunks of sentences and paragraphs from other sources and paste them
in their work. By doing so, their paper will automatically become a scrapbook rather than a
research paper. Exercises on these techniques will be provided to reinforce the LMS materials
provided. Students would need to apply both critical and creative thinking skills in these
exercises. Students are required to read the LMS materials before the lesson begins.
WEEK 7/ ACTIVITY 1/ TASK SHEET 1/ PARAPHRASING

A paraphrase is your own perception of the original text as how you understand it to be. This is
where you put the idea down in your own words. There are four techniques to paraphrase a
sentence so that it does not mirror the original.

Original sentence:

We're not saying men see the world in black and white, but based on the opinions of most guys
we've talked to, it's probably best to avoid pastel colours or arrangements that are too busy.

Excerpt from: Is it ok to send flowers to men?

By Samantha Green, 2010

1. Replace a phrase with a word (or a word with a phrase)

Example:
We're not saying men see the world in black and white, but based on the opinions of
most guys we've talked to, it's probably best to avoid pastel colours or arrangements that
are too busy.

In black and white --- monochromatically

Too busy --- complicated

2. Start the sentence differently

Example:
We're not saying / men see the world in black and white, / but based on the opinions of
(1) (2) (3)
most guys we've talked to, / it's probably best / to avoid pastel colours / or arrangements /
(4) (5) (6)
that are too busy.
(7)

Changing the sentence structure of the original text would also make the sentence yours
as it would not mirror the original. A sentence can be broken up into several parts.
Rearrange the parts accordingly based on what you want to highlight in the text.

Possible paraphrase:
If you want to highlight the opinion given, then the paraphrase could be as follows:

Based on the opinions of most guys we've talked to, / avoiding pastel colours and
(3) (5)
arrangements that are too busy / would be best / although we're not saying / men see the
(7) (4) (1)
world in black and white (Green, 2010).
(2)
3. Replace a word with a synonym
When you change a word for another, make sure that the replacement word is of the same
meaning, strength and/or connotation.

Example:
We're not saying men see the world in black and white, but based on the opinions of
most guys we've talked to, it's probably best to avoid pastel colours or arrangements that
are too busy.

see --- view

guys --- men
talked to --- interviewed

4. Change passive into active voice / negative to positive or vice-versa

Example:
We're not saying men see the world in black and white, but based on the opinions of
most guys we've talked to, it's probably best to avoid pastel colours or arrangements that
are too busy.

Possible paraphrase:
The men that we interviewed are of the opinion that flowers that are vivid yet simple in
arrangement would probably suit men best though they might view things in colour like
everyone else (Green, 2010).

Some examples to compare:

The original passage:

Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse
quotations in the final paper. Probably only about 10% of the final manuscript should appear
as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact
transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
Excerpt from: Writing Research Papers 2nd edition (1976):46-47
By Lester, J.D.

A legitimate paraphrase:

In research papers, students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material
down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is
essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim (Lester, 1976).

An accepted paraphrase:

Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize
the amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester, 1976).
 Plagiarized version:

Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too
many of them in the final research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the final
copy should consist of directly quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of
source material copied while taking notes.

Adopted and adapted from: Purdue OWL, 2010

Exercise:
Write a paraphrase of the BOLD sentences.

1. Can your dog or a passing flock of birds predict an incoming storm? Is there any
scientific research to substantiate those claims? And even more interestingly, if animals
can predict the weather, do we stop watching the weatherman and start observing the
behaviors of animals at the zoo or in our own backyards? The implications of such a
revelation would surely have a huge impact on people's day-to-day lives. Even more
so, these predictions would be especially valuable during catastrophic events like
earthquakes, tidal waves, or a one-in-a-million natural disaster, like the tsunami that
smashed into Southeast Asia on Dec. 26, 2004. (From: Can animals predict the weather?
by Jessica Toothmen, 2009)

2. Your individual characteristics should dominate you, your ideas, attitude toward life and
those with whom you come in contact. Your clothes help you to express your
innermost thoughts, your kindliness, your good feeling toward all about you. This
should be sufficient reason for knowing your good and bad points and understanding
yourself well enough to bring out the charm you possess or to cultivate charm if you feel
that you lack this invaluable quality. (From: Personality and fashion by Robert Scott,
2004)

3. Through their business operations, companies have an important impact on the natural
environment. The corporate sector has found itself in the media spotlight for
environmentally problematic activities. Small and medium-sized enterprises are also
under increasing pressure to adopt environmentally responsible practices. (From:
Business and society by Eurofound, 2010)
 WEEK 7/ ACTIVITY 1/ TASK SHEET 2/ PARAPHRASING

Below is a topic for a piece of writing and its three points. You are required to find supporting
ideas for these points from the excerpts that follow. You are to apply the skills of paraphrasing in
writing the support for each point with full APA citation.

The impact money plays in our daily lives

 On health

 On relationships

 On society
Excerpt 1:

The influence of commercial interests on medical science is far-reaching but, to a great degree,
essential. The discovery of new medications, devices, and techniques is funded primarily by for-
profit companies; testing new modalities of treatment is funded primarily by for-profit companies;
and the manufacture and profitable marketing aspects of these modalities appropriately falls in the
purview of this industry.

Two basic goals of for-profit companies are the discovery, testing, and production of products (the
scientific goal) and the sale of products to garner profits, thereby generating returns to the
shareholders (the marketing goal). Profits are a logical expectation of the companies that fund the
discoveries. Ideally the products discovered, tested, and produced will be beneficial to many
individuals for whom the products will be prescribed and who will purchase them, returning a
healthy profit for the company.

Individual clinicians or medical scientists may also exhibit inappropriate or unethical behavior
perhaps influenced by money or other factors. All would agree that it is dishonest for clinicians and
medical scientists to falsify data or data analysis; to provide negative peer reviews of other's
submitted but not yet published manuscripts because they do not want to be “scooped”; or for an
editor of a medical journal to participate in the editorial review and decision to publish a review
article authored by himself or herself and for which financial imbursement from the sponsor was
obtained. These are obvious problems, but in other situations, the concerns about potentially
unethical financial influence on individuals are more difficult to identify.

From: The influence of money on medical science by Catherine D. DeAngelis, 2006

EXCERPT 2

Money is best known as a means to survival; however, its influence in relationships can
reach into other areas, some of which have nothing to do with survival. Power, control,
adoration and seduction are all ways that money can be used within the context of a
relationship.

When money is valued for what it is--a means to survival--a couple can use it to build a
future, or provide for the things that are most important to them. If money is lacking,
survival becomes more of a challenge, but the value of the relationship stays the same.

Relationships where money is valued as power or control by one, or both partners, will
tend to place blame on the other partner when money problems arise. It's at this point
where the value of the relationship comes into question. Agreeing to not let money
become a source of contention at the start of a relationship keeps money issues in their
place.

Marriage statistics show money issues as a leading cause of divorce. Analysts predict that
the rise in bankruptcies and foreclosures will see a substantial increase in divorce rates
within the coming years. Considering that married couples receive substantial tax benefits,
along with the available additional income in the home, one must wonder if money is the
true culprit.

If money were the culprit, couples with substantial amounts of money would be blissfully
happy. More often than not, money problems are a symptom of deeper problems that
haven't been addressed in the relationship. Issues of power and control can just as easily
surface whether an abundance of money is present or not.

From: How does making money affects relationships by Jacquelyn Jeanty, 2010
EXCERPT 3

Complex economic formulas developed by two professors of economics, Curtis Eaton

and Mukesh Eswaran, and published in the current edition of the Economic Journal,
suggest that greater affluence can seriously damage a nation's health. Based on their
mathematical modelling, the economists advance the theory that once a country
reaches a reasonable standard of living there is little further benefit to be had from
increasing the wealth of its population. Indeed, it could make people feel worse off.

They believe their work shows that, as a nation becomes wealthier, consumption shifts
increasingly to buying status symbols with no intrinsic value – such as lavish
jewellery, designer clothes and luxury cars. But they warn: "These goods represent a
'zero-sum game' for society: they satisfy the owners, making them appear wealthy, but
everyone else is left feeling worse off."

"Those with above-average wealth consume Veblen goods with a positive impact on
their happiness," the authors write. "But those with below-average wealth simply
cannot afford these goods, so they have a negative impact on their happiness. This is
known as 'Veblen competition'. As average wealth rises, people grow richer but not
happier."

The pair believes their research helps to explain why empirical studies show that
levels of happiness and feelings of community in affluent countries have stagnated,
despite growth in real incomes.

There is another downside. As people yearn for more status symbols they have less
time or inclination for helping others. This, the authors argue, damages "community
and trust", which are vital to an economy because they ensure the smooth running of
society. They conclude: "Conspicuous consumption can have an impact not only on
people's well-being but also on the growth prospects of the economy."

From: More money makes people miserable, warns Report by Jamie Doward, 2010
WEEK 7/ ACTIVITY 2/ TASK SHEET 1/ SUMMARISING

TASK 1

With a friend, write a summary for each of the following paragraphs, taken from various articles.
Find out the main idea and follow the steps from your LMS notes.

Article 1

Title of article: __The Clean Energy Scam_____________________________________

Author/s : __Michael Grunwald_________________________________________
Source : __TIME Magazine, Vol.171, No.13, April 7, 2008, pg. 30____________

Original:
Deforestation accounts for 20% of all current carbon emissions. So unless the
world can eliminate emissions from all other sources—cars, power plants, factories,
even flatulent cows—it needs to reduce deforestation or risk an environmental
catastrophe. That means limiting the expansion of agriculture, a daunting task as the
world’s population keeps expanding. And saving forests is probably an impossibility
so long as vast expanses of cropland are used to grow modest amounts of fuel. The
biofuels boom, in short, is one that could haunt the planet for generations—and it’s
only getting started.

What is the paragraph’s main idea? ______________________________________________

Your summary:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
Article 2

Title of book : __Quest 3: Reading and Writing (2nd edition)__________________________

Author/s : __Pamela Hartmann and Laurie Blass________________________________
Publication details : __McGraw-Hill, New York, 2007, pg.54________________________

Original:
Anthropologists used to distinguish humans from other animals as tool
users, and there is no doubt that Homo does employ tools much more than any other
animal does. However, tool use also appears among several nonhuman species. For
example, in the Galapagos Islands off western South America, there is a woodpecker
finch that selects twigs to dig out insects and grubs from tree bark. Sea otters use
rocks to break open mollusks, which are important in their diet. Beavers are famous
for dam construction.

What is the paragraph’s main idea? ______________________________________________

Your summary:
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
Article 3
Title of article: __Recommendations for Management of Diabetes During Ramadan
Author/s : __Monira Al-Arouj, Samir Assaad-Kalil, John Buse, Ibtihal Fahdil,
Mohamed Fahmy, Sherif Hafez, Mohamed Hassanein, Mahmoud Ashraf
Ibrahim, David Kendall, Suhail Kishawi, Abdulrazzaq Al-Madani,
Abdullah ben Nakhi, Khalid Tayeb, Abraham Thomas_______
Source : __Diabetes Care, Volume 33, Number 8, August 2010, pg. 1897___

Original:
It is worth re-emphasizing that fasting for patients with diabetes represents an important
personal decision that should be made in light of guidelines for religious exemptions and after
careful consideration of the associated risks in consultation with health care providers. Most
often, the medical recommendation will be not to undertake fasting. However, patients who insist
on fasting need to be aware of the associated risks of the fasting experience and techniques to
decrease this risk. Patients may be at higher or lower risk for fasting-related complications
depending on the number and extent of their risk factors.

What is the paragraph’s main idea? ______________________________________________

Your summary:
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
Article 4

Title of article : __Child abuse___________________________________________________

Author/s : __Not available__________________________________________________
Source : __ www.englishdaily626.com_____________________________________________

The childhood years are supposed to be the best times of one's life; playing and having fun. Yet
there are many children who are deprived of this childhood. They are tortured and verbally and
physically abused.

There is no reason or excuse for child abuse. Abusers claim they do it because of the stress of
work. Child-abusing housewives say they feel harassed by a crying child and are unable to curb
their own fury, especially if no support is received from anyone. This is not surprising since
support is extended to a victim of child abuse more readily than to the perpetrator. Occasionally,
parents may vent their frustrations on their child if they fight and quarrel with each other. In
cases like these, it is the children who are the victims.

In this modern age where both parents are usually holding jobs, children are left with babysitters
and nurseries. Abuse by these caregivers may occur when there are too many children to be
minded. The disappearance of the extended family system is partly to be blamed for these
incidents.

Crowded homes and financial problems can also lead to child abuse. Living in tiny flats can
cause a strain on family members, due to the lack of space and privacy. Also, when there are too
many mouths to feed, parents feel the pressure and vent their anger on a child.

Substance abuse is another factor which increases the incidents of child abuse. Under the
influence of alcohol or drugs, a parent may not know what he or she may be doing. Or, rather,
knows what he or she is doing but is not bothered at all. A drug addict many experience mood
swings and is easily provoked by a crying baby. Thus we see and read horrifying reports of a
child being savagely tortured and dumped elsewhere, like garbage.

Psychologists believe that child abusers may have been victims of abuse themselves. Thus, in
anger and hatred, they repeat the vicious cycle of abuse. Some have no love for the children they
abuse. Some have been brought up to believe that children should be beaten in order to maintain
control. These are troubled people who need help.

A home is supposed to be a haven where a child ought to feel safe and secure. Unfortunately,
more often than not, the home is also where a child is abused. Whatever the reasons for the
abuse, something must be done to stop the cruelty and help these parents who simply cannot
cope with parenting. Parents-to-be should be counseled and inculcated with parenting skills. The
Child Protection Act which was passed in Parliament in 1991 does not effectively prevent child
abuse. Stricter enforcement is necessary. Thus, it requires a commitment from each individual to
help families with victims and troubled parents, the perpetrators.

What is the main idea of this article?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Your summary:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
WEEK 7/ ACTIVITY 2/ TASK SHEET 2/ SUMMARISING

Select one of the materials you plan to use in your paper. Summarise the relevant information
from the source. Compare your summary with the original. Discuss your work with a partner.

Title of article: ___________________________________________

Author/s : ___________________________________________
Source : ___________________________________________
WEEK 7/ ACTIVITY 3/ TASK SHEET 1/ SYNTHESIZING
TASK 1
Write a synthesis for the following paragraphs, taken from various articles. Do not forget to cite
your work.
Passage A
This study has therefore revealed that
children who play computer games on a
regular basis experience a number of
medical problems. The evidence suggests
that the most serious problem is crooked
posture, which is caused by their being
hunched over their computers for
considerable periods of time. Another
common problem associated with playing
computer games over long periods (when
the same moves are constantly repeated)
is that of pain in the hands. (extracted
from p. 141)
Brown, M.J. (2000). The impact of
computer games on children’s physical
health. Journal of Physical Health, 23(1),
129-142.
 ANSWER:
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Passage B
It is claimed that computer games have negative
physical effects on eyesight, hands and posture.
However, all of these are caused by the computer
hardware and equipment, not by the software.
The same physical effects occur from prolonged
usage of computers for any reason, such as word-
processing. In fact, carpal tunnel syndrome was
identified as a workplace ailment caused by office
programs, not games. These physical effects can
all be reduced or eliminated by better hardware
and more attention to ergonomics, such as higher-
resolution and higher-contrast screens, and
supportive furniture.
Smith, A. J. (2003). Synthesis. Retrieved
September 29, 2010 from The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, The English Language
Centre Web site:
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/eap/synthesis.htm
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Passage C Passage D

Clearly, one of the most serious problems
associated with playing computer games is
that they are highly addictive. Parents often
find that when their children start playing
games they simply cannot stop. There is
some evidence that as a result of their
compulsive involvement in computer
games, some young people tend to ignore
more important activities such as homework
and reading. There are also concerns that
their solitary absorption in computer games
prevents them interacting with family and
friends.
Davies, S. (2003). Computer games and
personal development. Family Forum.
Retrieved September 29, 2010 from
http://www.ff.org.
Popular activities of any sort can be addictive.
Some people are addicted to sport, and some to
television, for example. Both these examples,
and many others, can be harmful to one's health
and social life if done too much. In addition, the
quality of a computer game is an important
factor that may cause people to play it a lot, in
fact, some players think that a good computer
game should be addictive.
Smith, A. J. (2003). Synthesis. Retrieved
September 29, 2010 from The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, The English Language
Centre Web site:
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/eap/synthesis.htm

 ANSWER:

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TASK 2

For the following task, read the articles for Week 6.

Write a few paragraphs to support a research entitled “Consciousness about saving other living
beings from extinction”. Use at least three of the four techniques taught (quotation, paraphrase,
summary and synthesis) with proper citations to support your arguments.