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English 235
Documentation Assignment
Today’s Date
Part 1: Recognizing Plagiarism (25 points)
Original Excerpt
In the inner-city world of drugs, random violence isn’t what kills children or robs them of their childhood. What kills them is their position in the drug trade: These kids, some as young as eight, have become retailers in a business that is more dependent on child labor than any 19th-century sweatshop. On the street corner, those over twenty still doing business are considered “old-timers.”
Source: Barnes, Edward. “Children of the Damned.”Life. June 1999: 30-41. Quote is from page 31.
Student’s Version
Edward Barnes (1999) has observed that illegal drug dealing is more dependent on child labor than any 19th-century sweatshop (p. 31).
1. Plagiarized or not plagiarized? If the student’s version is plagiarized, explain the reasons and then write your own version without plagiarizing the source.
Original Excerpt
Private-sector employers have great leeway to restrict what their employees say. Companies can penalize workers for obscene, harassing or just plain rude conversation. They can penalize workers for bad-mouthing the company in public. They can even penalize employees for simply talking to the media without prior authorization.
Source: Debare, Ilana. “Employers Can Limit Free Speech.”San Francisco Chronicle Online 5 Feb. 2010. 9 Feb. 2010. Web.
Student’s Version
In a recent online news article, Debare (2010) reported that employers who own private firms can limit an employee’s freedom of expression, such as speaking to others in an inappropriate manner or agreeing to interviews with media without obtaining the firm’s permission.
2. Plagiarized or not plagiarized? If the student’s version is plagiarized, explain the reasons and then write your own version without plagiarizing the source.
Original Excerpt
Sports enthusiasts are fond of arguing that high school coaches select players objectively in the interest of winning. Unfortunately, this free-market view glosses over how sports actually function in local communities. Small-town coaches are generally subjected to enormous social pressures from parents in their selection of players, since success in sports is an important symbol of social position.
Source: Foley, Douglas. “The Great American Football Ritual.”Psychology of Sport Journal 7 (2010): 111-135. Quote is from page 125.
Student’s Version
High school coaches of small-town sports teams face social pressures that go beyond serving the best interests of the team (Foley, 2010). Because sports represent an important status symbol, coaches must deal with social pressures from parents who expect their children to play.
3. Plagiarized or not plagiarized? If the student’s version is plagiarized, explain the reasons and then write your own version without plagiarizing the source.
Original Excerpt
There are immediate psychological rewards for playing football. When asked why they play football and why they like it, high school players openly admitted that football was a way for them to achieve social status and prominence, to “become somebody in this town.” Many players said football was fun, or “makes a man out of you,” or “helps you get a cute chick.”
Source: Foley, Douglas. “The Great American Football Ritual.”Psychology of Sport Journal 7 (2010): 111-135. Quote is from page 126.
Student’s Version
Douglas Foley (2010) observed that playing football “makes a man out of you” and “helps you get a cute chick” (p. 126).
4. Plagiarized or not plagiarized? If the student’s version is plagiarized, explain the reasons and then write your own version without plagiarizing the source.
Part 2: Paraphrasing Material in APA format (25 points)
Original Text Excerpts
Excerpt 1
Effective documentation helps you place your document within the general context of continuing research and to define it as a responsible contribution to knowledge in the field. Knowing how to use existing research is the mark of a professional.
Source: Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. 7th edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2002. The excerpt is from page 592.
Excerpt 2
Because the Web can handle animation, sound, and video, Web designers are tempted to use as many of these media as they can. Although these media can often be useful -- for instance, animation can be used to show some technical processes better than text alone can -- often the media only slow the download and annoy readers. If effects serve no useful function, it is best to avoid them.
Source: Markel, Mike. “Aim for Simplicity.”Mike Markel’s Web Design Tutorial. 2004. Web.The excerpt is from paragraph 1.
1. Paraphrase Markel’s Excerpt 1 using a signal phrase at the beginning of the paraphrase, with parentheses around the date. Your paraphrase must include all ideas (stated or implied) in Markel’s excerpt.
Paraphrase in APA style =
2. Paraphrase Markel’s Excerpt 2 using a signal phrase at the beginning of the paraphrase, with parentheses around the date. And add a parenthetical citation (para. 1) at the end of your paraphrase because it will run two or three sentences. Your paraphrase must include all ideas (stated or implied) in Markel’s excerpt.
Paraphrase in APA style =
PART 3: Summarizing Material in APA format (25 points)
Original Text Excerpts
Excerpt 1
One of the greatest services that parents and educators can perform is to provide a consistent and clear message about drug use. Parents and educators must, by their comments and conduct, let students know that drug and alcohol use is wrong and harmful. [43 words]
Source: Meyer, Anne. Schools Without Drugs: The Challenge. Washington: GPO, 2010. The excerpt is from page 115.
Excerpt 2
The unique ability to juggle multiple thoughts at the same time is called multitasking. Through multitasking, humans can rapidly shift their attention back and forth from one task or thought to another, which allows them, for example, to talk on the phone while watching television. The impression this creates is that people are doing both simultaneously. In reality, they attend to one for a bit, switch attention to the other, and then switch back again. If they are focusing on the television show and the person on the phone says something particularly startling, their attention will be drawn back to the conversation. [102 words]
Source: Howard, Ron. TechnoStress. New York: Wiley, 1998. The excerpt is from page 107.
1. Summarize Anne Meyer’s excerpt in one sentence, using a signal phrase at the beginning of the summary, with parentheses around the date.
One-sentence summary in APA format =
2. Write a two-sentence summary of Ron Howard’s excerpt, placing documentation information in a signal phrase at the beginning, and add a parenthetical citation (p. 107) at the end of your summary to create a frame for Howard’s information.
Two-sentence summary in APA format =
PART 4: Quoting Material in APA format (25 points)
Original Text Excerpt
Effective instructions are usually illustrated because most people need visuals to clarify and reinforce the text. Illustrations help users complete each step in the task and then verify that they’ve done it correctly.
Source: Burnett, Rebecca E. Technical Communication. New York: Thomson Heinle, 2002. The excerpt is from page 270.
1. Write an original sentence that contains a signal phrase and a word-for-word phrase (3 words min.) from Burnett’s quotation, with parentheses around the date. The page number (p. 270) must also appear immediately after Burnett’s words.
New sentence with a portion of Burnett’s words grafted onto the sentence =
2. Paraphrase Burnett’s quotation in one or two sentences, while putting a word-for-word phrase (3 words min.) in direct quotations. Place the intext citation in parentheses (Burnett, 2002, p. 270); do not use a signal phrase. The intext citation (Burnett, 2002, p. 270) should appear immediately after Burnett’s words.
Paraphrase of quotation with a portion of Burnett’s words grafted into the paraphrase =