Using sources effectively - Research methods for technical communication

Practical models for technical communication - Shannon Kelley 2021

Using sources effectively
Research methods for technical communication

One question many students have is how to use sources effectively. The answer: it takes practice. After you have gathered your sources, you need to analyze how this information relates your topic. Analysis is the act of examining a complex topic by breaking it down into its specific parts. This examination forms the basis for the discussion of the problem you identified or the solution you are recommending.

In technical communication, unlike academic essay writing, you are less likely to use direct quotations to support your recommendation or solution. Rather, you will summarize, paraphrase, or pull data from your sources. None of these three techniques uses quotation marks, but all require some form of citation.

In the following section, we’ll take a look at how Jessamyn summarizes and paraphrases information she found from the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute. Figure 5.6 is an excerpt of the source she found.

Summarizing Sources

A summary is short description of another source written in your own words. Think of summary writing as similar to how you explain to a friend what a movie is about. It works the same way. After reading an article, you summarize what it said in a paragraph or less to someone who hasn’t read it.

Figure 5.6. Report Excerpt. Compare this document with the summary Jessamyn creates from it in figure 5.7. Notice how a summary is significantly shorter than the original source from the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute.

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When you write a summary, you generally include the following information:

” The author’s name and the work’s title

” The article’s main point (conclusion or thesis)

” Key useful details (such as methodology or study size)

Take a look at how Jessamyn summarizes the research she found (figure 5.7). Like her, you should avoid writing long summaries. In early drafts, you might be tempted to fill pages with a “play-by-play” summary of your sources. The research isn’t there to provide filler for a report—it’s there so you and your audience can better understand your subject and the well-reasoned solution to the problem. Think of the summary as answering the question “what is this source about?” and nothing else.

Figure 5.7. Jessamyn’s Summary. An effective summary will contain the original document’s most essential information, including the author, main conclusion, and other details that describe the purpose or scope of the research.

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Effective Summary

To write an effective summary, you must read the source well enough to be able to explain the information confidently to the audience. A vague, imprecise summary is a sign that the researcher did not thoroughly read or understand the source.

An effective summary gives the audience who is not familiar with the source a clear idea of the article’s content. One way to summarize a source is to answer the following questions:

” What is the topic of this research?

” Who conducted the research?

” Why was this research conducted?

” What were the major findings?

” What were the research’s requirements or limits?

Paraphrasing Sources

It can be easy to confuse a paraphrase and a summary. A summary describes a source and gives an overview of the material. A paraphrase is when you recast an author’s specific ideas using your own words. Paraphrased sources have many useful applications in research. For example, you may need to translate technical concepts from a report into language that a general audience can understand. You can use some of the techniques we cover in writing definitions to help you paraphrase.

When you paraphrase a source, it’s a little like when you tell a story to someone. You don’t remember exactly what someone said, so you relate the general idea to your listener. In Jessamyn’s paraphrase in figure 5.8, she translates the report’s information into her own words.

Effective Paraphrase

An effective paraphrase requires you to really know your source material. Read the passage you want to paraphrase several times, and then write the passage in your own words. Set aside the original, and don’t look at it until you have your own version.

Figure 5.8a. Original Excerpt. Jessamyn begins with the original excerpt.

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Figure 5.8b. Paraphrase Based on Original. In addition to paraphrasing the original research, Jessamyn also simplifies the language by avoiding the use of technical jargon (“PEV”) to make the paraphrase more understandable for her general audience.

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If you translate the original word by word or phrase by phrase into your own version, you may end up with a version that is too close to the original. You might be tempted to copy the passage from the original and swap out similar words. But don’t. This is not only an example of sloppy research—it is a type of plagiarism.

When you are happy that the paraphrase is in your own words, reread the original to make sure you haven’t altered the original idea. Because you borrowed a word, a phrase, a thought, or an idea, you need to cite the paraphrase according to the citation method required by your professor or employer. This allows the user to find the original source for the paraphrased information.