Business Communication Building Critical Skills 6th Edition Locker
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Module 14 Summarizing and Documenting Information
Module Overview
Researching skills includes finding and analyzing data, and
knowing how to summarize the information
using it effectively
giving complete and correct credit to the source of the information
Module 14 describes how to note and summarize information, and how to cite and document sources. L Information and application exercises in both Modules 13 and 14 help prepare students for the critical thinking and writing challenges in Modules 15 through 19 exercises.
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Module Learning Objectives
After reading Module 14, students will be familiar with
How to summarize and paraphrase information
How to create good notes
Why researchers document their sources of information
How to cite and document sources legally, ethically, and correctly
By applying the information, students will be able to
Write effective summaries and précis
Take useful notes
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What’s in This Supplement
Part 1: Key Lecture Points, Teaching Tips, and In-Class Exercises
Part 2: Answers to Textbook Assignments
Part 1: Key Lecture Points, Teaching Tips, and In-Class Exercises
Why Do I Need to Know How to Sum Up Information?
Summarizing is a fundamental learning and retention skill.
Because of the amount of information we’re exposed to, and the variety of media conveying that information, correctly contextualizing and summarizing data is a key learning skill.
How Do I Sum Up Information?
Look for meaning; then write a synopsis, paraphrase, or précis.
We process information by sorting it into meaningful patterns, simultaneously summarizing and paraphrasing. Summarizing condenses the information we’re hearing or reading. Paraphrasing translates the information into our own words, while maintaining the meaning.
Teaching Tip: Remind students that they have extensive experience synthesizing information, through texting and tweeting. However summarizing information accurately often requires active listening. Have students read Module 19’s Expanding A Critical Skill, describing how one student applies these skills.
In-Class Exercise: Have students read Module 13 and 14’s Expanding A Critical Skill boxes Have them form groups of three or four, and, as a team, summarize the information on preparing to and taking notes in a cluster diagram. (Refer students to examples in Figure 4.3, Figure 14.1.) Have the teams share their cluster diagrams with other teams, and report the results, including what they learned from the experience.
Summarizing text demands reading comprehension, critical thinking and organizing skills. And summarizing also requires plenty of practice! Point out to students that summarizing is a practised skill. They need to
Pre-read, skim and scan
Identify and analyze the context, using established criteria
Find the thesis, or main idea
Read and analyze the concluding paragraph
Find the topic sentences for each paragraph
Look for proof
Jot down or cluster an overview of the material: the main idea; the medium; the author’s name/credential; examples, or proof; any questions
Reread original material to check for their summary accuracy
To summarize oral communication, they need to listen for understanding, and identify and analyze the context (Module 19):
Whenever possible, pre-read on the topic.
Listen for an overview. Use PAIBOC analysis: What? Why? Who? When? Where? Why?
Identify and note the speaker’s purpose
Identify and note the speaker’s expectations of his or her audience
Listen for and note the thesis
Identify and analyze the organizational pattern. How does the speaker develop the argument, or thesis (Module 16)?
Listen for and note the proof
Listen for points of emphasis
Listen for the close: How does the speaker sum up? What does the speaker want the audience to think, or do? Note that.
Read the handouts, or supplementary material if provided.
Note questions
Jot down or cluster an overview of the material: the thesis or main idea; the speaker’s credentials, if relevant; evidence and examples; points of emphasis/bias; the conclusion.
Check their summary for accuracy.
Paraphrasing means capturing the meaning in your own words. Writers create a précis when they both summarize and paraphrase information to capture the meaning.
Teaching Tip: Refer students to examples of “shorthand” (Table 14.2). Ask students to share the “shorthand” symbols and note-taking tricks they use to capture and translate information. Together with your students, create a master list of symbols and ideas for taking notes. (Remind students that LOL is going out of fashion; what are they now using instead?)
In-Class Exercise: Ask students to find a Web research resource (Table 14.1 gives examples) for an industry, business or field they are interested in. Encourage those students interested in similar industries to form teams. When they have found their directory, have them choose a short (500 to 600 words) article, and give students 20 minutes to write a précis. Have students show the original article and their précis to their peer groups for feedback. Ask them to report on the experience.
How Do I Use My Research?
Use sources strategically; integrate them seamlessly; credit them correctly.
Research begins with seeking information. The process also includes knowing how to summarize and paraphrase, how to integrate the information smoothly, and how to document sources correctly.
All students struggle with the research process, and with the reality that even when they paraphrase information, they must incorporate the material seamlessly, and give their source credit. Use class time for the exercises in this module, so students can learn together how and why to apply all the elements of effective research effectively and ethically.
Citation means attributing an idea or fact to its source in the body of the report:
“According to the 2012 Census ...”
“Jane Bryant Quinn argues that....”
Documentation means providing the biographic information (in an APA References page, or a MLA Works Cited page) readers need to find the original source.
Teaching Tip: In some cultures, it is not considered illegal or unethical to use others’ material without crediting the source. Encourage a class discussion on plagiarism: Refer student to your college/university library sites for tutorials and You Tube videos on research skills and ethics, and to your organization’s definitions of and procedures for plagiarism.
Teaching Tip: The Internet offers infinite possibilities for plagiarism; however, it also offers the software to catch even unconscious offenders. Encourage a class discussion about software like turnitin.com, which colleges and universities are increasingly adopting to discourage plagiarism.
Why Must I Document My Sources?
Citing your sources of information protects you from charges of plagiarism, demonstrates your honesty, and enhances your credibility.
Researchers are legally, ethically and professionally responsible for identifying sources of information that they do not originate. Students struggle to understand that they must credit the source even when they put information in their own words, or recreate a visual.
Teaching Tip: Refer students to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office online site at http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/wr00506.html, and to the section on plagiarism in their student handbook or online.
In-Class Exercise: Ask students to form groups, and assign each group to important sections of the Guide to Copyrights: Copyright Protection government document, and the material on plagiarism in their student handbook. (Suggested topics: What is copyright? What is covered by copyright? Infringement. What is plagiarism? What are the penalties for plagiarism?) Have groups prepare a five-minute presentation on their topic.
In-Class Exercise: Generate a class discussion about why plagiarism seems to be a bigger problem than ever before, in all fields, not just in academia. You might mention or have students research the numerous authors, journalists, academic administrators, public speakers and other professionals guilty of plagiarizing (see Exercise 14.8). Ask students why this “situational ethics” around stealing others words/work? Is plagiarism proliferating solely because of the Internet? What other social/cultural factors might encourage plagiarism? What are the consequences? Why do people risk it?
Point out to students that correctly documenting their sources also makes them look good. Citing a wide range of sources demonstrates research competence, and analytical and critical thinking skills. Documenting sources fully also demonstrates professionalism and integrity.
How Should I Document My Sources?
Use your organizations’ preferred format, or MLA or APA format
APA and MLA are the two most widely used formats in business. Students should already be familiar with MLA from composition courses; chances are they’ve used APA in science or social science courses. Students’ memories about either may be fleeting at best, particularly since the formats are constantly changing. Also students may feel intimidated by the documentation process the attention to minutiae may seem daunting and oppressive.
Luckily for students, software makes citing and documenting sources much easier. Online resources, including many library databases and software, offer free PLA and MLA formatting.
Teaching Tip: Ask students to share their experiences of using MLA or APA, as well as some of the challenges they may have faced. Where did they use either format? What resources did they use? For those who succeeded, what advice can they give to others?
In-Class Exercise: Refer students to the in-text citations throughout this module, and to Figures 14.2A, which document all Module 14 sources. Ask students to identify the more
obvious APA style citation and documentation symbols (for example, last name, first initial, alpha order, double-spacing, hanging indent, parentheses, etc).
Teaching Tip: If you assign reports or research in class, specify which documentation style you want students to use. Avoid leaving the decision up to students: establishing a class standard clarifies which is appropriate. Tell students early in the term what your documentation standard is so they have time to seek assistance if necessary.
Last Word: Help students to understand that citing and documenting sources is an essential research component. Students establish their credibility, demonstrate their research skills, and substantiate their ideas by crediting their sources correctly. They need to understand why they still have to document whose idea it is and where they found it, even when they put the source’s idea into their own words.
Part 2: Answers to Textbook Assignments
Questions for Critical Thinking
14.1 What kind of information would you find most difficult to summarize or paraphrase? Why?
New information would be difficult to summarize, as would any information conveyed in complex technical terms and/or poorly organized and badly written. To summarize and paraphrase accurately, we need to understand the information.
14.2 What is unintentional plagiarism? What three strategies can you use to avoid it?
People plagiarize unintentionally when they use another person’s intellectual property and don’t credit the source, because they don’t know, or because they misunderstand or misinterpret copyright rules
To avoid unintentional plagiarism, students should know and understand the copyright rules of the culture they work in. They should also note and/or bookmark sources, use electronic documentation resources, and use a buddy or reader to check for citation and documentation lapses.
14.3 During a casual lunch conversation, a person at your table makes a comment that gives you a brilliant idea you can use in your report. Should you credit the person? Why or why not?
“Facts, ideas and news are all considered part of the public domain, that is, they are everyone's property” (http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernetinternetopic.nsf/eng/wr00506.html#no2). However, giving a peer or co-worker credit for an idea reflects well on your professional and ethical standards.
14.4 How can a researcher using only secondary sources come up with original material?
Students’ answers will vary. However, “original material” usually results from preparedness: extensive research and problem analysis.
Exercises and Problems
14.5 Citing Social Media Sources
Students may be surprised to learn that tweets belong to their originators and must be sourced, as is true of all other social media, including blogs. Challenge students to apply what they’ve learned in Modules 13 and 14. This assignment raises awareness of the importance of crediting SM sources and promotes a discussion on the legal and ethical aspects of plagiarism
14.6 Creating Notes on a Blog
Together with Exercise 14.7, this exercise challenges students to apply their understanding of PAIBOC analysis, reading for understanding, summarizing and paraphrasing, and crediting sources. Challenge students to apply the applications detailed in Modules 13 and 14 to create memorable notes, and to reflect on the process in their discussions with peers, and their email to you. You can use Exercises 14.6 and 14.7 together as a cumulative assignment, and as an assessment tool of students’ learning.
14.7 Writing a Précis of a Blog
Together with Exercise 14.7, this exercise challenges students to apply their understanding of PAIBOC analysis, reading for understanding, summarizing and paraphrasing, and crediting sources. Challenge students to apply the applications detailed in Modules 13 and 14 to create memorable notes, and to reflect on the process in their discussions with peers, and their email to you. You can use Exercises 14.6 and 14.7 together as a cumulative assignment and as an assessment tool of students’ learning.
14.8 Researching and Tweeting Plagiarism Scandals
This exercise encourages students to research relevant material to discover the personal and professional consequences of plagiarism. It might surprise some students to discover that tweets are also covered by copyright.
14.9 Creating Notes and a Précis on a Multimedia Source
Have students present their notes, together with their responses to differences between writing a précis of a written document and writing a précis of a multimedia source. How was it different? Was the difference due to content? To the medium? To their experience of having already done summaries and paraphrases?
Polishing Your Prose:
Making Pronouns Agree with Their Nouns (odd-numbered answers are in the back of the textbook)
Several answers are possible here are likely ones.
2. The mayor should give him/herself credit for doing a good job.
4. Most new employees find that they need to learn a new culture. (Correct)
6. The union votes today on whether it will go on strike.
8. One of the features of my corporate culture is a willingness to share ideas. (Correct)
10. All new employees are interested in improving their technical skills.
Check your answers to the odd-numbered exercises in the Answer Key.