Amazing New Resource for People With Dyslexia

Today's topic: New resource for people with dyslexia

 

Revolutionary new "Dyslexie" font:

 

I first heard about this amazing new resource while listening to NPR's The Story.  Christian Boer, who suffers from dyslexia, was studying graphic design at Twente University in the Netherlands when he hit upon the inspiration to create a font for dyslexics. 

 

The font makes simple changes to letters--lengthening the vertical line in the letter "h," slightly tilting the letter "j," putting capital letters and punctuation in boldface, etc.--to prevent them from being rotated or changed into other letters in the dyslexic reader's mind.  The results have been astonishing, according to the NPR story.  People who have struggled their whole lives with reading and writing are suddenly able to work with ease and enjoyment.  The font is surprisingly pleasing to read, not at all strange-looking or difficult for non-dyslexics to process.

 

Fortunately, you can order the Dyslexie font for your own computer.  The price for an individual is $69; the font is also available for purchase by schools, workplaces, and other institutions.  For more information, and to see sample texts in Dyslexie, go to Christian Boer's website:  http://www.studiostudio.nl/en/

 

To read or listen to the NPR story, go here: http://www.thestory.org/stories/2013-04/new-font-old-problem

 

Other Resources:

 

There are many other resources available for people with dyslexia.  A quick Google search brought up a host of websites, including the following, which all look promising:

 

http://www.dyslexia.yale.edu/

 

http://www.dyslexia.com/

 

http://www.whatisdyslexia.org/resources.html

 

These sites offer information on dyslexia (including how to tell if you or someone you care about may have it), treatment regimens, helpful books and articles on dyslexia, and tips for reading and writing.  The first two sites also offer intriguing perspectives on the positive side of dyslexia--a tendency toward creative, "outside the box" thinking, for example.  Many, many people with dyslexia have become hugely successful, including actors Whoopi Goldberg and Jay Leno; writers Agatha Christie, Terry Goodkind, Fannie Flagg (who wrote one of my favorite books, Fried Green Tomatoes), Octavia Butler and John Irving; filmmaker Steven Spielberg; investment banking giant Charles Schwab; scientists Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Carol Greider; and many more.  Note the bestselling writers on that list!

 

I know this week's post is aimed at a very specific audience, but a surprising number of people struggle with dyslexia, and few things make writing and reading more daunting.  These resources could be life-changing.  If you do not have dyslexia but know someone who does, please feel free to share this email. 

 

I hope you found this week's post helpful.  Happy scribbling!

 

Whitney Kurtz-Ogilvie, MFAW

whitney.ko@uky.edu

Today's topic: Paraphrasing

Proper paraphrasing is crucial if we are to a.) use source material effectively and b.) avoid plagiarism.  However, paraphrasing isn't always easy. 

 

In case you aren't familiar with the term, paraphrasing involves putting another author's idea into your own words.  Remember, you MUST cite your source when you paraphrase.  Even if you aren't using any of the original author's exact words, you are still using his or her ideas.  That means you have to give credit where credit is due.  Many, many students commit unintentional plagiarism because they don't know how to paraphrase properly.  Even when plagiarism is unintentional, it is still a serious matter, so it is critical that every student learn the proper way to paraphrase.

Note that paraphrasing is different from summarizing.  Summary tends to focus only on the "bullet points," the main ideas, and summary tends to be most appropriate for longer sections of text. 

There is an art to paraphrasing; in fact, I have taught a ninety minute workshop on this topic alone.  For now, since I have limited space, suffice it to say that paraphrasing is NOT simply changing around a few words from your original source.  If you use this method, you will almost certainly be guilty of plagiarism.  Instead, think of paraphrasing this way:  In your reading, you've come across an interesting idea, one you'd like to use to help make an important point in your paper.  Think of paraphrasing as expressing that idea in your own words.  See the difference?  You're not thinking of it simply as rewording another author's sentence. Rather, you are expressing another person's idea in your own way.  We do this all the time in conversation, when we tell a friend about a conversation we had with our spouse last week, or when we tell someone about an interesting book or magazine article we read recently. 

Even so, it can be tricky to apply this skill to our writing.  Try this method:

 

1.) MAKE SURE YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PASSAGE YOU PLAN TO PARAPHRASE.  I put that in all caps because, in my experience, this is the #1 reason why writers commit unintentional plagiarism; they try to paraphrase something they don't fully understand.  If you don't have a firm grasp of the idea you're trying to paraphrase, there is simply no way that you will be able to express that idea in your own words.  So. Read the passage carefully.  Read it a few times.  Then put the original source away.  Close the book, close the window on the computer, put the article underneath a notebook where you can't see it.  Now you're ready to move on to step 2.

 

2.) Talk to yourself.  Now that you've put the original source away where you can't see it, tell yourself what the author was trying to say.  I like to do this out loud, but if you really don't want to talk to yourself, just write it down.  The wording doesn't have to be perfect here; you are just telling yourself what the original author was saying, working it out for yourself to make sure that you understand what you've read. 

 

3.) Try paraphrasing.  Now that you are absolutely sure you understand the author's idea, try paraphrasing the passage.  Again, DON'T LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S WORDING.  If you look, you'll be a hundred times more likely to stick too closely to the wording of the original source.  Express the author's idea in your own words. 

 

4.) Check yourself.  Now you can look at the original source.  Compare what you've written to the original passage.  First make sure that you have expressed the original author's idea accurately, without missing any nuances of meaning.  Then make sure that your wording isn't too close to the original author's.  If it is, you'll need to repeat steps 2-4.  If you go through this process twice and you still end up sticking too closely to the original text, then you might just want to quote the author directly. 

Examples:  These are from a handout I used in my undergraduate writing classes--examples are from a terrific handout on the University of Texas at Austin's website:  http://uwc.utexas.edu/handouts/paraphrasing

The wrong way to paraphrase #1: Failure to cite source

Original passage: “They desire, for example, virtue without vice, pleasure without pain."  From an essay called "Utilitarianism" by John Stuart Mill, from his 1869 book On Liberty and Other Essays.  The quote is from page 169.

Paraphrase: People want morality just as much as they want happiness.

Explanation: The paraphrase is a concise and accurate summary of the substance of the original quote, but the student did not cite the source of the idea.  Therefore, s/he is guilty of plagiarism.

 

The wrong way to paraphrase #2: Sticking too closely to the original author's wording

Original passage:  “To the young American architects who made the pilgrimage, the most dazzling figure of all was Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus School. Gropius opened the Bauhaus in Weimar, the German capital, in 1919. It was more than a school; it was a commune, a spiritual movement, a radical approach to art in all its forms, and a philosophical center.”  From Tom Wolfe's 1981 book From Bauhaus to Our House, page 10.

Paraphrase: As Tom Wolfe (1981) notes, to young American architects who went to Germany, the most dazzling figure was Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus School. Gropius opened the Bauhaus in the German capital of Weimar in 1919. It was, however, more than a school; it was a commune, a spiritual movement, a philosophical center.

Explanation: The highlighted portions are those that are either very closer or repeated verbatim to the original author's wording. As you can see, this isn't really a paraphrase of Tom Wolfe's idea; it uses the same sentence structure and wording as Wolfe's original paragraph. The author does cite Wolfe at the beginning of the first sentence, but does not use quotation marks or block-quote formatting to indicate that s/he is using Wolfe's actual words. This student is presenting Tom Wolfe's words as his or her own, and is guilty of plagiarism. 

The right way to paraphrase:  The examples below are from a pdf handout from the Writing Center at Northern State University (except for sample paraphrase 4, which is my own): http://www.northern.edu/uc/Documents/avoidplagiarism.pdf

Original passage: “In the past 25 years, there has been considerable scientific interest in studying differences and similarities between the sexes for a number of reasons” (Masters, Johnson, & Kolodny, 1988, p. 544).

Paraphrase: Scientists have been interested in comparing and contrasting males and females for at least 25 years (Masters, Johnson, & Kolodny, 1988).

Explanation:  The paraphrase is properly cited, and reproduces the substance of the original text without sticking too closely to the original authors' wording.

Now let's look at four sample paraphrases of the same passage.  Here is the original text, taken from the earlier Masters, Johnson, and Kolodny book:

In the past 25 years, there has been considerable scientific interest in studying differences and similarities between the sexes for a number of reasons.  First, various beliefs about sex differences in traits, talents, and temperaments have greatly influenced social, political, and economic systems throughout history.  Second, recent trends have threatened age-old distinctions between the sexes.  In 1987, for instance, more than half of American women worked outside the home.  Unisex fashions in hairstyles, clothing, and jewelry are now popular.  Even anatomic status is not fixed in a day when change-of-sex surgery is possible. Third, the Feminist movement has brought increasing attention to areas of sex discrimination and sexism and has demanded sexual equality.

Sample paraphrase 1:

In the past 25 years, scientists have been interested in studying differences and similarities between the sexes.  There are many reasons for this.  First, many beliefs about sex differences in traits, talents, and temperaments have had an effect on societies, politics, and economies throughout the world.  Second, current trends have challenged age-old distinctions between the sexes.  For example, in 1987 more than half of American women worked outside the home.  Also, unisex fashions are now popular.  People can even have sex-change operations.  Finally, the women's movement has brought more attention to things like sex discrimination and sexism and has argued for sexual equality.

Sample paraphrase 2:

Scientists have been interested in comparing and contrasting the sexes for at least 25 years.  Three primary reasons explain this.  First, many beliefs about sex differences in traits, talents, and temperaments have had an effect on societies, politics, and economies throughout the world.  Second, established differences between the sexes have been challenged by current trends.  For example, in 1987 more than half of American women worked outside the home.  Also, unisex fashions are now popular.  People can even have sex-change operations.  Finally, the women's movement has led to increased awareness of sex discrimination, sexism, and sexual equality (Masters, Johnson, & Kolodny, 1988, p. 544).

Sample paraphrase 3:

Scientists have been interested in comparing and contrasting males and females for at least 25 years, and three primary reasons explain this interest.  First, as Masters, Johnson, and Kolodny (1988) explain, "various beliefs about sex differences in traits, talents, and temperaments have greatly influenced social, political, and economic systems throughout history" (p. 544).  In addition, established differences between men and women have been challenged by current trends such as women working outside the home, unisex fashions, and sex-change operations.  Finally, the public has been made more aware of sex discrimination through the efforts of the women's movement, which has also fought for sexual equality (Masters, Johnson, & Kolodny, 1988).

Sample paraphrase 4:

Scientists have been interested in comparing and contrasting men and women for nearly three decades, and three primary reasons explain this interest.  First, as Masters, Johnson, and Kolodny (1988) explain, "various beliefs about sex differences in traits, talents, and temperaments have greatly influenced social, political, and economic systems throughout history" (p. 544).  In addition, long held beliefs about gender have been challenged by current trends such as unisex fashions, women in the workforce, and sex-reassignment surgeries.  Finally, the women's movement has brought the issues of sex discrimination and gender inequality into the public spotlight (Masters, Johnson, & Kolodny, 1988).

Which passages do you think are appropriately paraphrased, and which are guilty of plagiarism?

The writer of sample 1 is guilty of plagiarism for two reasons.  First, she doesn't cite the source of her information.  Also, she uses many of the original authors' words and phrases without indicating that she is quoting. 

The writer of sample 2 has done a slightly better job, but this passage is also plagiarized.  The author does provide a citation, but he is still presenting some of the original authors' words as his own.  Just because he cited the source doesn't mean he can use the original authors' word-for-word text without indicating that he is quoting.  To fix this paraphrase, he would need to either put quotation marks around the reproduced text (and cite accordingly, with page numbers), or put the original authors' ideas into his own words.

The writer of sample 3 is on the right track.  She's provided citations in the right places, and she's used an effective combination of quoting and paraphrasing.  She's done a pretty good job of putting the original authors' ideas into her own words.  However, there might be an even better way...

The writer of sample 4 has, in my opinion, done the best job of paraphrasing the original text.  Citations are provided appropriately, the author has used an effective combination of quoting and paraphrasing, the wording differs significantly from the original text while still conveying the same ideas.  Nicely done.

 I hope you found this post helpful.  Happy scribbling!

Using Quotations

Today's topic: Quotations

Quotations are a necessary part of most academic writing, but I hear a lot of questions about when and how to use them effectively and appropriately.  Here are a few important points to remember.

1. Use quotes sparingly. 

In general, rely more on paraphrase and summary than direct quotation (see last week's post for tips on paraphrasing).  When you overuse quotations, your narrative voice is repeatedly interrupted, resulting in a choppy feel.  Also, overuse of quotes may give readers the impression that you don't have anything original to say yourself.

Use a direct quote when you feel that you can't adequately express the original author's idea in your own words, or when you just love the way s/he expresses it.  You can quote passages that involve a lot of numbers, if you need to include that level of detail and can't paraphrase or summarize it instead.  You can also use a quotation when you want to convey the personality or tone of the original author.  Try to keep it to a maximum of one or two quotes per page, though.

2. Punctuate correctly. 

In general, punctuation goes INSIDE quotation marks.  Here are some examples (in-text citations are in APA style):

Doe (2012) argues, "blah blah blah blah," and blah blah blah (p. 12).  Putting the comma outside the end quotes is one of the most common errors I see.

The questionnaire begins with the question, "Blah blah blah blah blah?" Note that if the question mark is part of the original quote, it should go inside the quotation marks.  If the question mark is your own, not part of the actual quote, it should go outside the end quotes.  Example: Should the survey require participants to respond with "true" or "false" to the statement, "I read and understood the patient education materials provided to me"?

Note that in 6th edition APA style, the period at the end of a sentence that ends in a quotation should go after the parenthetical citation (except in the case of long, block formatted quotes--see the section on block quotations below).  The order goes like this: Beginning quotation marks, quote, end quotation marks, parenthetical citation, period.  Like this:

Doe (2013) argued, "Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah" (p. 16).

Do not use double punctuation.  Examples:

INCORRECT:  The questionnaire begins with the question, "Blah blah blah blah?".  See that period after the end quotes?  This is incorrect--only end the sentence with ONE punctuation mark.  The only time it is ever correct to use double punctuation is when you combine a question mark with an exclamation point to indicate what APA calls an "exclamatory question," as in "He said what?!"  I can't imagine needing to do this in a scholarly paper, however.

CORRECT:  The questionnaire begins with the question, "Blah blah blah blah?"

INCORRECT:  Doe (2013) argued that "blah blah blah blah blah." (p. 17).  See the double periods?  One before the end quotes and one after the parentheses?  This is never correct.
CORRECT: Doe (2013) argued that "blah blah blah blah blah" (p. 17).

Remember that long quotes should be formatted as block quotations.  Different style manuals have different rules for what constitutes a "long quote."  In 6th edition APA style, it's 40 words or longer.  As I recall, MLA style puts it at 30 words or longer.  Be sure to check the rule for whatever style manual your paper requires.  In general, however, each line of a block formatted quote will be indented about a half inch from the left margin.  Do not use quotation marks in a block quote; the block formatting takes their place.  In APA style, the punctuation at the end of a block quote goes before the parenthetical citation, not after; this is different from short quotes, in which the end punctuation follows the parenthetical citation. 

I tried three times to show you an example of a block quote, but the Outlook email formatting is so crazy that it made it impossible.  It turned each of my efforts into a jumbled mess.  However, you can see examples of block formatted quotes in my "APA Style FAQ" PowerPoint presentation on the Blackboard "Writing Resources" website.  The PowerPoint also provides more detail about block quotes, including what to do if a new paragraph begins in the middle of a block quotation.

For short quotes, be sure to put the reproduced text in quotation marks and cite appropriately, so that it is 100% clear to readers that this is quoted material. 

3. Capitalize correctly. 

Capitalize the first word of a direct quotation IF the quoted text is a complete sentence.  If it isn't a complete sentence, the first word in the quote should be lower case.  The following examples are from the Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/01/:

Quoted text is a complete sentence: Mr. Johnson, who was working in his field that morning, said, "The alien spaceship appeared right before my own two eyes."

Quoted text is not a complete sentence: Although Mr. Johnson has seen odd happenings on the farm, he stated that the spaceship "certainly takes the cake" when it comes to unexplainable activity.

If you interrupt a direct quotation in the middle and continue it later in the sentence, do not capitalize the first word of the second part of the quote.  Example:

"I didn't see an actual alien being," Mr. Johnson said, "but I sure wish I had."

4. Cite your source.  This is crucial to give credit to the original author, to show readers where to read the original text, and to avoid plagiarism.  Different style guides have different rules for how to cite source material; be sure to read these and follow them exactly. 

For more on quoting, check out the APA Style Blog, the Purdue OWL, the AMA style guide, or any of the other great resources linked to on the Blackboard "Writing Resources" website.  Just click on "Useful Websites."  As always, I will post this email on my Writing Tips blog, where you can also find an archive of my previous tips:  http://www.writingtipoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html

I hope this post was helpful.  Happy scribbling!

Abstract Fun Facts

Today's topic: Abstract Fun Facts

Don't you love that the title of today's post rhymes?  :)

What is an abstract? What is it for? An abstract summarizes the major elements of an article or presentation. In a published paper, the abstract helps other scholars to determine whether the paper is relevant to their own research. Think about all the literature searches you've done.  How did you determine which articles you needed to read, or which ones met the inclusion criteria for your literature review?  You read the abstracts, of course.  Also, many busy health care professionals and researchers scan abstracts to keep current on the latest research.  The abstract is your first impression, your first chance to convince readers of the importance of your work.

You might write an abstract for a paper, or you might write one for a presentation you hope to give at a conference.  You will almost always write paper abstracts after you finish the paper (to ensure that the abstract is complete and accurate).  However, you'll often write conference proposal abstracts before you finish the presentation or poster.  Here are some essentials to remember when writing an abstract.

An abstract should be:

Brief:  Usually 150-250 words, often written as a single paragraph.

Concise: Focus on the 3-5 most important points in your paper or presentation.  Don’t add to or provide commentary on the content of the manuscript.  The job of the abstract is to simply report what is in the paper/poster.

Accurate and specific: Make sure it accurately communicates the content and purpose of your paper or presentation.  An abstract should not contain any information that isn't part of the paper or presentation.

Clear and readable: Use clear, succinct language and correct grammar and style. It's a good idea to ask someone--a professor or a trusted classmate or colleague--to proofread your abstract for you.  Read your work out loud and you will be more likely to catch your mistakes.
  
More tips:

*Avoid abbreviations, except for obvious ones that everyone knows (such as HIV, DNA, AIDS, etc.).

*Avoid using specialized/technical terms, unless your readers are likely to be familiar with them.

*Avoid referring to elements of the manuscript to which your readers don't have access (tables, charts, figures, etc.).  Remember that many people will just read the abstract, not the full article.  The abstract should make it easy for people who are conducting a literature search (or trying to stay abreast of the latest research) to determine the content of your paper.  For that same reason, the abstract should be able to "stand alone" and still make sense.  To check this, you might ask someone who isn't familiar with your subject to review your abstract.

*Abstracts should focus on the most important results and conclusions in the manuscript or presentation.

*Make sure that any quantitative or qualitative results you include in the abstract match those in the manuscript or presentation.

*APA recommends that you do not repeat the title in the abstract, but always stick to the particular journal's author guidelines.

*Don't cite references in the abstract. 

*Include “key words” that readers will be likely to use in database searches.  This will help readers to find your article, and to determine, from reading the abstract, whether your article is relevant to their research.

*Some journals require "structured abstracts," which follow prescribed headings.  These might include "Aims," "Background," "Methods," "Results," and a range of others.     

*It's a good idea to include information on the implications of your findings--for practice, and/or administration, and/or further research.  What does all this mean?  What does your paper or presentation contribute to the discipline of nursing?   

I hope you've found this week's post helpful.  Happy scribbling!        

Mystery Punctuation

Today's topic: Mystery Punctuation

Let's face it--they're confusing.  Those exotic punctuation marks, like dashes, hyphens, brackets, and ellipses.  When should we use them?  What are they for?  What on earth is the difference between a dash and a hyphen?  Let's tackle these confounding punctuation marks one by one.

#1: Ellipses.  Ellipses (... or ....) let the reader know that you've left out some text.  What you may not know is that there are two different types of ellipses--the three dot and the four dot.  Use three dots when you're omitting text from the middle of a sentence.  Example:

Original sentence: She finished her paper, with a great deal of tooth-grinding and frustration, before midnight.
Your quote: She finished her paper...before midnight.

Use four dots when you're omitting text in two or more sentences.  The first dot is the period at the end of the first sentence.  This indicates to the reader that the omitted text includes the end of one sentence and the start of a new one.  Example:

Original sentence: She didn't like to bring her boyfriends home to meet her parents.  To her eternal embarrassment, they always grilled the poor guy about everything from his grades to his driving history.
Your quote:  She didn't like to bring her boyfriends home to meet her parents...they always grilled the poor guy about everything from his grades to his driving history.

As the APA Style Blog points out, when using four dot ellipses, some people like to capitalize the first word after the dots.  This is fine as long as what follows the ellipses is an independent clause (complete sentence), but personally I don't see the point.  I suppose it's a style choice.  Example:  "She didn't like to bring her boyfriends home to meet her parents...They always grilled the poor guy about everything from his grades to his driving history."

These are the basics for using ellipses.  For a few additional details (using ellipses with other punctuation, like semicolons), see this post from the APA Style Blog: http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2011/04/ellipseswhen-and-how.html

#2: Dashes.  You're going to hate me for this, but please don't shoot the messenger when I tell you that there are actually two kinds of dashes, en dashes and em dashes.  Insanely complicated?  Perhaps.  But I don't make the rules. 

According to the 6th edition APA handbook (and many other style guides), an en dash should be used for (examples borrowed from the APA Style Blog:http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2010/09/computer-editing-tip-en-dashes.html):

• items of equal weight (e.g., test-retest, male-female, the Chicago-London flight),
• page ranges (e.g., in references, "...Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 718-729."), and
• other types of ranges (e.g., 16-30 kHz).

As required by Murphy's Law, most keyboards do not have an en dash key (en dashes are slightly longer than hyphens).  The APA handbook says you can just use a single hyphen instead, but if you are a perfectionist and want to use a proper en dash, there is a way to create one.  Just click on the link above (the APA Style Blog entry about en dashes) to learn the trick.  For simplicity's sake, I've just used the hyphen key here.

Em dashes are longer than en dashes.  Like the en dash, the em dash is mysteriously missing from most modern keyboards.  APA allows the use of two hyphens to create an em dash, but you perfectionists can click here if you want to learn how to create a "real" em dash: http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2010/09/computer-editing-tip-em-dashes.html

Em dashes are used, in the words of the 6th edition APA handbook, to "set off an element added to amplify or to digress from the main clause."  In other words, use the em dash to set off a bit of text in order to draw the reader's attention to it.  Examples:

She went to check on Mr. Simpson--his white count was worrying her--and then headed to the break room.

No one ever gives me honest feedback on my papers--except you.

Note that in the second sentence, you could eliminate the em dashes and write "No one but you ever gives me honest feedback on my papers."  The author would choose an em dash if s/he wanted to emphasize the text that follows.  The sentence is a little more complimentary to the person addressed, a little more emphatic, with the em dash. Be careful not to overuse em dashes, though.  They can add emphasis and grab the reader's attention, but they can also be distracting, and they can sometimes be a bit too informal for scholarly writing.

#3: Hyphens.  Use hyphens in the following circumstances (list and starred examples borrowed from the Purdue OWL):

• To join two or more words which combine to form an adjective, when the two-word adjective comes before a noun.

• ball-peen hammer
• caramel-coated chocolates (yum)
• four-lane highway

• Note that when this kind of word combination comes AFTER a noun, the words should not be hyphenated. Example: The chocolates were caramel coated.

• To create compound numbers

• I was twenty-eight when I got my graduate degree.
• My brother will be forty-five next week.

• With prefixes like "ex," "self," and "all," and suffix "elect"

• ex-wife
• self-possessed
• all-encompassing
• president-elect

• Between a prefix and a capitalized word (as in anti-American*)
• With figures or letters (mid-1960s, T-shirt*)
• To avoid confusion or an awkward combination of letters

• re-sign a contract (vs. resign from one's employment)*

• To divide words at the end of a line if necessary--make the break between syllables

• For line breaks, divide already-hyphenated words only at the hyphen.

These are the basics.  For a few more fine details on using hyphens for line breaks, see the Purdue OWL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/576/01/

#4: Brackets. Use brackets in the following circumstances:

• Around statistics inside parentheses (in APA style).  Example (from the APA Style Blog):

• (See Figure 3 for the results from the control group [n=8]; compare with results from the Pink Floyd listening group [n=23] and the Beatles listening group [n=41].)

• To clarify text in a quotation.  Examples:

• Original: This renowned psychologist piloted a revolutionary new therapeutic technique.
• Quote, in which you want to identify the psychologist: This renowned psychologist [Jane Doe] piloted a revolutionary new therapeutic technique.

Note that you can't just say [Jane Doe] piloted a revolutionary new therapeutic technique.  You have to leave the original author's text intact.  You add the brackets for clarification, but you're not taking text away.  If you want to take text away, use ellipses (see above).

• To indicate, with the Latin word "sic," that an author you are quoting made an error--either in grammar or spelling or in fact.  Example: Doe wrote, "he had planned to borrow his sisters [sic] car."  (In this example, there should be an apostrophe before the final "s" in "sisters.") 

I hope this post has helped to clarify the proper use of some of the more confusing punctuation marks.  As always, happy scribbling!

More Meaningful Reading

Today's topic: Critical Reading

Critical reading means using critical thinking skills as we read.  It is a crucial step toward better writing (and, of course, better understanding of the material we read).  Many people underestimate the importance of close, careful reading.  This can lead to ineffective, shallow, or even plagiarized use of source material.  In this week's post, I offer you some quick tips for better reading.

1.) Play devil's advocate.  Don't automatically accept what you read at face value.  Granted, much of what you will read for class is peer-reviewed and published, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's perfect.  Flex your brain and put the author's arguments to the test.  Have an internal dialogue with him or her.  Ask questions like:

• What reasons does the author give to support his or her point of view?  Do these stand up to scrutiny?
• How current and reliable are the author's references?
• What objections might be raised to the author's point of view?
• Does the author seem to have an agenda?  What might that mean for the validity of his or her point of view?
• What are the author's qualifications?
• What are the author's unstated assumptions?  Are they acceptable?
• What are the gaps in the literature?  What's missing?  What other research should be done in this area?

This kind of inquiry is a crucial skill.  It can be especially important if you are preparing to write a literature review.  In that case, you'd need to consider some additional questions to critique the articles you are reading.  Here are a few examples, borrowed from Dr. Susan Frazier's terrific PowerPoint presentation on lit reviews (available on the Blackboard Writing Resources site):

• What are the results?  Are they credible?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the study?
• Is the problem/area significant?  It is relevant?
• Is the theoretical framework appropriate and clearly explained?
• Are gaps in knowledge clearly identified?
• Does the research purpose and specific aims/research question logically arise from the review of the literature?
• Are the chosen design and sample size appropriate and justified?

These are just a few examples, by no means a comprehensive list.

2.) Read meaningfully--analyze and synthesize.  As I've said before, good writing goes beyond simple summary and explanation.  Good writing involves analysis and synthesis of ideas, and the same is true of good reading.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, synthesis is the process of combining elements and drawing conclusions accordingly.  Nurses do it every day as they care for patients.  For example, let's say that an ER triage nurse is confronted with three patients.  One has terrible abdominal pain and is sweating profusely.  One has a high fever and has been throwing up.  One has a stab wound to the shoulder.  The nurse would have to look at 1.) the details of each patient's case--not only signs and symptoms, but also age, gender, medical history, etc.--and combine that information with 2.) her education--the knowledge she gained in nursing school and 3.) her experience--the knowledge and instincts she has gained from years of experience treating patients.  The nurse needs all three of these elements in order to make an informed decision.  This is a real-life example of synthesis.

Synthesis is also a vital part of reading and writing.  Since I mentioned literature reviews earlier, and since I know a lot of writers struggle with this kind of manuscript, let me offer this definition of lit review from M. Ling Pan's 2004 book Preparing Literature Reviews (I added the boldface for emphasis):

"...a synthesis of the literature on a topic.  To create the synthesis, one must first interpret and evaluate individual pieces of literature.  Then, the ideas and information they contain must be integrated and restated in order to create a new, original written work" (Pan, 2004, p. 1).

This process of interpretation, evaluation, and integration is true for literature reviews.  It is also true in many, many other types of writing.  That process of synthesis begins as you read through your source material.

 As you read, consider:

• How do this author's ideas compare with those of other authors who have written on this topic?
• How do the author's ideas compare with my own personal experience? 
• How do they compare with the experiences of my classmates, and the ideas I've heard in class discussions?  
• How do they compare with my professor's point of view?

You can also consider the context in which the author is writing--historical context, political context, healthcare-policy context, etc.  Think about the relationships between the ideas the author is expressing and the ideas of others.   

3.) Take good notes--you might even try using freewriting and/or clustering techniques as you read.  See my earlier post on conquering writer's block for specifics on freewriting and clustering.  It's crucial to take good notes as you read.  You can make these as formal or informal as you like; what works for one writer won't work as well for another.  The point is to write down your thoughts and questions and opinions as you go.  If something catches your attention, it can be a good idea to stop there and do a quick, five minute freewrite or cluster about it.  This can help ward off writer's block before you even get to the writing stage.  It can help you narrow down a topic, work out the answer to a puzzling question, decide whether you agree or disagree with the author's point, or finally come to understand a concept that eluded you until now.

In a nutshell, read meaningfully.  Don't take everything you read as gospel.  Ask questions, and think about how the ideas you're reading about might relate to other ideas.  If you can become a better reader, you will be well on your way to becoming a better writer as well. 

I hope you found this post helpful.  Happy scribbling!

Five Common Grammar Misconceptions

Today's topic: Five Common Grammar Misconceptions

Today I'm going to take a break from heavy-duty topics and do something light and fluffy.  Here is a list of some common grammar and style myths and misconceptions.  Thanks to Mignon Fogerty, the Internet's "Grammar Girl," for pointing out #s 2 and 5 (all the words in this post are my own, and all the examples except "Where are you at" in #5--I just got the idea for misconceptions 2 and 5 from Ms. Fogerty).

*Misconception #1:  "You and I"/"Johnny and I" is always correct--never say "You and me"/"Johnny and me." 

Nope!  Whether to use "I" or "me" depends entirely on the sentence.  Here's a quick, easy trick to ensure that you will never use the wrong personal pronoun again:  Eliminate the other person from the sentence.  Which pronoun is correct now, I or me?  Example:

There's a great portrait of my husband and I/me on the living room wall. 

Let's employ our sneaky new trick, and take the husband out of the sentence (sorry, dear!):  

There's a great portrait of ___ on the living room wall.  

Would it make sense to say "There's a great portrait of I on the living room wall"?  Of course not!  So the correct pronoun in this sentence is "me."  "There's a great portrait of my husband and me on the living room wall."

*Misconception #2:  Run-on sentences are sentences that are too long (or a sentence has to be long in order to be a run-on sentence). 
Nope!  This is one reason (I suspect) why many grammarians now refer to these as "fused" sentences; the term "run-on" creates the erroneous impression that a run-on sentence must "run on."  In truth, run-on sentences can be quite short. 

A run-on, or fused, sentence is one in which two or more independent clauses are linked without appropriate punctuation.  An independent clause (IC), by the way, is a phrase which includes a subject and a verb and could stand alone as a complete sentence.  Since ICs (complete sentences) can be quite short, run-on sentences can be short as well.  Examples:

I love cats, they are so cute. 
It was my turn to cook I made spaghetti. 

Note: The first of these is an example of a comma splice.  A comma splice is a run-on sentence in which the two ICs are linked with a comma.  Commas are weak punctuation; they are not strong enough to separate ICs.  You can fix run-on sentences in a number of different ways.  You can: 1.) Separate the ICs with a semicolon (see my earlier Writing Tip of the Week on semicolons for specifics), 2.) separate the ICs with a period (thereby making them into two sentences), or 3.) separate the ICs with a comma + a conjunction (and, but, or) or other appropriate word.  Which you choose depends on the sentence, of course.  In the first example above I would probably choose a semicolon, because the two ICs are closely related.  In the second example you could add a comma after the word "cook," then the word "and" or "so."  You could also separate the two ICs with a semicolon or period.  It's a style choice.

*Misconception #3: It's always correct to capitalize job titles.Nope!  In fact, there are only a handful of situations in which you should capitalize job titles. 

Rule #1: Capitalize job titles when they directly precede a person's name.  Examples:  We invited Dean Jones to speak at the dinner.  I emailed President Simpson yesterday.

Rule #2: Capitalize job titles immediately following the name when the word "the" does not appear in front of the job title.  Examples:  Ms. Janney, Director of Marketing, will send out the memo.  Mr. Zhu, Chief Resident in the emergency department, is a little intimidating.

Rule #3: When the word "the" appears in front of a job title, do not capitalize.  Examples:  Mr. Zhu, the chief resident in the emergency department, is a little intimidating.  Ms. Janney, the director of marketing, will send out the memo.

Rule #4: Capitalize titles in signature lines.  Examples:  Whitney Kurtz-Ogilvie, Academic Writing Specialist.  Linda Devine, Editor.

Rule #5: Do not capitalize titles when used descriptively.  Examples: Ms. Janney, who is the director of marketing at our firm, will send out the memo.  Whitney Kurtz-Ogilvie, who is the academic writing specialist for the College of Nursing, maintains a "Writing Resources" website for graduate nursing students and staff nurses.

The "Ego" Rule: This rule sometimes requires us to ignore the other rules.  If your supervisor or employer wants you to capitalize his or her job title, go ahead and do it.  Many people do not know the rules governing job title capitalization, and you will frequently see titles incorrectly capitalized.

*Misconception #4: It is incorrect to split infinitives.Nope!  This is an archaic rule, and unfortunately writers sometimes sacrifice clarity, smoothness, and readability in order to comply. 

An infinitive is the "to ______" form of the verb (examples: to read, to eat, to sleep, to write).  To split an infinitive is to insert a word (often an adverb) between the word "to" and the verb, as in the famous line from Star Trek: "to boldly go where no man has gone before." 

Many grammar purists will tell you that it is incorrect to split an infinitive, but this isn't necessarily true.  The rule of thumb here (as in pretty much any other grammar issue) should be to make sure that your sentence is clear and readable.  Grammar rules should serve your writing; your writing shouldn't serve them.  If the sentence is smoother and/or clearer with a split infinitive, then split away.  In my opinion, "to boldly go where no man has gone before" sounds a lot better than "to go boldly..."  :)

*Misconception #5: You should never end a sentence with a preposition.

Nope!  It's true that it is sometimes wrong to end a sentence with a preposition, but this is not a hard and fast rule. Quick review: Prepositions are words that indicate when or where something occurs.  Examples: of, in, above, under, off, on, about, before, after, etc. 
Here is the kicker: If the sentence would mean the same thing without the preposition, then leave it out.  However, if the sentence needs the preposition to communicate the intended meaning, then it's fine to end the sentence with a preposition.  Examples:

WRONG: Where are you at?  This is wrong because "Where are you" means the same thing.

FINE: I'm going to throw these leftovers out.
 
FINE: I know I should get up early today, but I'm exhausted so I think I'll sleep in.
 
FINE: Do you have anything to snack on?  (Granted, you could rearrange this sentence to say "Do you have anything on which to snack?"  This would technically be fine, but very few people speak this way in real life.  It might be appropriate to use this type of language in a formal academic paper, however.  As I mentioned above, always try to err on the side of clarity, conciseness, and smoothness/readability.)

There are many more grammar myths and misconceptions.  Maybe I'll tackle some more in a future post.  In the meantime, I hope today's tips were helpful.  Happy scribbling!

Whitney Kurtz-Ogilvie, MFAW