When youre researching a paper, its important to organize and document your research as you go. This helps you keep track of how each source addresses your topic and where it fits into your paper. Youll do this in a document called a research organizer, or an annotated bibliography.
In the first three entries of your research organizer, youll include an SWS-style source list entry, a brief summary, and a description of how the source might support your essay. Summaries of a source should include the authors main idea, supporting points, and any key pieces of evidence. Then youll describe how you plan to use this information in your essay. Remember, the sources you find could be used to support your argument OR to identify a counter argument.
James P. Smith. 2010. Financial Decision Making and Cognition in the Family Context. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=54503318&site=eds-live&scope=site
This journal article describes a study about married couples and financial wealth, which found that the mathematical literacy (or numeracy skills) of the decision-making spouse increases overall household wealth. However, the article states that husbands are still responsible for making financial decisions in nearly 62% of marriages. The authors examine which spouse makes financial decisions in the households and why, concluding that the reasons are often related to class and cultural conventions surrounding gender roles. I will use the information in this article to support the point I want to make that the division of tasks in a marriage should not be determined solely by gender.
In the last three entries of your research organizer, youll just include a source list entry in SWS style, like this:
Kendall Green. 2018. Credit Union Uses New Approach to Teach Young Adults Financial Literacy. http://www.wdam.com/2018/12/05/schools-use-new-approach-teach-young-adults-financial-literacy/
For your Prewriting & Research Assignment, youll need to find and cite a total of six sources: three with a source list entry, a summary, and a note on how the source will be used in your essay, and three more with just the source list entry. You can review SWS format for source list entries on the librarys Strayer Writing Standards webpage.
Start with a Summary
As you saw in the example above, summarizing can be a great way to quickly explain the main idea of your source. But did you know that summarizing helps you better understand and remember the information contained within a source? The act of summarizing helps you process what a piece of writing is actually saying.
Think of summarizing as pointing out what is most important in a piece of writing. Practicing this skill will help you focus on the writers central point and identify which information in the source will be most useful as you construct your argument.
To create a good summary for the sources in your Prewriting & Research Assignment, include the following information:
the thesis, or main idea you want to convey
the supporting points, or claims you make to support your main idea
any significant pieces of evidence, or an overview of the types of evidence used
Summaries are often written in your own words, using the skill of paraphrasing. Paraphrasing also helps you understand a source, as it forces you to think about what a writer is really saying in order to put it in your own words. To paraphrase effectively, do the following:
Read the original source as many times as you need to until you understand it.
Translate the passage into your own words using clear, simple language.
Try changing the sentence structure, flipping the beginning and the end.
Identify the source by including the authors name in sentences where you have cited information.
Reread your summary to make sure no exact wording from the source is present.
For example, look at this sentence from the summary above, and a paraphrase:
Original sentence: The authors examine which spouse makes financial decisions in the households and why, concluding that the reasons are often related to class and cultural conventions surrounding gender roles.
Paraphrased sentence: This study found that ideas about male and female roles, determined by the social class and cultural backgrounds of participants, mostly determined who made financial choices in the household.
Note that the paraphrase preserves the meaning of the original sentence, even using one or two of the same words, but changes the sentence structure and does not repeat phrases. Unlike a summary, a paraphrase does not need to be shorter than the original source. The key to paraphrasing is capturing the original meaning in your own words. Youll learn more about summarizing and paraphrasing later in the webtext.
Each summary will also include a note about how you intend to use the source in your paper. Knowing how the source will fit into your argument will save time later as you begin constructing your draft. Noting specific evidence or information that can help support your stance, or even provide a counter argument to your position, will allow you to more easily develop an outline and build strong body paragraphs when you are ready to draft.
Your Turn to Research
Youve already found some evidence for your supporting points. Remember, you need to include six credible, relevant sources in your Prewriting & Research Assignment. Document them in the Research Organizer template below. Select your top three sources and include a summary for each, along with an indication of how youll use the information in your argument.
Writing Activity 1: Research Organizer
Document six sources below. Youll write descriptions for your top three sources, but only include source list entries for the rest. Be sure to use SWS style.
Writing TemplateSource 1:
List the location information as an SWS-style source list entry for your first source.
In at least three sentences, summarize the main idea and most important information from your first source.
In one sentence, describe how you will use this source in your paper to either support your position or provide a counter perspective.
Source 2:
List the location information as an SWS-style source list entry for your second source.
In at least three sentences, summarize the main idea and most important information from your second source.
In one sentence, describe how you will use this source in your paper to either support your position or provide a counter perspective.
Source 3:
List the location information as an SWS-style source list entry for your third source.
In at least three sentences, summarize the main idea and most important information from your third source.
In one sentence, describe how you will use this source in your paper to either support your position or provide a counter perspective.
Source 4:
List the location information as an SWS-style source list entry for your fourth source.
Source 5:
List the location information as an SWS-style source list entry for your fifth source.
Source 6:
List the location information as an SWS-style source list entry for your last source.
