Quote Rarely, Paraphrase Often, Cite Generously (Part 2/2)

Part 2: Translating the Words of Others and Crediting Sources

For some students, paraphrasing creates anxiety. Am I doing it correctly? Am I plagiarizing? What do I need to cite? How often should I cite? Where do the citations go? What is common knowledge? And those who are particularly nervous want clear but often impossible guidelines, such as how many words they can take from a text before they need to put it in quotation marks. This last concern is the reason some students put quotation marks around simple expressions of data (“HIV prevalence in South Africa is 19.1%”) and cite the 2020 UNAIDS annual report. They saw that sentence in the report and now are afraid that not using quotation marks may get them in trouble for plagiarism.

I try to move the conversation about paraphrasing and citation away from fear and toward confidence and generosity. Drawing on and citing the work of others is a way of interacting with the scientists and thinkers whose work has contributed to mine. And it has everything to do with the relationship I’m trying to build with reader through the words I put on the page.

Paraphrasing and citing the work of others is, first, a way to enter into conversation with people who are writing in your field. We take information and ideas from other authors and we use it to shape our own knowledge and perspective. When we draw on the work of others, we are entering a conversation with them and developing our voice as we go. Writing is a way of developing expertise and confidence. As you read the work of others, intertwining their information and words with your own, you develop your own voice and expertise.

Here are some of the reasons I cite:

To give credit where it is due. This is the most important reason I cite. I want to acknowledge the hard work of others. So often the art of paraphrasing and norms of citing are talked about as covering your ass. I’ve never thought of it that way and I don’t want my students to either. I want them to approach their citations creatively and generously, not defensively.

To establish my authority to write about the topic and develop my confidence and voice. I just described paraphrasing as an art, a creative way of blending the work of others with new information and my own perspective. I am often writing at the limits of my knowledge. By paraphrasing and citing the work of others I convince myself and signal to my readers that I have something to say that is worth listening to.

To signal to readers in a concise way that I know the literature. When I first started reading public health articles, I was always puzzled by seemingly obvious statements followed by a long list of citations. For example, Children who are orphaned at a young age often experience psychosocial challenges (1-20). I eventually realized that the (1-20) is a form of shorthand, showing I have read widely without getting pulled into tangents only somewhat relevant to the angle I am taking in my paper about childhood adversity and mental health.

To engage in the scholarly conversation. When I was working on my masters and doctoral degrees in English literature we often talked about our writing as participating in a conversation with other readers and thinkers. Writing can be a lonely thing, so I always appreciated this reminder that it is also a way of participating in a community And it’s an important reminder for students, even if no one reads the paper other than you, your professor, and a couple other students.

To help interested readers find my sources. Curious readers who want to do further reading or who have questions about my interpretation of a source should be able to find the source easily.

I will leave you with this challenge. The next time you are writing something that draws on the work of others think about your paraphrasing and citation as acts of creativity.

Read Part 1: Quoting the Words of Others in Public Health Writing

Quote Rarely, Paraphrase Often, Cite Generously (Part 1/2)

Part 1: Quoting the Words of Others in Public Health Writing

Do your best to avoid direct quotations when writing papers in your public health classes. It’s a comment I find myself making again and again on the first round or two of papers submitted by public health graduate students in their first semester. Quotations should be special, I explain. Enclosing someone else’s words in inverted commas draws attention to the exact language they used. You are signaling to your reader that the words and syntax matter as much as the point you are trying to make.

Quote the language of law and policy when you need to explain and analyze it. Quote the language of multi-media campaigns. Use the words of real people (from qualitative research and journalism) when the words themselves offer a window into thoughts, experience, perspective. Quote the words of public figures when you are analyzing their motives, when holding them accountable. On rare occasions, quote a sentence or two from a journal article or book because those exact words sharpen the point you are trying to make in a way that your own words will not.

Quotations should always add value. If they don’t, paraphrase.

All public health writing is essentially an act of translation. The writer is pulling key information on a given topic together to answer a question for a particular audience. Sometimes that reader is a real person, sitting at a desk waiting for our email attachment. She has asked us to gather and synthesize information because she needs it for a proposal, a presentation, a report, or an article. She may be in the process of creating a budget for the coming year and in need of information that will help her decide how to allocate funds for prevention, treatment, or a community program. In other cases, your readers may be a more general audience, looking for information on a topic they want to understand.

In either case, a document that simply strings together large chunks of other people’s words is not useful. Your readers are looking to you to do the work, to transform the information into simple language, to pull together information from multiple sources, and different types of sources so they don’t have to.

When I was an MPH student, I was one of those students who turned in papers filled with quotes. And I was surprised by my professors’ recommendations that I drop the habit. Before deciding to get an MPH, I studied English literature. The words of others, of the authors I was studying, were my data. Start with a quote then analyze the words in front of you and their relationship to other parts of the book and to dialogue, character development, or story arc. For me, paraphrasing often meant providing a gloss of the story’s connective tissue, the historical context it was bringing to life, or its connections to other works by the same author or her peers.

In other words, my thirteen years of previous graduate and undergraduate study (PhD, MA, and BA) had trained me to lean on the words of others. In the MPH program, I had to unlearn all I thought I knew about writing. Becoming more comfortable with and understanding the role of paraphrasing was just one of the many aspects of writing I needed to rethink and practice.

If you are a frustrated student in a similar situation, I hope you will take heart from my story. With practice (usually in response to feedback from professors and colleagues), I did adjust. My writing is now clearer and I feel more in control of what I am saying because I am processing new, complex information more directly and then talking about it in my own voice, for my own purposes. That doesn’t mean I find the process easy. I often struggle to understand the technical jargon and data speak of much of the public health literature I read, so I am always translating for myself first.

If you are a professor who is perplexed by a run of papers laden with quotation marks, consider devoting a few minutes in class to talk about the best uses for quotations in public health writing. And talk about when and how you use quotations in your own writing. When does it work for you? When do you find yourself doing it? What strategies do you have for paraphrasing?

Click here for Part 2: Translating the Words of Others and Crediting Sources

Meet Sarah Thomson, Peer Writing Coach and PH Writing Program Team Leader

Sarah Instagram Photo

My name is Sarah Thomson and I’m a second-year MPH student at BUSPH in the Epidemiology/Biostatistics and Infectious Disease certificates. I’m also working as a peer writing coach and serve as the peer coach team leader for the Public Health Writing Program.

I believe that clear, concise, and powerful writing has a place in every public health discipline. People often ask me how, as a quantitative type, I ended up as a peer coach and the team leader for the writing program. I came to BUSPH primarily to improve my quantitative skills, but hard evidence only makes a difference if our results are communicated clearly to the public.

I have always enjoyed the writing process and I value the power we have as communicators to change behavior and shift public opinion. I wanted to become a peer coach so that I could support others as they strengthen their written communication skills and find their voice through writing. Regardless of your interest area or what drew you to public health, strong writing is essential.

The most rewarding part of this job is the feedback I get from students, and the process of working together to take an idea and develop it into a powerful argument and commentary on the chosen subject. Something clicks when you hear your work read aloud by a peer, and I usually don’t have to tell students that something sounds convoluted because they can hear it as I read their work back to them. Even the most eloquent speakers have trouble translating their spoken statements into written ones. As someone who always reads my own work out loud to myself at my desk, I preach what I practice.

Before becoming a peer coach, I didn’t take advantage of this the Public Health Writing Program or our other writing resources as much I should have. I remember being a student in PH720, struggling to organize my thoughts and being intimidated by graduate school writing. Meanwhile, there was a whole team of students armed with knowledge, experience, and resources in the peer coaching office who could have guided me as I began my public health writing journey.

I encourage everyone, whether it’s your first semester or your last, to take advantage of the Peer Writing Coach Program. Everyone has something to gain from their interactions with our office.

Four Reasons Why You Should Attend the Library Tutorial on Sept 14 and Get to Know the BUMC Education Librarians

This Wednesday, September 14, the education librarians are offering a Zoom tutorial for students in the School of Public Health from 1:00-1:50 pm. You may think you don’t need their help (you know how use Google or PubMed well enough to always find something when you are looking). Or you may feel shy, like you should be able to do your research on your own. I have worked at BUSPH since 2005, and I can tell you from 17 years of personal experience and student testimonials, that the BUMC librarians are among the most important people you will meet during your MPH, MS, DrPH, or PhD program.

Here are some reasons why you should attend the tutorial, keep the link to the recording handy, and reach out to them for one-on-one assistance.

 First, the BUMC librarians are kind and generous with their time.

Send them an email at refquest@bu.edu and you will likely hear back from them within a few hours. When you write to them, tell them a bit about the topic you want to research and some specifics about the project you are working on. You might even send them a copy of the assignment instructions.

Students always tell the same story, and I’ve experienced it myself. Send them some details about the project you are working on and ask for a meeting. If they know what your topic is, the odds are very strong that they will do some research before you show up for the meeting. Then they will sit with you and patiently show you where and how they found the best sources. And when you forget what they showed you, they will patiently walk you through the search process again.

Second, the librarians honestly enjoy working with public health students.

Public health topics are complicated puzzles. We are never looking for research on one thing, say lung carcinomas. We want to understand health conditions in particular populations in very specific contexts. A general interest on cancer incidence, screening, prevention, and treatment in Tanzania quickly turns into an exploration of the social and economic conditions that shape peoples’ daily lives.

And we rarely stop there, next we are looking at the health system and availability of specialized care or (too often) barriers to care. Looking at the health system turns into an exploration of history, colonialism, and the structural adjustment policies put in place by the World Bank in the 1980s that gutted public investment in health and education. Then we are on to specific populations. Who is at risk? Why are they at risk? What is happening at the local, government, and international level to change the situation? What evidence exists showing that a particular intervention works or is likely to work?

The puzzle is endless, and our librarians are endlessly curious and always willing to help.

 Third, they are always up-to-date on how to navigate the complexities of search engines and search terms

Pubmed and other search engines are always changing in small and large ways. And Google is notoriously secretive about their search algorithms. They know what’s new and they have many tricks for cutting through the inundation of information. Ask them about MeSH terms. They can open new worlds for you.

Fourth, they will help you learn how to use Zotero, Mendeley, and other citation management systems.

They can talk you through the pros and cons of each, help you set up citation watches, walk you through difficulties with Word plug-ins, and more. If you are still doing your citations manually, because Zotero seems to complicated, they won’t laugh at you. Instead they will show you how to save yourself from hours of aggravation.

Just do it. Sign up for the September 14 tutorial and write to them at refquest@bu.edu today.

 

Knowing When to Stop

 

OrangeOwl

Last week I wrote about developing a daily writing practice. I was talking about the many real and perceived barriers that stop professors from sitting down and writing for 15-30 minutes every day. Today I’ll share some thoughts about knowing when to close your laptop, stand-up, and walk away.

Once you finally get into your chair, close your Outlook and Gmail, go through your focusing ritual, and open your document what happens? I often start by reading what I've written so far, sometimes making small tweaks as I go. Once I’ve started doing that, I usually end up losing myself in the process. I start writing where I left off or I find a gap that needs to be filled for the about-to-be-written section to make sense. I often lose track of time and can find myself typing away or hyper-focused on something small like how to word a transition. Either way, I’m in my document. I’m still sitting in Jaho, or in my office, or on my couch. But my thoughts and attention are somewhere else. Getting into that state of flow is wonderful, but I’ve found that the line between flow and stubborn self-abuse can be very fine.

You’re finally writing. You can’t stop now. You did almost nothing. Forget about moving your body and taking that sip of water. Keep going. Accomplish something!! This is the self-talk that keeps me tied to my chair for far too long.

My legs ache, my jaw clenches, and I’m writing, deleting, and rewriting the same unimportant sentence again and again. Once stubborn takes hold, standing up and walking away is harder and harder. I can’t count how many times it’s kept me in my office until 11:00 pm on a Friday night.

Michelle Boyd introduced me to the importance of ending well. End well to make starting tomorrow easier. And Rich Furman taught me how to use a timer, to recognize can’t-get-up, body-cramped refusal to stop for what it is. To not confuse self-abuse with my writing process.

He even suggested that I write a note to myself on an index card. “I have no writing goal. I have a writing process. It is not my job to abuse myself with Draconian writing expectations. My job is to have quality writing sessions.” I’ve been carrying that card around for a year.

If I stop when my orange owl egg-timer tells me that 30 minutes are up, I know where and how to start the next time I sit down. And I walk away feeling virtuous for having done my 30 minutes, without giving the negative voice in my head a chance to tell me all I didn’t do. I don’t always remember to start the timer. I didn’t when I sat down to write this, and I probably spent too much time. So here I am, ending well, before frustration kicks in.

August Writing

It’s August, and it’s usually right around this time that I start getting anxious about all the writing I haven’t done yet. Like many academics, I have fallen too many times into the trap of doing everything but my own writing during the school year. I answer too many emails (though I’m always behind). I sit through hours and hours of meetings. I plan for class and read the writing of students and our Public Health Post fellows.

And I make bizarre excuses for not writing that go something like this: Working on my own writing is an indulgence I can’t afford. I need to respond to those 10-20 urgent emails now. They can’t wait 15 or 30 minutes….

Now, I’m one of those people who walks around talking about how important it is to write for at least 15 minutes 5 days a week. But I haven’t been consistently successful at following my own advice. So, the pressure of not having written lingers, eats into my nights and weekends,  and leaves me feeling vaguely unsettled much of the time.

This past year, I vowed to do things differently and to truly develop a daily writing practice. At the end of last summer, I hired Rich Furman, an incredible writing coach, who I met through my friend and colleague, Sophie Godley.

Working with Rich was one of the smartest professional choices I’ve ever made. He quickly shot down my “writing is a selfish indulgence” plaint. He helped me rethink how I spend my work time. And he reminded me of the importance of developing short rituals that help me block out all the other voices, turn off my Outlook pop-ups, and focus for a pre-set period of time.

Here’s my ritual: I start my workday by walking to Jaho café. I order my mocha and read something pleasurable or inspiring for 5 minutes (usually a book about writing or fiction). Then I get out my lavender or rosemary essential oil and open my laptop. I set a timer for 30 minutes (sometimes I’ll go as short as 15 or as long as 45 but rarely longer). I write (or do something related to a writing project) until the timer goes off. Then I stop.

I’ve been a faithful adherent most days. Since last summer, I started and completed the first draft of a book manuscript, and worked on a number of other projects. Most importantly, I’m learning to enjoy writing, to look forward to sitting down each morning.

I’m heading into August 2021 with that usual melancholy regret that the summer is winding down too quickly. But I’m not beating myself up, and that feels like a big achievement.

Good news! The Public Health Writing Program has New Webpage and Social Media Campaign

The Public Health Writing Program has truly arrived. We've been working hard to support BUSPH students, faculty, and staff for the last six years.

But today marks the beginning of a new era. We are launching a new webpage and social media campaign.  The days of creative Google searches and a lot of clicking to find all the writing resources we offer here at BUSPH are over. Visit our landing page to learn about the mission and scope of the Public Health Writing Program, writing and library workshops, our Peer Writing Coach Program, library resources and tutorials, resources for faculty and staff, and much more.

We want everyone in our community to write every day, to think of writing as a process and a practice (rather than a product). Follow us on Instagram and Twitter for writing tips, inspiration, information about resources, and constant encouragement to stop procrastinating and sit down to write.

I hope you will join us as we embark on this exciting journey. Think. Teach. Write. For the Health of All.

The Public Health Writing Program Has a Blog!

Welcome to the Public Health Writing Program blog, which I have affectionately titled, Think. Teach. Write. For the Health of All. Watch this space for regular updates on events and resources. This is also the place where I will post weekly musings about writing, language, reading, and more.

Let's build a community conversation about what public health writing is, why it’s important to think of writing as a practice and process (not just a product), how to overcome the many challenges we face when we sit down to write, how to get help, and why it’s important to reach out, share your work, and ask for feedback.