Term Paper

Is it permitted to to copy an author biography without any paraphrasing?

You can copy directly from previously written text, as long as you give proper attribution. You need to cite the original author, the source of the material, the year it was written, and so on.

It's only a problem if you don't make it clear that it was written by someone else, in terms of copyright.

Now, whether that is what your teacher is looking for is another matter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ucef

Is it permitted to to copy an author biography without any paraphrasing?

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NOT A TEACHER


(1) May I add some words to the moderator's?

(2) When you get time, look up the word "plagiarism."

(3) Some famous writers here in the United States have gotten into

big trouble because they copied words from other books and did not

give credit to those other authors. Sometimes they paraphrased the

words a little and sometimes they just copied them word for word.

(3) If your teacher wants you to write a biography of someone, I

most respectfully suggest that you read several books about that

person -- not just one book. Then you should write what you learned

in your own words and say where you got the information. To make the

report more interesting, it is fine to copy some words directly from the

books but -- of course -- put them in quotation marks. You should

learn how to use footnotes. This will make your research paper look

very professional. It will impress your teacher, who will surely give

you a good mark.


Respectfully yours,


James

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barb_D

You can copy directly from previously written text, as long as you give proper attribution. You need to cite the original author, the source of the material, the year it was written, and so on.

It's only a problem if you don't make it clear that it was written by someone else, in terms of copyright.

Now, whether that is what your teacher is looking for is another matter.

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How can I mention the source within the text??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ucef

How can I mention the source within the text??

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You could do it like this:
"How can I mention the source within the text?" (ucef, Using English, 17th May 2011)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bhaisahab

You could do it like this:
"How can I mention the source within the text?" (ucef, Using English, 17th May 2011)

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In fact the author's biography is four pages.
1-Do I have to enclose the whole text within quotation marks?
2-Do I have to mention the source in the beginning or at the end?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ucef

In fact the author's biography is four pages.
1-Do I have to enclose the whole text within quotation marks?
2-Do I have to mention the source in the beginning or at the end?

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That is far too much text to quote. That would cross beyond the realms of fair use. I thought you wanted to use a paragraph or two, at the most.

What is the purpose of this? Why do you need to provide such a great deal of information about this writer?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barb_D

It's only a problem if you don't make it clear that it was written by someone else, in terms of copyright.

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I don't think copyright is the issue in a term paper. It's plagiarism that needs to be avoided. The term paper is extremely unlikely to be published, and perhaps only one teacher will ever read it.

The OP can correct me if it is really copyright that he's worried about.