Knowing and improving paraphrasing skills of Mexican college students

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-05-2017-0042
Pages490-502
Date10 October 2017
Published date10 October 2017
AuthorJesus Cortes-Vera,Thelma J. Garcia,Alan Gutierrez
Subject MatterLibrary & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services
Knowing and improving
paraphrasing skills of Mexican
college students
Jesus Cortes-Vera,Thelma J. Garcia and Alan Gutierrez
Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
Abstract
Purpose This study aims to develop both an activity and an instrument to support college students
learningof the proper waysto paraphrase.
Design/methodology/approach This study used a participatory action research approach, consisting of
four phases. A survey was used to collect information, as well as a rubric to evaluate studentscompetencies in
paraphrasing, before and after an educational intervention activity. The tools were designed by the authors.
Findings The ndings suggest that students only have a partial understanding of the elements that are needed
to write an adequate paraphrase, despite the declared importance in academic dialogue by the majority of them. The
ndings also suggest that a short-range intervention can help students develop their skills in paraphrasing.
Research limitations/implications This research was conducted mostly with a small group of rst-
year college students and a professor they have known for a year. Therefore, a level of trust had been
established. This trust relationship is necessary to achieve a participatoryaction in an unscheduled activity.
Only some of the major resultsare presented.
Originality/value Little actual research has been conducted on college studentsperception on
paraphrasing and its importance,as well as on their abilities to paraphrase, especially in the Latin American
context. This study demonstrates the usefulness of a short-rangeintervention that can be easily applied in
any course or informationliteracy program.
Keywords Participatory action research, Information literacy, Plagiarism, Paraphrasing,
Writing and reading, Writing centers
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
This paper summarizes the ndings of a participatory action research (PAR) study,
where rst-year Mexican college students were evaluated, using custom-made
diagnostic tools that measured both their perceptions and competency in regards to
paraphrasing. These students were assessed both before and after a paraphrasing
workshop. The aim of this study was to see if the intervention helped to improve their
paraphrasing abilities.
The university where the research was conducted is located in Northern Mexico, in the
border city of CiudadJuarez, right across from El Paso, TX. It is a publicuniversity with two
campuses: one located in the north, and the other located in the south of the city. The
research took placeon the South campus.
The students selected for this study ranged between ages 18 to 26. According to the
indicators of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), most of them
belong to the middle class (Instituto Nacionalde Estadística y Geografía, n.d.). The students
are enrolled in the Teaching of English program; to get intosuch a program it is necessary
to master the four communicationskills (listen, speak, read and write) both in English and in
Spanish.
ILS
118,9/10
490
Received22 May 2017
Revised26 July 2017
Accepted26 July 2017
Informationand Learning Science
Vol.118 No. 9/10, 2017
pp. 490-502
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-05-2017-0042
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2398-5348.htm

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