Introduction
“Birds flying high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by, you know how I feel
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life for me, yeah
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day” (Newley & Bricusse, 1964)
The excerpt above can be regarded as an example of quotation and not paraphrasing since it represents the exact, literal transcription of the words of a song, arranged in the same order. The identified phenomenon is the prime example of a citation and, therefore, needs to be formatted and referenced as such. Thus, it must be considered as copying the lyrics instead of using paraphrasing techniques.
By definition, paraphrasing implies that, while leaving the meaning of a particular excerpt intact, one uses different wording and structure to render a particular idea (Walden University, 2015). Therefore, for the piece provided above to be regarded as paraphrasing, one must ensure that no parts are copied from the source.
Main body
Naturally, avoiding using the same words is barely possible since replacing them with synonyms or restructuring a sentence is not always a possibility. However, even when borrowing a particular word or phrase from a certain source, one must make sure that the borrowed piece is either referenced accordingly (“Introduction to scholarly writing: Purpose, audience, and evidence,” 2015). The sequence of three or more words that match the original either exactly or partially is deemed as plagiarism unless referenced respectively. The specified standards are crucial for maintaining academic integrity and giving credit to the authors of a referenced source.
The concept of scholarly writing might seem extremely complex, yet it, in fact, is composed of a set of rather basic and understandable ideas. Similar to any other writing, an academic one needs to have its purpose, audience and supporting evidence. Although in a broad sense, contributing to the development of existing theories and knowledge can be regarded as the primary objective of any academic writing, scholarly papers vary extensively in their purposes (“Introduction to Scholarly Writing: Finding a Scholarly Voice,” n.d.). For example, an academic paper may be aimed at comparing specific concepts and ideas, defining a particular phenomenon, establishing a cause-and-effect connection, etc.
Conclusion
The purpose is, perhaps, the crucial component of any scholarly writing since it defines the rest of its elements to a considerable degree. For example, depending on the goals of its author, a paper may address different types of audiences. As a result, the choice of evidence-based on which the key argument will be built is going to be rather specific. For example, when addressing different factors affecting the development of diabetes in patients, one may provide information for a general audience, in which case the paper must be structured in a coherent and simple way. The use of complicated terminology should also be avoided. When writing a paper on the topic of diabetes for scholars to use as a reference in their research, one will have to use primary research as references, incorporate a well-thought-out methodology as the foundation for the analysis, etc. Thus, scholarly writing is a rather intriguing concept. It helps explore the nature of a certain phenomenon, carry out an analysis, and develop a coherent argument. Therefore, it must be deemed as a crucial way of communicating academic ideas.
References
Introduction to scholarly writing: Finding a scholarly voice. (n.d.). Web.
Introduction to scholarly writing: Purpose, audience, and evidence. (2015). Web.
Newley, A., & Bricusse, L. (1964). Feelin’ good [Recorded by N. Simone]. On I put a spell on you [CD]. New York City, NY: Philips.
Walden University. (2015). Online writing center. Web.