Chapter 6 focuses on reading rhetorically and not purposefully. When reading purposefully, as the reader we have a goal in mind about our reading. When we read rhetorically, we begin to think about the context in which the article or book was written: Who it was written for, who is was written by and who the intended audience is. When reading, we should first quickly read over the text to discover the main point, then we should look further into it and look for the details. According to the book, the reader should be able to clearly explain the point of the text after reading it. If the reader can not state what they read, then they did not read enough of the text to fully understand it. The next thing discussed is paraphrasing, quoting and when to use them. When paraphrasing, you summarize the authors ideas and thoughts in your own words. When paraphrasing, you must also provide a citation of the text from which you received the information. When quoting an author, you must use quotation marks at the beginning and the end of the quote. Also, just as you did with paraphrasing, you must also provide a citation from which you received the information.
Chapter 7 says there are four things that you do with information you gather: Verify, copy, respond and fill in the gaps. When verifying, you are making sure that the source from which you received the information is a valid resource. When you copy information, you are using verified information towards your project. When you respond you discover what questions it answers and also what other questions it may bring up with new information provided. Lastly, filling in the gaps is gathering any information you need in order to create a valid statement or argument.
Sometimes it is difficult to know when you should quote someone or paraphrase something they have said. I knew the difference before the two when I read chapters six and seven but now I know more about them and how to purposefully use them in my writing. Learning how to use verifying, copying, responding and filling in the blanks as a resource to better papers was a definite learning experience from the two chapters.
