On 5/24/08, Relata Refero refero.relata@gmail.com wrote:
On Sun, May 25, 2008 at 3:15 AM, SlimVirgin slimvirgin@gmail.com wrote:
On 5/24/08, Relata Refero refero.relata@gmail.com wrote:
The point remains: do you think that close paraphrases are sometimes necessary? If so, do you think that such paraphrases can be, ont the average, re-written without reference to the source so that they do not alter meaning? These are not questions that require specific examples.
A good copy editor should be able to change a text without changing the meaning. In very contentious articles, it's unfortunate that close paraphrasing (to the point of copying word for word) or quoting is often necessary throughout the entire text. It means those articles often look like lists of quotations, with no narrative flow at all.
I know some such copy-editors, but they are far from being the norm, which explains my concern.
What I meant to add is that the "list of quotations" articles are impossible to copy edit, and even if you try, you'll be instantly reverted. As a result, our most contentious pieces are often nothing more than, "A said X, while B said Y, but C did not concur, adding that Z."