Re-circulation (Forwarding)

Joseph Harris states that writing is “often described as a conversation.” Forwarding is recirculating writing or highlighting parts of a text for the consideration of others (Harris, 36). Forwarding is a “public exchange” in which comments are not intended as a direct response to the original author, but rather for an outside audience of other readers. Forwarding occurs when a writer takes parts of a text and “put[s] them to use in new contexts” (Harris, 37). You are essentially rewriting a text with the use of key concepts and phrasings. The focus of forwarding is on “where you are headed as a writer” and “what you’re doing with your materials” (Harris, 52).

The four types of forwarding include illustrating, authorizing, extending and borrowing. Illustrating is using a text to help make a point, authorizing is using the text to support a claim, borrowing is taking the ideas or terms from a text, and extending is putting your own spin to a text. It is likely that forwarding will occur in more than one way. Many people use various strategies to advance their own projects. For example, in research essays, writers often use all of these strategies as a way of taking research to support and create their own ideas. I am even forwarding at this moment in time. I am taking Harris's ideas, quoting them (borrowing), and expanding upon them (extending). 

An example of forwarding can be seen in these two articles below: 

2 Important Strategies for Effective Studying - What Study Strategies make the grade? 

The article that I first came across was "2 Important Strategies for Effective Studying." This article took ideas from the first: "What Study Strategies make the grade?" In the first article, the author, John M. Grohol uses block quotes from the original article to support his ideas. He is "borrowing" ideas and text to therefore "authorize" his claims. Grohol is addressing the same issues as Janice Wood does, but expands on certain areas of the text and excludes others. 

We "forward" things everyday in this age of technology and social media. It is so easy for us to read something and forward or share it to the public with our own feedback and additional comments on the original idea.