Quote, Paraphrase, and Summarize

Once you’ve finished your research and are ready to write, you’ll have decisions to make about how to present the research you’ve accumulated. You’ll always need to give credit to others for their ideas, but you don’t always have to present your source’s ideas in the same way. There are three basic modes of presenting evidence and ideas from other sources: in direct quotations, through paraphrasing, or by summarizing. This tutorial will define these three methods of discussing evidence and information, tips and examples for using each method, and guidance for deciding which method is best for a given situation.

Introduction

• A quotation is a direct, word-for-word excerpt from another source. It is denoted by putting the words from another source inside quotation marks.
• Sometimes, you may quote a full sentence, but more often you will lead into a quote using your own introductory language. These transitionary, or signal, phrases allow you to transition smoothly between your own language and the words of a source.
• A direct quote always must be cited. While the specific citation style you use may vary, you will either need to use an in-text or footnote citation. Typically, the citation will include at least the author’s last name and page number.

Quotations: Definition and Use

An author has phrased a particular idea in a way that isn’t possible to rephrase easily or eloquently. You might want to use this particular phrase to prove a point or make an emotional argument.

Quotations: When to Use

There’s something about the author’s specific words that you want to discuss or analyze (e.g., a work of literature, a political speech, a phrase in a law or policy).

As with anytime you utilize another’s words and ideas, you must cite your source. With a quotation, you must be particularly specific, crediting not only the author but also a specific page or, in the case of a website without pages, often a particular paragraph. Check the specifics of your citation style guide (popular guides include APA, Chicago, MLA, and Turabian) to determine the proper citation technique for a quote.

People often use direct quotes as a way to strengthen their credibility by bringing in outside evidence. However, if quotes are taken out of context, they can present outside evidence or viewpoints inaccurately and actually undermine the strength of your argument and your credibility as a writer. For example, a particular political candidate has argued for “raising taxes on the wealthy.” To say she wants to “raise taxes”—implying this would affect all citizens, not just the wealthy, as she stated in full—would be taking her words out of context.

Similarly, avoid long excerpts from a source. Quotes should be used to support your argument, rather than to form the argument itself.

While quotes can be powerful when used appropriately, if you use too many quotes, you won’t be able to show your reader your own voice. Your paper should not only be a collection of other people’s viewpoints.

Quotations: What to Avoid

• Paraphrasing involves phrasing the idea of another person in your own words. You will preserve the meaning of the original text, but use your own words to express the idea.
• You do not need to use quotation marks if you’ve put a source’s idea in your own words; however, you still must cite the source—not citing is plagiarism. Check your preferred citation style guide for specifics on how to cite correctly when using a paraphrase rather than a direct quote.

Paraphrasing: Definition and Use

• Paraphrasing gives you the opportunity to incorporate evidence and ideas without relying too heavily on the exact words of another author. Unless there’s a specific reason why a direct quote would work better, you’ll often want to use paraphrasing instead so that your reader can get a sense of your own voice and understanding of ideas.
• One particular instance to take advantage of paraphrasing is when the original source has valuable information or insights, but for your purposes would benefit from being rephrased in a way that makes them clearer or flow more naturally with the rest of your writing (being careful not to change the original meaning).

Paraphrasing: When to Use

• It’s not enough to preserve the sentence structure of the original source and simply change one or two words or the order of phrases. This sometimes is referred to as patchwriting and can be considered a form of plagiarism. To avoid such a situation, try looking away from the original paper and write down or say aloud what the main idea is. The strategy of looking away allows your mind freedom to put things in your own voice.
• If you’re trying to paraphrase but you end up using almost exactly the same words as the original, it may be better to quote the source, as long as you aren’t overdoing your use of direct quotations overall in your paper.
• Don’t lose track of which ideas come from other sources and your own as you outline and write. Remember, you still are obligated to cite another’s ideas even if you’ve paraphrased rather than quoted.

Paraphrasing: What to Avoid

• A summary is a brief overview of a larger idea or section of text. It is less specific and shorter than the original. A summary may be a succinct description of an idea from one source, or a synthesis of related ideas from multiple sources.
• Difference between paraphrasing and summarizing: Paraphrasing is roughly the same length as the original, while summarizing provides the main ideas of a source or sources, but does not get into the details.
• While you won’t use quotation marks in a summary that you put in your own words, you still need to cite ideas and concepts that come from other sources.
• If you’re summarizing multiple sources, be specific when you cite. If multiple sources have provided you with the same piece of information, you can cite them all at the end of a paragraph. If you’re synthesizing several pieces of information into the same paragraph but different individual facts or ideas came from distinct sources, cite them accordingly.

Summarizing: Definition and Use

• When the main ideas of a text or selection of texts is significant, but the specifics are not needed
• When you are synthesizing ideas from multiple sources
• When you are making a broad argument in an introduction or conclusion to a longer paper, or in a short piece where you don’t have space to get into the details of a specific source or argument

Summarizing: When to Use

If you haven’t provided your reader with enough context on a topic, summarizing an idea may not give them the information they need to truly understand it. Ask yourself if you are including enough detail for your reader to appreciate your point, or if your argument would benefit from additional detail by paraphrasing more specific ideas or providing direct quotations from a source.

While summarizing can be a valuable tool for briefly stating a point, it’s important not to lose the intent of a source. A summary will not contain all the detail of an original source, but it still needs to be consistent with its meaning. In the same way that you should not take a quote out of context, you also should not ignore or omit key information that would change the message the source originally conveyed. For example:

Summarizing: What to Avoid

Now that you know the appropriate occasions to paraphrase, quote, and summarize, you will be able to utilize these tools with confidence as you convey your research in your work. If you are having trouble deciding what method to use to impart information, refer back to the guidelines in this tutorial. For additional assistance, you may seek input from your school’s writing center or a librarian. Good luck!

Conclusion