QUOTING, PARAPHRASING, AND SUMMARIZING
Preparing source material for incorporation into your paper
What are the differences among quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing?
These three ways of incorporating other writers’ work into your own writing differ
according to the closeness of your writing to the source writing.
Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of
the source. They must match the source document word for word and
must be attributed to the original author.
Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your
own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source.
Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a
somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.
Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words,
including only the main point(s). Once again, it is necessary to attribute
summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly
shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source
material.
Why use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries?
Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries serve many purposes. You might use
them to…
provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing
refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing
give examples of several points of view on a subject
call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with
highlight a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by quoting
the original
distance yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue readers
that the words are not your own
expand the breadth and depth of your writing
