By: Selena Soto
When we integrate information from our sources into our writing, we usually utilize paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting, and in some cases a combination of all three. Utilizing these three tools in our writing is also important in regards to how we analyze and synthesize our information. Before I go into describing the difference between the three, when to use them, and how to effectively incorporate them into your writing, it is important to explore why we use them in the first place.
We use paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting for a variety of reasons that include (John E. Mayfield Library, 2014):
- Providing support for claims
- Integrating sources into your paper
- Giving examples of several points of view on a subject
- Highlighting and discussing a position that you agree or disagree with
- Including certain points, phrases, sentences, passages, and etc. from one source or multiple sources
- Adding depth to your writing
- Referring to past research that has been done on your topic (Especially important for your lit review section of your paper)
There is a clear difference between paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting but they do share some rules in common if you are going to utilize them. The first rule that they share in common is that when using these three tools you need to reference the original source that you are taking information from. The second rule that they share in common is that when you are referencing the original source that you are drawing information from, you need to include in-text citations in your writing in the appropriate styling format you are being asked to use (Ex. APA, MLA, etc.) If you need to refresh your memory or need some guidance on how to successfully include in-text citations in your writing, I have included a link below to Purdue Owl Writing Lab (OWL), a highly recommended source.
Source: Purdue OWL // Purdue Writing Lab
Below I have included a table that discusses the major difference between paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting that I found on a website and thought was super helpful:
| Quoting | Paraphrasing | Summarizing |
| Taking a direct quote and integrating it into a paper. A direct quote should be enclosed in quotation marks. | Expressing a short passage in your own words. Paraphrasing involves completely rewriting the passage while retaining the meaning. | Expressing a longer excerpt in your own words. Summarizing involves conveying the main ideas and main points of the source material. |
(Table from Custom Essay Meister, 2019)
Paraphrasing
You should paraphrase in your writing: (George Mason University The Writing Center, 2021):
- As another option to quoting or to avoid the over use of quotes
- To rewrite someone else’s ideas without changing the meaning
- To support claims in your writing and when you want to report numerical data or statistics (common in APA style writing)
How to paraphrase (The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center, 2021):
- Read the text carefully and make sure you understand the main ideas and points of the text
- After you have read the text, put it aside, and write out the essential information in your own words
- Explain why the paraphrase is important
Example (University of Connecticut Library Guides, 2020):
- People who are naturally morning people have been shown to also display traits that are considered proactive, and late risers display fewer of these traits because they don’t get enough sleep on days when they have to go to work or school. (Randler, 2009, p. 2793).
(Replacing a few words and not writing it in your own words is considered plagiarism)
For more information on the Do’s and Don’ts of Paraphrasing check out the link below:
Source: How to Paraphrase: Dos, Don’ts, and Strategies for Success | Scribendi
Summarizing
You should summarize when (George Mason University The Writing Center, 2021):
- A passage from a source is too long to quote or paraphrase
- To establish background information or an overview of a topic
- When you want to describe knowledge (from several sources) about a topic
How to summarize (The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center, 2021):
- Read the text and highlight the main points
- Reread the text and make notes of the main points, leaving out examples, evidence, etc.
- Without the text, rewrite your notes in your own words. Include the main idea at the beginning of the summary and include all the main points, conclusions, and final findings of the work.
Example (University of Connecticut Library Guides, 2020):
Original Source:
- These results suggest that morning people, or early chronotypes—as measured on the morningness–eveningness continuum are more proactive than are evening types. Additionally, the misalignment of social and biological time, as assessed by the difference between rise times on weekdays and on free days, correlated with proactivity, suggesting that people with a high misalignment of social and biological time may be less able to act in a proactive manner, probably because of sleep delay. Their biological schedules seem not to fit neatly into social demands (e.g., school, university, work schedules) as do those of less misaligned people.
(Randler, C. (2009). Proactive people are morning people. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39(12), 2787-2797.)
Summarized Version:
- Recent research shows that people who are not naturally early risers often have persistent issues adjusting themselves to the morning-oriented schedule of most schools and workplaces, and because of this may be less proactive in their behaviors (Randler, 2009).
Quoting
You should use quoting in your writing when:
- You are introducing the position of author of a source that you want to discuss
- When you want to include a particular point or statement that was made that you don’t want to express or can’t express in your own words.
Use the ICE method (Introduce, Cite, and Explain) method when you are quoting (The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center, 2021):
- Introduce your quotation by identifying who said it or where it came from and add a signal verb (Ex: Stated, Argued, etc.)
- Cite the phrase or words you are using with quotation marks and proper in-text citation in the expected formatting style (Ex: APA, MLA., etc.)
- Explain the importance of the quote you are using. Consider what this information is adding to the points you are trying to convey.
Example (APA format):
- As stated (Signal Verb) by Cormac McCarthy in his 2006 novel The Road: “You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget” (p. 12).
I hope that this this was helpful and here is a friendly reminder that YOU GOT THIS!!!
Reference (In APA Format):
Inc, S. (n.d.). How to PARAPHRASE: Dos, DON’TS, and strategies for success. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/how_to_paraphrase.en.html
Custom Essay Meister. (2019). Quote vs paraphrase vs summary. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://www.customessaymeister.com/blog/quote-vs-paraphrase-vs-summary
George Mason University.(n.d.). When to summarize, paraphrase, and quote. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/when-to-summarize-paraphrase-and-quote
John E. Mayfield Library. (2014). Online library workshops: Quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://nscc.libguides.com/Onlineworkshops/quoting
The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center (n.d.). Quoting, paraphrasing, & summarizing.Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/quoting-paraphrasing-summarizing
University of Connecticut. (n.d.). Understand citations: Quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/understandcitations/integrating
