Little Memorial Library: English 101/102 Research Guide: Use Information

Quote, Summarize or Paraphrase:

Quote, Summarize or Paraphrase?

When writing a research paper, you will be asked to include support for your arguments using sources, such as books or journal articles. In order to refer to information from these sources, you can (1) quote exact words, (2) paraphrase specific ideas, or (3) summarize the entire work. These three options for referencing a source can be useful in different situations, depending on the information being used, its length and clarity, and your purpose for incorporating it. Below, the differences between quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing are described.

Explanations

Quoting

Quoting a source means that you directly use a source’s words to convey their point. The quote text/wording should appear exactly as it does in the source being used, although you may use ellipsis or brackets to indicate any changes you make in order to make your sentence grammatically correct. Remember that you must put quotation marks around all quoted material. Quotes are most useful in situations when the author’s exact wording is important, or when you feel that the author’s wording is clear and concise.

Sample Quote

You would use a quote in a research paper like this:

As she reflects upon her transformation into a poet in her memoir Lit, Mary Karr explains, “I'd spent way more years worrying about how to look like a poet -- buying black clothes, smearing on scarlet lipstick, languidly draping myself over thrift-store furniture -- than I had learning how to assemble words in some discernible order” (Karr 97).

Here, a quote is used to stress Karr’s explanation of her experience in her own words. A citation is needed to refer the reader to the page where this exact quote was located in Karr’s text.

Summarizing

Summarizing a source means that you capture the overall point or main idea of a source. For example, you might summarize an entire movie’s plot or a book’s major theme. Summarizing is particularly useful for condensing “big picture” ideas into a discussion of the work in general and in its entirety.

Sample summary

You would summarize an author's work in a research paper like this:

In her 2009 memoir Lit, Karr exposes her struggles with alcoholism, an unfulfilling marriage, and an unhappy childhood as she reveals her attempts to heal and make peace with her past.

Here, a summary is used to explain the plot and central themes of the entire memoir in an abbreviated fashion. Because the author and title of the work are mentioned in the sentence, no citation is needed for this summary.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing a source means that you use your own words to discuss a specific source’s idea. This is often useful in situations when you can state this idea more clearly or concisely than the source has. For paraphrasing, strive for brevity while capturing the idea of a sentence or paragraph’s point (think “smaller picture,” local ideas). For example, instead of quoting a whole paragraph, you might paraphrase the main idea in the paragraph in a sentence or two.

Sample paraphrase

You would paraphrase an author's work in a research paper like this:

Reflecting upon her new career as a struggling writer, Karr explains that she was more concerned with physically resembling a poet than working on her writing (97).

Here, a paraphrase is useful because it describes the same idea that the author intended, but it clarifies the point for a reader who may not be familiar with Karr’s work. It also shortens the sentence significantly. A citation is needed for this paraphrase because it refers to a specific section in the text that has been restated differently.

After looking at the tabs on quotes, summaries, and paraphrases, use the chart below to determine whether or not you have chosen the proper method for using a source’s ideas, and to ensure that you have accurately done so.

Quote	Summary	Paraphrase
The author’s exact wording is significant to the reader’s understanding of their idea.	The work is being referenced as a whole.	The author’s exact wording is not significant to the reader’s understanding of their idea.
The author’s quote states the idea clearly and concisely (i.e. it cannot be significantly shortened or clarified by rewording).	Central ideas are being referenced that cannot be isolated to a small range of pages.	The author’s quote can be made more clear and/or concise by rewording and restructuring it.
The author’s exact wording is retained the quote when it is incorporated into the paper.	The summary offers a general, “big picture” explanation of important ideas, plot points, or themes in the source under discussion.	The author’s exact wording is significantly changed when it is incorporated into the paper, and the sentence structure itself is altered. (Paraphrase involves more than changing one or two words).
A citation is used to reference the author and page number from which the exact words were obtained.	The summary includes an in- text reference to the author’s name and the source’s title.	A citation is used to reference the author and page number from which the idea was obtained.