To quote or not to quote?...that is the question

I continue to see some of you struggle with knowing when to paraphrase information in a source and when to quote the information directly. I thought I would include the guidelines we discussed below. 

Quoting means to copy exactly what is written including exact punctuation marks and spelling--essentially copying and pasting from a text. Use it only when you have good reason.

When to use it? 

• when there is something inspiring and meaningful
• with statistics and information that are not considered common knowledge 
• when something is said by an important expert or authority you want to recognize
• to include especially moving or historically significant language
• to present a particularly well-stated passage whose meaning would be lost or changed if paraphrased or summarized

Paraphasing and Summarizing means to put information in your own words. When you paraphrase you are keeping the length about the same. When you summarize you make the information significantly shorter than the original. Most of your information from this project should be paraphrased or summarized!

When to use it?

• When what you want from the source is the idea expressed, and not the specific language used to express it
• If you can express in fewer words what the key point of a source is

      6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

1. Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
2. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on your note card.
3. Check your paraphrase with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
4. Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
5. Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

Example

Adapted from University of Wisconsin-Madison, A Guide to Historical Research through the National History Day Program, and 

the OWL at Purdue University

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

Whether you're quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing your sources, all ideas that are not your own must be cited in order to avoid plagiarism!