1. Why use quotations and paraphrases?
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 or depth of your writing

2. How do I know whether to quote or paraphrase?
Remember that quoting should be done only sparingly; be sure that you have a good reason to include a direct quotation when you decide to do so.
For paraphrasing it will be helpful to follow these steps:
Read the entire text, noting the key points and main ideas.
Summarize in your own words what the single main idea of the article/paragraph is.
Consider any words, phrases, or brief passages that you believe should be quoted directly.

3. Did you know?
Only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material.

4. Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...
it is sometimes better than quoting information from a passage containing difficult wording.
it helps you control the temptation to quote too much.
the process required for successful paraphrasing helps you to understand the full meaning of the original.

5. 5 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
1. Reread original passage until you understand its full meaning.
2. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase.
3. Check your version against the original to make sure that it accurately expresses all the essential information BUT uses different sentence structure and language.
4. Use quotation marks to identify any unique term you have borrowed exactly from the source.
5. End your sentence(s) with a proper citation.

6. Some examples to compare…
The original passage:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
Diana Browning Wright, Teaching and Learning Trainings, 2003

7. Some examples to compare…
A plagiarized version:
Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many of them in the final research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of source material copied while taking notes.
Diana Browning Wright, Teaching and Learning Trainings, 2003

8. Some examples to compare…
The original passage:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
A plagiarized version:
Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many of them in the final research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of source material copied while taking notes.
Diana Browning Wright, Teaching and Learning Trainings, 2003

9. Some examples to compare…
The original passage:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
A legitimate paraphrase:
In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim.
Diana Browning Wright, Teaching and Learning Trainings, 2003

10. REMEMBER: Unintentional plagiarism is still plagiarism!
To use sources correctly, observe the following guidelines:
• Give credit to your sources - follow the rules for proper MLA documentation.
• If you quote an author, even if you are only borrowing a single key word, you need to use quotation marks and provide the proper citation.
• When paraphrasing, rewrite borrowed material in your own style without altering the essential ideas of the original source. Merely rearranging the sentence or plugging in synonyms is unacceptable. (you just saw this )
• Whenever you borrow information that is not common knowledge, you must credit your source with correct parenthetical documentation. (In-text citation)

11. The more effort you put in at this beginning phase, the easier and less time-consuming will be all the subsequent tasks!
• Take your time and work carefully when creating your Note Cards. They are the building blocks of your paper, and they will either “make” your paper, or “break” it.
*** You might have numerous citations from some sources, and only one citation from others. That is O.K. Just remember, if you include a source in your Works Cited, you MUST cite it in your paper. Conversely, if you cite a source in your paper, you MUST include it in your Works Cited.