QUOTING, PARAPHRASING & SUMMARISING

A. Quoting

Definition
 ‘To quote’ is to reproduce what someone else has previously expressed.

 A ‘quotation’ is the exact reproduction of what someone else has written or said.

 It is important to pay attention to quotation rules, such as the necessity to give the
exact wording of the source that is being quoted and to identify the source.

 Quotations must also be contextualised, properly introduced and identified.

When to Quote?
 The prevalence of quotations differs between disciplines, and writers need to comply
with the conventions of their specific field.

 When used, quotations should be smoothly integrated into the text. Writers need to
make sure that they do not quote too much and too often. A text with an excessive
number of quotations is not only difficult to read; in most cases it also comes across
as lacking in originality.

 If a specific phrasing or term is important, a quotation is the natural choice.

 Quotations are commonly used:-

(i) to clarify or define

Example:

Meerkats, the "foot-tall, slender-tailed, pointy-nosed" little animals that are also
called suricates, belong to the mongoose family (Usborne 2009, p. 7).

(ii) To substantiate a claim

Example:

To back up a statement (that the popularity of meerkats has increased), a quote from
a well-known newspaper is provided. The reputable source adds to the
trustworthiness of the statement, which itself is quite striking, thus adding to the
 effect; Britain is said to have "gone mad" and the animals themselves are referred to
as "upstanding citizens of the Kalahari desert".

* Here, the quotation was chosen because it briefly describes the animal referred to.
The quotation thus functions as a definition of the animal that is being introduced.

How to Quote?
 Since quotations by definition are exact renderings of what someone else has written,
said or otherwise expressed, they must be correctly reproduced. Furthermore, they
must be contextualised, properly introduced and identified.

(i) Quotations must be contextualised

Writers must make sure to quote in a way that does not misrepresent the quoted
text. To contextualise a quotation means to frame it in a way that presents the
correct situation and gives the necessary information for the reader to understand
the quoted piece. Since the reader cannot be expected to know the exact context
of the quotation, the writer must provide the reader with this information in order
to avoid misrepresentation and misunderstanding.

(ii) Quotations must be properly introduced

In order to be fully understood, quotations must be introduced. As stated above, the
function of quotations is often to exemplify or clarify something, and sometimes
writers choose to show the exact wording of a source for some other reason. In any
case, the function of a quotation should be that of illustrating the writer's argument;
a quotation must never be the argument itself. Therefore, quotations must be
introduced, and, preferably, also commented on.
Quotations must never stand on their own in between the writer's sentences, but
should be merged into the writer's sentence in an appropriate manner, for instance
by using reporting verbs/phrases. There are various ways of doing this, and
practices vary between disciplines and reference styles.
 (iii) Quotations must be identified
When a quotation is included in a written text, the source must be given. The
correct procedure for this depends on the reference style used.

B. Paraphrasing

Definition
 ‘To paraphrase’ is to re-formulate in their own words what someone else has
expressed.

 A ‘paraphrase’ (noun) is a rewording of something written or spoken by someone

else, esp. with the aim of making the sense clearer; a free rendering of a passage.

When to Paraphrase?
 A text with too much paraphrasing may give the impression of being too superficial.

 Paraphrases may be preferable if the writer wants to clarify the argument of a

complicated source text.

How to Paraphrase?
 When a text is paraphrased, it is re-written in the writer's own words and proper
references are given.

 If the paraphrase is too close to the source text in wording, syntax and structure, it is
not a proper re-writing, but may risk being classified as patch-writing.

 In two important ways, the same rules apply to paraphrasing as to quoting:

(i) the source must be identified through a properly phrased reference
(ii) the contents (ideas, results, etc.) of the original text may not be altered

C. Summarising

Definition
 ‘To summarise’ means to re-formulate what someone else has written (said, etc.)
in abbreviated form.
  A ‘summary’ is the unique style of the writer processed from the ideas of the original
text.
 Whereas a paraphrase may be of equal length to the source text, a summary is
considerably shorter.
 Just as in quotations and paraphrases, summaries require a reference to the source.

* A note on spelling: 'summarise' can also be spelled 'summarize'. In British English, both
forms are accepted and in American English, the form 'summarize' is used.

When to Summarize?
 Summaries are made when there is a need to condense large units of texts or other
forms of data. In summarising, the main ideas of the whole text (or a large part of it)
are thus reformulated and condensed.

 Summaries may include synopsis of previous research in order to introduce the new
research that is being presented.

 Although summarising is a good way of presenting in brief the contents of a certain

text, theory, interview, etc., it is important to note that in a pure summary, the writer
may only summarise a source, not present any new data or ideas.

How to Summarize?

Step 1: Read
Read the text you intend to summarise carefully. Make sure that you understand the contents
and the author’s argument. If it is a long text, you may need to make notes of or underline
vital passages.

Step 2: Write
If it is a long text, identify the main points and list them. If the text is divided into sections or
chapters, you may wish to focus on that structure when writing your summary. Then write
from memory, summing up each part.
Step 3: Check
Compare your draft with the source text to make sure that your summary catches the essence
of the source text.

Step 4: Revise
If your text is too close to the source text, consider quoting certain passages. Note, though,
that a quotation must be verbatim, that is, the exact rendering of the source text.

Step 5: Give reference

Remember that proper references are needed in summaries, as well as in quotations and
paraphrases.

QUOTING OR PARAPHRASING?

 Below are two examples that illustrate how the same source can be used both in a
quotation and in a paraphrase, and how the effect will differ slightly, depending on the
form of reference that is chosen.
E.g.

The source referred to in both examples is a book from 1839, Sarah Stickney Ellis's The
Women of England: Their Social Duties and Domestic Habits. The extract outlines
Ellis's view of the characteristics of British women:

Quoting Paraphrasing

Example 1

There never was a more short-sighted In looking around, then, upon our “nation
view of society, than that by which the of shopkeepers,” we readily perceive that
women of our country have lately learned by dividing society into three classes, as
to look with envious eyes upon their regards what is commonly called rank,
superiors in rank, to rival their the middle class must include so vast a
attainments, to imitate their manners, and portion of the intelligence and moral
to pine for the luxuries they enjoy; and power of the country at large, that it may
 consequently to look down with not improperly be designated the pillar of
contempt upon the appliances and means our nation's strength, its base being the
of humbler happiness. The women of important class of the laborious poor, and
England were once better satisfied with its rich and highly ornamental capital, the
that instrumentality of Divine wisdom by ancient nobility of the land. In no other
which they were placed in their proper country is society thus beautifully
sphere. They were satisfied to do with proportioned, and England should
their own hands what they now leave beware of any deviation from the order
undone, or repine that they cannot have and symmetry of her national column.
others to do for them.
(Ellis, 1839, pp. 14-15)

Example 2

In her discussion of what she perceives to In her discussion of what she perceives to
be problems of English society at the be problems of English society at the
time, Ellis (1839) argues that English time, Ellis (1839) argues that English
middle-class women "have lately learned middle-class women try to imitate upper-
to look with envious eyes upon their class manners and life-style (p. 15).
superiors in rank, to rival their
attainments, to imitate their manners, and
to pine for the luxuries they enjoy" (p.
15).

* As is seen in the examples below, the paraphrase basically offers the same
information as the example with the quotation, but in the paraphrase, the writer’s own
words have been used instead of a quotation from Ellis's book.