Quoting

Avoid using direct quotes in your paper. They are problematic because (a) meaning can be altered when authors’ words are taken out of context; (b) another author’s writing style may not fit the writing style of your paper; (c) direct quotes give no indication that you understand the source, nor does it help the reader understand the source; (d) direct quotes can be distracting to the reader and break the flow of your paper. It is not necessary to use any direct quotes in a paper. If used at all, quotes should be limited to the following:

- discussing the way an author expressed his or her ideas,
- presenting a controversial or disputed statement,
- conveying precise technical data or directions,
- rhetorical effect, to introduce or emphasize a point.

Paraphrasing

Perhaps paraphrasing is best defined by what it is not. Changing or omitting a few words of another author’s statements in order to avoid a direct quote is not paraphrasing; it is, to be blunt, a form of plagiarism. Readers are led to believe that you are presenting your understanding of another author’s words, when in fact you are using that author’s actual words (mostly). Paraphrasing requires that you express ideas in your own terms. Of course, you will use some of the same terminology as the original author.

If you are writing about corporate downsizing, for example, you can’t avoid that term. However, if you simply parrot the original author’s sentence structure, style, and diction, then you are not paraphrasing. Here’s a strategy for paraphrasing: Read a section of the text you plan to reference, put the text aside, and write your own interpretation in your own words. If you can’t do it, you need to reread the text for better understanding before you try again. Sometimes reading aloud is helpful.