When writing a paper, vary the way in which you use researched information. You should not use only direct quotes. However, in order to avoid plagiarism, you must properly cite the source when using any information that is not your own. 

• Paraphrasing
• Summarizing
• Plagiarism

HOW TO PARAPHRASE (TOP)

1. To paraphrase, use your own words and sentence structure. However, the intent of the original passage must remain the same, which means that the writer does not distort the author’s meaning with his/her own opinions.

2. A paraphrase should be approximately the same length as the original.

Sample Passage:

“It is not necessary to be an expert to appreciate good chocolate, and if someone truly prefers their Hershey Bar or Cadbury’s Dairy Milk over a high-cocoa dark chocolate, it does not make them a peasant” (Richardson 237).

Paraphrase Example:

People do not have to like expensive dark chocolate over a Hershey Bar because a love of good chocolate does not have to be something only for experts; a person’s preference does not make him or her a member of the lower class (Richardson 237).

Explanation:

Notice how the paraphrased example not only changes the vocabulary of the original passage but also completely restructures the sentences. It’s not enough to just use a thesaurus.

HOW TO SUMMARIZE (TOP)

1. Like a paraphrase, a summary puts the original passage into the writer’s own words and sentence structure without changing the meaning.

2. Since a summary shortens the original passage and focuses on its main points, partial quotes may be used along with the writer’s own words in order to highlight critical information.

Sample Passage:

“The fact is, a large number of chocolate companies do not even make their own chocolate, but commission specialist manufacturers to provide it to their own recipe. Only the large and extremely well established companies--the likes of Lindt, Cadbury, Nestlé or Hershey--make their own chocolate; the rest, who are known as ‘coaters’ in the industry, buy their chocolate mix or ‘couverture’ from companies such as Barry Callebaut of Belgium or Nestlé, and use it to coat the fruit, fondant, toffee or nut centres of their chocolates. The product is by no means inferior: even a premium chocolate manufacturer like Godiva can be a ‘coater’” (Richardson 232-3).

Summary Example:

In most cases, smaller chocolate manufacturers do not produce their own chocolate but receive materials from “specialist manufacturers” that they use to coat their own products (Richardson 232-33).

Explanation:

In our example, the much larger passage is condensed to less than half of the original and, again, puts the information in new words and structure while also incorporating a small quote from the original passage.

PLAGIARISM (TOP)

Plagiarism occurs when a writer does not correctly cite the source and/or does not correctly paraphrase/summarize the information from the original source. Therefore, writers must carefully use information in order to avoid plagiarizing. To avoid plagiarism indicate the source of your information through in-text citations.

Sample Passage:

“Chocolate did not remain a South American secret for long. A few years after Columbus, in 1520, Hernando Cortes, leader of the Spanish invasion of Mexico, spent time at the court of Montezuma, king of the Aztec, and was reportedly struck by the post-prandial practice of drinking golden chalices of chocolate, poured from one vessel to another to create a frothy head” (Richardson 218).

Example of Plagiarism:

Chocolate did not remain a South American secret for long because Hernando Cortes was reportedly struck by the practice of drinking golden chalices of frothy chocolate.

Explanation:

Over half of the words used in this example are directly lifted from the original passage. Without the use of quotation marks AND proper citations, this is a clear cut example of plagiarism.

Note: The punishment for plagiarism in an academic setting is often severe and inflexible. Great care should be taken in order to effectively paraphrase/summarize to avoid any possibility of plagiarism. That being said, never be afraid to ask your professor or a writing center tutor if you have any questions about your paraphrasing or summarizing.