Learning how to summarize, paraphrase properly, and use quotes are essential skills in academic and other forms of writing. At the very least (and probably most importantly), using the skills properly can help writers avoid plagiarism. Proper use also allows students and other writers to avoid bulky writing and allows for more flexibility in writing. Lastly, my favorite reason for learning such skills is that summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting will enable the writer to incorporate sources into writing and provide the reader with information about the original source should he/she/they want to look at it. It is a win-win.
Summarizing
Summarizing can help a writer take large chunks of information and provide an overview for the reader. This skill is handy when there is a need to break a large document down into smaller, bite-sized chunks of information. For example, if I have a 20-page peer-reviewed journal article(highly credible, by the way), I cannot hand it to the reader and say read this. The writer’s job is to break down the source inside the essay or other document where the writer incorporated the source.
Ultimately, summarizing takes out the main points of a larger body of work. See? Simple.
Paraphrasing
If you, the writer, have not come across paraphrasing, you are in for a treat. Paraphrasing is a rewording of a passage of relatively equal length. Okay, so are we stealing? Nope.
You can easily see academic sources discuss paraphrasing, and as a researcher, I must protest how many sources teach it. It is one of the best skills to have as a research writer as it allows you (the writer) to communicate to the reader in a way that is easier to understand. Many sites will show a side-by-side view of one phrase or short section of content, and the paraphrasing is so similar that it makes me cringe! Let’s look at using an easy-to-understand paraphrase to help the reader.
The example was taken from the following article: Click here or copy/paste the link: https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/34934/1/SN06988%20%28redacted%29.pdf)
Original phrase/passage:
“Common mental disorders (CMD) include different types of depression and anxiety, panic disorder, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. One in six people aged 16+ reported having symptoms of a common mental disorder in the week before being surveyed” (Baker, 2020, p. 4).
Paraphrased version:
In one mental-health-related survey, Baker (2020) found that high numbers of people over 16 experienced mental health symptoms a week before participating in the survey.
Comments on the example:
Here’s the thing – the above paraphrase takes the bulk out and tells the reader that those surveyed had some mental health issues leading up to the survey time. So, it maintains the original meaning minus specifics.
- Can it be worded differently? Yes.
- Does context (of your essay or other writing) matter? Yes. So, keep in mind that changes may be needed based on content around your paraphrase and your audience.
Quoting
Quoting is an exact copy of a sentence or sentences incorporated to add to the understanding of the essay or other writing. For the most part, quoting should be minimal, even in researched writing. I tell students in my college courses to keep quotes to around 10% of the total writing and avoid block quotes (long quotes) like the plague. I stand by that.
If you find yourself doing research and feel that you must quote, make sure that there are no other options (such as paraphrasing). Do not misunderstand. There is a place for quoting, but this copy/paste method should be strategically placed and highly relevant to the discussion.
There is one critical aspect of quoting – cite the source. For example, I pulled out a statistic from the document listed above. Here’s how it would look formatted correctly in APA based on how the author wrote the sentence/paragraph.
Quoting Example:
“Waiting times for NHS psychological therapy (IAPT) vary from 4 days to 61 days in different parts of England” (Baker, 2020, p. 3).
Easy Peasy
So, it’s easy to summarize, quote, and paraphrase. So, go forth and conquer!
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