Paraphrasing and Direct Quoting

Comparing, Paraphrasing, and Direct Quoting

Paraphrasing
- Does not match the source word for word
- Involves putting a passage from a source into your own words
- Changes the words or phrasing of a passage, but retains and fully communicates the
original meaning
- Must be attributed to the original sourse
Direct Quoting
- Matches the source word for word
- Is usually a short port of the text
- Cited port appears between quotation marks
- Must be attributed to the original source
Source: University of New South Wates (https://student.unsw.edu.au/paraphrasing-
summarising-and-quoating)
Examples of Paraphrasing, and Direct Quoting
Original Passage
What is plagiarism? In minor cases, it can be the quotation of a sentence or two, without
quotation marks and without citation (e,g.. footnote) to the true author. In the most serious cases,
a significant fraction of the entire work was written by someone else but the plagiarist removed
the author(s), name(s) and substituted his/her name, perhaps did some re-formatting of the text,
then submitted the work for credit in a class (e.g., term paper or essay), as part of the
requirements for a degree (e.g., thesis or dissertation), or as part of a published article or book.
Paraphrase
According to standler (2012), plagiarism can occur in small cases, which happens when small
parts of a passage are used without enclosing them in quotation marks and citing the author. It
can also occur in more grave situations, In these instances, big chunks of the original text are
used. There are changes in the format, but the original author is not attributed to and the work is
claimed as the plagiarist’s own and submitted to comply with academic requirements or as a part
of a material for publication.
Direct Quotation
Standler (2012) states that plagiarism can be “the quotation of a sentence or two, without
quotation marks and without citation (e.g., footnote) to the true author” (p.5)
When to use Paraphrasing, and Direct Quoting
Paraphrasing
- Paraphrase a short text with one or two sentences or a paragraph with a maximum of five
sentences.
- Paraphrase when you want to
a. Avoid or minimize direct quotation; or
b. Rewrite the author’s words by not changing the message or use your own
words to state the author’s ideas.
Direct Quoting
- Quote a text that conveys powerful message or will show less impact if it is paraphrased
or summarized (e.g., Constitution, government documents, philosophies, monograph, or
other scholarly materials).
- Quote directly when you want to
a. Beg in your discussion with the author’s stand; or
b. Highlight the author’s expertise in your claim, argument, or discussion.
Guidelines in Paraphrasing
1. Read the text and understand its meaning. Do not stop reading until you understand the
message conveyed by the author.
2. Use a pen to underline or highlight the key words or main idea of the text.
3. Recall the key words or main idea of the text that you highlighted when you read it.
4. Write in your own words what you understood about the ideas in the text.
5. Get the original text and compare it with your paraphrase.
6. Check the meaning. Remember, your paraphrase should have the same meaning as the
original text.
7. Check the sentence structure. The sentence structure of your paraphrase should be
different from the original text.
8. Refrain from adding comments about the text
9. Compare your output to the original text to ensure its accuracy and remove redundant
ideas.
10. Record the details of the original source (author’s name/s, date of publication, title,
publisher, place of publishing, and URL [if on-line]).
11. Format your paraphrase properly. When you combine your paraphrase in a paragraph, use
different formats to show variety in writing just like in summarizing.
Guidelines in Direct Quoting
1. Copy exactly the part of the text that you want to use.
2. Use quotation marks to show the beginning and ending of the quote.
3. Record the details of the original source (author’s name/s, date of publication, title,
publisher, place of publishing, URL [if on-line] and page number/s). Indicating the page
number/s is necessary in citing source in quoting.
4. Format your quotation properly, If your direct quotation is at least 40 words, it should be
indented. Look at the example below.
In his article ”Poverty in the Philippines: Income, Assets, and Access,” Schetiz (2005) suggests a
list of causes of poverty.
(1)Low to moderate economic growth for the past 40 years; (2) low growth elasticity of poverty
reduction; (3) weakness in employment generation and the quality of jobs generated; (4) failure
to fully develop the agriculture sector; (5) high inflation during crisis periods; (6) high levels of
population growth; (7) high and persistent levels of inequality (incomes and assets), which
dampen the positive impacts of economic expansion; and, (8) recurrent shocks and exposure to
risks such as economic crisis, conflicts, natural disasters,, and environment poverty (p. 2).

However, when your direct quotation is below 40 words, it should be presented as part of the
text. Check the example below.
To address economic issues, Scheliz (2005) recommended that there is a need to “(1) enhance
government’s strategy and involve key sectors for a collective and coordinated response to
poverty; and (2) sustain efforts for economic and institutional reforms” (pp. 80-81).