Summarizing, Paraphrazing &
Quoting
(Note-Taking)
English 203
Using & Acknowledging Sources
• When you use other people’s ideas in your own
writing, you are normally expected to do one of
three things: summarize, paraphrase, or quote
each idea you incorporate. In all cases, you are
required to acknowledge your sources. You also
need to avoid certain misconceptions about
summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting.
Otherwise, your work may be considered
plagiarized. Check the AUB policies for students
(Student Code of Conduct).
Summarizing
• Misconception 1: You may include your opinion
in a summary.
• Wrong: Though expressing your opinion
articulately is an important skill, it is
unacceptable to carelessly mix your ideas with
those of your sources. If you do, you confuse
your readers as to which ideas are yours and
which are your sources. When you summarize,
do so objectively, keeping the ideas you take
from sources clearly distinct from your own
ideas.
Summarizing
• Misconception 2: A summary has to be 20-30%
of the length of the original.
• Wrong: Not necessarily. A summary may range
in length from one sentence (such as a thesis
statement) to one third of the length of the
original, and possibly more, depending on the
purpose and the amount of detail required.
Summarizing
• Misconception 3: People summarize only
written texts (entire articles, books, etc.)
• Wrong: Depending on the purpose (as in
research) you may summarize parts of a source,
ranging from details (such as sentences, or even
phrases) to an entire work and that work need
not be a written text. You may summarize
visuals such as figures and tables- as well as
movies, radio broadcasts, etc.
Paraphrasing
• Misconception 1: When you use your
own words, you do not have to name the
source. It is only when you quote that you
do .
• Wrong: You have to acknowledge the
source of any idea that is not yours, no
matter what form you express it in.
Paraphrasing
• Misconception 2: The number of words
in a paraphrase is exactly the same as
that of the original.
• Wrong: When you paraphrase, you
change sentence structure, not just
vocabulary, so the paraphrase maybe
shorter or longer than the original.
However, the length would be roughly the
same as that of the original.
Paraphrasing
• Misconception 3: The number of sentences in
a paraphrase is exactly the same as that of the
original.
• Wrong: You are working on the level of ideas,
not sentences. You may combine or split
sentences as you see fit.
Quoting
• Misconception 1: The more you quote
the better.
• Wrong: Quote only memorable or concise
language or authoritative ideas that help
support your own ideas.
Quoting
• Misconception 2: It is not important to
name the source as long as you use
quotation marks.
• Wrong: Just like in summarizing and
paraphrasing, you are expected to clearly
identify the source of each quotation.
Quoting
• Misconception 3: All you have to do is
place quotation marks around the phrase
or sentence.
• Wrong: Avoid free-standing quotations.
Use an effective introductory phrase and
proper punctuation. Use ellipsis when you
remove part of a text and square brackets
when you change a word or phrase inside
the quotation.
Additional Links
• Purdue resource on Summarizing,
Paraphrasing and Quoting
• Video (9 mins): Research Papers Paraphrasing