Paraphrasing and summarising
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Academic Integrity
Paraphrasing and Summarising
Paraphrasing and Summarising
This section will help you get on top of paraphrasing by examining what, why and how to paraphrase.
Getting on top of it
- What?
- Why?
- How?

Paraphrasing and Summarising
Paraphrasing is not producing a direct copy of other persons’ ideas or work.
Paraphrasing is re-writing another person’s words so that the original meaning of their idea is maintained, but the structure and words you use are quite different to theirs.
Paraphrasing is not this:
This is more like it:


Paraphrasing and Summarising
When you paraphrase, the words and structures you use should sound like something you would normally say or write. Therefore, paraphrasing is…
- Presenting the ideas and information of others in your own voice
- Not necessarily presenting the original text in an elaborate way, but in a way that flows with your expression
- If you want to write very closely to the original text, then you may need to consider whether it’s worthy of a direct quote – or if you have to work more at expressing it in your own voice.
Paraphrasing and Summarising
Paraphrasing occurs while appropriating information from the texts that you read, processing and filtering that information through your own perspective, and then incorporating that information into your own writing.
The Writing from sources component of the Understanding section of this program explains this in further detail.
Writing from sources
Click on the Writing from Sources link in the right-hand menu.

Academic Integrity
So how do you paraphrase? The activity provided here examines unacceptable and acceptable forms of paraphrasing.
Click on the Activity 1 link on the right-hand side of this screen to begin the activity.
Paraphrasing and Summarising
When paraphrasing make sure you do not just swap a few words or sentences here and there. The whole structure of the passage you are paraphrasing needs to change.
Paraphrasing is NOT…
- Just changing words from the original
- Keeping identical sentence structure
- Transferring ideas sentence per sentence.
Paraphrasing and Summarising
Always keep in mind what you are paraphrasing and why.
How does the point relate to your assignment as a whole? Always thinking about this will help you decide what to paraphrase, what to quote directly and what to leave out.
- What you choose to paraphrase from the original is CLOSELY related to your assignment argument
- Remember WHY you are taking these ideas and information from the original text – to support your main idea – your argument.

Paraphrasing and Summarising
Why not just use direct quotations? Paraphrasing is more difficult, so why bother to do it? Research has demonstrated that students overuse quotations in their research papers. Learning to paraphrase will demonstrate that you have absorbed the ideas of others, but have also thought carefully about what they mean.
“Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.”
(Source: Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47 in http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/ )
Paraphrasing and Summarising
Paraphrasing is not summarising.
Summarising is when you give an overview of the author’s key ideas as a whole, or provide an overview of a topic.
A summary is usually shorter than the original piece of writing. It might state the ideas of a paragraph in one simple sentence.
A summary tells you about the whole passage.
For example:
Original:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
Summary:
Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester 1976, 46-47).
(Source: Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/ )
Paraphrasing and Summarising
When you paraphrase you need to think about another person’s words and how and why they relate to your thesis statement. If you paraphrase well, you will not only demonstrate that you have understood the original content to your lecturer or professor, you will also be demonstrating that you know how it relates to your ideas.
- You might be excited to find evidence to support your argument – the Thesis Statement
- Your lecturer, however, is excited to see that you have understood the evidence you use to support your viewpoint.
- Good paraphrasing shows this understanding!
Paraphrasing and Summarising
When to quote rather than paraphrase
Sometimes it is better to quote directly rather than paraphrase. Quoting is useful when you feel the author’s exact words really support your argument. Or if you feel their words make a point in a particularly striking or memorable way. But remember that if you overuse quotations from a source, that author’s words will lose their power.
Quoting directly can be used when:
- You want to add the power of an author’s words to support your argument
- You want to disagree with an author’s argument
- You are comparing and contrasting specific points of view
- You want to highlight particularly powerful or effective phrases.
Paraphrasing and Summarising
When to paraphrase (most of the time!)
Try to paraphrase much more frequently than quoting directly from a source. This will build up your thinking and processing of the topic, as you will not just be copying words down automatically.
Paraphrase when:
- You want to use your own “voice” to present information
- You want to incorporate the author’s ideas into your own writing
- You want to avoid over-quotation!
Don’t forget to always reference your work – both within the essay or paper and at the end of it in the form of a bibliography.
Academic Integrity
Activity Two Practise distinguishing between quotes, paraphrases and summaries.
It is important that you can easily distinguish between a quotation, a paraphrase and a summary.
To practise that skill, click on the Activity 2 link on the right-hand side of the screen.
Linking paraphrases, quotations and summaries to your own ideas.
This next section will examine how you link paraphrases, quotations and summaries to your own ideas smoothly and effectively in your writing.
Paraphrase
Quotations
Summaries

How do you link the ideas of others to your words?
Once you have completed your quotation, summary or paraphrase, how do you link the ideas of others to your ideas?
There are two ways in which to do this. They are called the authorial prominent link and the information prominent link.
Authorial prominent
Information prominent


Authorial prominent
As the name implies, the author stands out!
Use the authorial prominent style to link your ideas to another person’s when the author is a leader in your field, saying something quite different to other people on the subject or offering a contrasting view to others.
When using the authorial prominent linking style place the author’s name near the beginning of your sentence. Make sure you reference their work correctly as well.
In this example, the date of the relevant work is placed after each name, though referencing styles may differ according to the system you are using.
Although Parsons (1981) strongly promotes methods of classroom discipline, Johnson (2008) gives clear evidence that “constructively managed controversy” has a positive effect on the learning that takes place in the classroom.
When: Choose this style for a particular reason:
- When the author is seminal or famous– if this author says it, it must be good!
- This author is saying something quite different from most others
- You want to contrast differing viewpoints of authors.
Information prominent
Use the information prominent style most of the time in your writing. It is particularly useful when you are using more than one source of evidence.
When using this style, put the quote or paraphrase first and then place the author’s name at the end of the sentence.
Don’t forget to include page numbers when you quote and when you paraphrase.
When: Try to write MOST of your citations in this style Use this style if using more than one source of evidence
How: Put the quote or paraphrase first and place the author’s name at the end of the sentence:
For example:
Stereotyping can lead to patronising, sexist labelling (Kaye 1994; Williams 2009).
(note: For some referencing styles, you need to put the page number, if available, for paraphrase– not just for quotations: check your referencing style guide for this.)
Making connections
There are many different ways to make connections between your idea and the ideas of others.
These include:
- stating the view of another, by using words like ‘According to…’
- Talking about the view of another when there is a bit of confusion about that view: ‘Smith’s claim seems…
- Agreeing with the view of another by saying ‘As (the author) says…’
- Disagreeing with the view of another. To do this you can use words like ‘In contrast to…’
- stating the view of another, by using words like ‘According to…’
- Drawing a conclusion using the work of another. Here you mention their work: ‘From Carlson’s conclusion…’ and then add ‘it can be argued…’
- Point out assumptions by beginning sentences like this: ‘The assumption on which this depends…’
- And finally, to state your own position by saying things like: ‘The perspective presented here is…’
(note: you must always put the year of publication in brackets next to the author’s name)
How writers include citations
Look at your literature readings to see how other writers include citations in their work.
Examine this extract.
Extract:
The key to success with diverse students is finding ways to provide them with the amounts and forms of instruction that they need in order to succeed in mastering the curriculum. Shepard (1991) articulated a theoretical perspective for planning appropriate instruction for diverse student populations: recognise that intelligence and reasoning are developed ability and learning-to-learn strategies are largely context specific, and that learning is a constructive process.
(Adapted from Good & Brophy 2000, Looking in Classrooms. 337).
Choosing verb tense when connecting ideas
Choosing the correct verb tense for words linking your ideas to others’ is also important.
Most of the time, you should use the present tense for any verbs that link your work. The present tense makes your argument stronger and more direct, as seen in these examples.
Examples:
Multicultural experiences, although initially challenging, enrich lifelong learning (Gregson, 2010).
Patterson (1971) demonstrates that rote learning has a crucial role when combined with other forms of learning.
Choosing the past tense
There are some situations where you should choose the past tense for any linking verbs.
These include situations where you are writing about something that happened in the past, where you disagree with the author, or where an author’s view is unusual or not commonly held.
For example:
Although Ausubel (1964) stated that learning via memorisation is an exercise that brings about little learning, Patterson (1971) claims that rote learning has a crucial role when combined with other forms of learning.
Other useful sites
Finally, when working on your paraphrasing, quoting and summarising skills, you may also find these websites handy.
- Academic Integrity at Curtin: Student Guidelines for Avoiding Plagiarism. Office of Assessment, Teaching and Learning. Curtin University of Technology 2010.
http://academicintegrity.curtin.edu.au/global/ checklist.cfm - Endnote: Does the mechanics of referencing for you!
http://libguides.library.curtin.edu.au/home
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Text version
This section will help you to get on top of paraphrasing by examining what, why and how to paraphrase.
What is paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing is not producing a direct copy of another persons’ ideas or work.
Paraphrasing is re-writing another person’s words so that the original meaning of their idea is maintained, but the structure and words you use are quite different to theirs.
Paraphrasing is?
When you paraphrase, the words and structures you use should sound like something you would normally say or write.
Therefore, paraphrasing is…
- Presenting the ideas and information of others in your own voice.
- Not necessarily presenting the original text in an elaborate way, but in a way that flows with your expression.
- If you want to write very closely to the original text, then you may need to consider whether it’s worthy of a direct quote – or if you have to work more at expressing it in your own voice.
Where paraphrasing fits into the Bigger Picture
Paraphrasing occurs while appropriating information from the texts that you read, processing and filtering that information through your own perspective, and then incorporating that information into your own writing.
The following ‘Writing from sources’ diagram explains this in further detail.

How to paraphrase – step by step sample: An extract from your research notes
So how do you paraphrase? The following activity examines unacceptable and acceptable forms of paraphrasing. Begin by carefully reading the following extract…
“Many membrane peptides and proteins exhibit potent antimicrobial and antibacterial activities. They achieve this function by rupturing the cell membranes of the target organism. Antimicrobial peptides are produced by many animals, including humans, as an innate immune response against bacteria, fungi, and virus. The membrane-bound structure of the peptides gives insights into how they destroy the membrane. For example, a peptide bound to the surface of the lipid bilayer most likely destroys the membrane by micellization, while a peptide inserted into the bilayer probably kills the cell by forming pores.” (Hong 2006, 1)
Next, make little notes on different sections of the extract, stating what each part is doing. This step is quite useful when you are trying to paraphrase very dense or complex academic language.

Now examine paraphrase number one below. Do you think it is acceptable? Why/why not? Membrane peptides and proteins have strong antimicrobial and antibacterial activities. They do this by breaking apart the cell membranes of the target organism. Antimicrobial peptides arise from many animals, including humans, as a natural immune response against bacteria, fungi, and virus. The membrane-bound structure of the peptides suggests how they destroy the membrane. A peptide bound to the surface of the lipid bilayer most likely destroys the membrane by micellization, while a peptide inserted into the bilayer probably kills the cell by forming pores. Paraphrase number one is not acceptable and would be considered to be plagiarism.Some words have been changed in the original, but the sentence structure and order of ideas remains the same as the original. The last sentence is a direct quotation from the original, but the author has not been acknowledged. No reference has been given for the extract as a whole piece of work either. |
Now examine paraphrase number two below. Is this acceptable? Membrane peptides and proteins have strong antimicrobial and antibacterial activities. They do this by breaking apart the cell membranes of the target organism. Antimicrobial peptides arise from many animals, including humans, as a natural immune response against bacteria, fungi, and virus. The membrane-bound structure of the peptides suggests how they destroy the membrane. “A peptide bound to the surface of the lipid bilayer most likely destroys the membrane by micellization, while a peptide inserted into the bilayer probably kills the cell by forming pores” (Hong 2006, 1). Paraphrase number two is a slight improvement on number one, but it is still an example of plagiarism and, therefore, is still not acceptable. Some words have been changed, and the last sentence is quoted and acknowledged. But the sentence structure and order of ideas remains the same and referencing has not been provided for the entire paragraph. |
Read paraphrase number three carefully. Is it plagiarism?![]() |
Another example of paraphrasing
Compare these two examples of writing. Note down similarities and differences between the two. What has been changed? What remained the same?
Original:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
Paraphrase:
In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level, or less than 10% of the paper. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim.
(Source: Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/ )
Try it yourself! A paraphrasing exercise
Test out your paraphrasing skills.
Begin by carefully reading the following passage.“There has been a dramatic increase in the number of Australian children taking an interest in cooking in the last two years. Researchers speculate that this may be due to the rising popularity of reality based television cooking shows aimed at a young audience. These shows often feature children who are very skilled at preparing, cooking and presenting food. The shows present the idea that the levels of skill such children possess in the kitchen can be reached by any child, as long as they are determined and have family support. Cooking products and games have also started to line the shelves of toy stores. These products are frequently packaged so as to reinforce their links to the popular television shows and the promise of success and celebrity status such shows confer upon the child who cooks.” (McGuinness, 15, 2011)After you have read the above passage, do the following:
In this last exercise, did you:
If you did all of these things, (and you remember to always reference the original correctly) then you have paraphrased successfully! You can try this exercise in your own reading and research. |
Paraphrasing is NOT...
When paraphrasing make sure you do not just swap a few words or sentences here and there. The whole structure of the passage you are paraphrasing needs to change.
Hence, paraphrasing is not…
- Just changing words from the original
- Keeping identical sentence structure
- Transferring ideas sentence per sentence.
Note!
Always keep in mind what you are paraphrasing and why.
How does the point relate to your assignment as a whole? Always thinking about this will help you decide what to paraphrase, what to quote directly and what to leave out.
What you choose to paraphrase from the original is CLOSELY related to your assignment argument
Remember WHY you are taking these ideas and information from the original text – to support your main idea – your argument.
Why paraphrase? Why not just use direct quotations?
Why not just use direct quotations? Paraphrasing is more difficult, so why bother to do it?
Research has demonstrated that students overuse quotations in their research papers. Learning to paraphrase will demonstrate that you have absorbed the ideas of others, but have also thought carefully about what they mean.
“Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.”
(Source: Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47 in http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/ )
Paraphrasing is not summarising
Paraphrasing is not summarising. Summarising is when you give an overview of the author’s key ideas as a whole, or provide an overview of a topic.
A summary is usually shorter than the original piece of writing. It might state the ideas of a paragraph in one simple sentence.
A summary tells you about the whole passage.
For example
Original:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
Summary:
Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester 1976, 46-47).
(Source: Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/ )
Why paraphrase?
When you paraphrase you need to think about another person’s words and how/why they relate to your thesis statement.
If you paraphrase well, you will not only demonstrate that you have understood the original content to your lecturer or professor, you will also be demonstrating that you know how it relates to your ideas. Also…
- You might be excited to find evidence to support your argument – Thesis Statement
- Your lecturer, however, is excited to see that you have understood the evidence you use to support your viewpoint.
- Good paraphrasing shows this understanding!
Quoting - when to quote rather than paraphrase
Sometimes it is better to quote directly rather than paraphrase.
Quoting is useful when you feel the author’s exact words really support your argument. Or if you feel their words make a point in a particularly striking or memorable way. But remember that if you overuse quotations from a source, that author’s words will lose their power.
Quoting directly can be used when…
- You want to add the power of an author’s words to support your argument
- You want to disagree with an author’s argument
- You are comparing and contrasting specific points of view
- You want to highlight particularly powerful or effective phrases.
When to paraphrase (most of the time!) and when to summarise
Try to paraphrase much more frequently than quoting directly from a source. This will build up your thinking and processing of the topic, as you will not just be copying words down automatically.
When to paraphrase (most of the time)
- You want to use your own “voice” to present information
- You want to incorporate the author’s ideas into your own writing
- You want to avoid over-quotation!
Don’t forget to always reference your work – both within the essay or paper and at the end of it in the form of a bibliography.
Always remember to reference – in-text and end-list.
When to summarise
Summarise when you want to write about the background of a topic, or to give a quick overview of its history.
You should also summarise when you want to bring together several researchers’ ideas about a topic. Hence, summarise when…
- You want to establish the background to a topic
- You want to offer an overview of a topic
- You want to describe common knowledge from several sources about a topic
- You want to communicate the main ideas of a single source.
Again, always remember to reference – in-text and end-list.
Practise distinguishing between quotes, paraphrases and summaries
It is important that you can easily distinguish between a quotation, a paraphrase and a summary. The following exercises will allow you to practice that skill.
Practice activityTest your ability to distinguish between a quotation, a paraphrase and a summary. Begin by reading this extract. Extract: Now compare these three statements to the previous extract.
Which one is a direct quotation? Which one is a paraphrase? Which one is a summary? Answers:
You would need to reference all three of these in your own writing. |
How do you link the ideas of others to your words?
Once you have completed your quotation, summary or paraphrase, how do you link the ideas of others to your ideas?
There are two ways in which to do this. They are called:
- Authorial prominent
As the name implies, the author stands out!Use the authorial prominent style to link your ideas to another person’s when the author is a leader in your field, saying something quite different to other people on the subject or offering a contrasting view to others.When using the authorial prominent linking style place the author’s name near the beginning of your sentence. Make sure you reference their work correctly as well.In the example above the date of the relevant work is placed after each name, though referencing styles may differ according to the system you are using.Although Parsons (1981) strongly promotes methods of classroom discipline, Johnson (2008) gives clear evidence that “constructively managed controversy” has a positive effect on the learning that takes place in the classroom.
- Information prominent
Use the information prominent style most of the time in your writing. It is particularly useful when you are using more than one source of evidence.When using this style, put the quote or paraphrase first and then place the author’s name at the end of the sentence.Don’t forget to include page numbers when you quote and when you paraphrase. For example:
Stereotyping can lead to patronising, sexist labelling (Kaye 1994; Williams 2009). Note: For some referencing styles, you need to put the page number, if available, for paraphrase – not just for quotations: check your referencing style guide for this.
Paraphrases, quotations and summaries to your own ideas
This next section will examine how you link:
- paraphrases,
- quotations, and
- summaries
to your own ideas smoothly and effectively in your writing.
When citing sources, you can…
There are many different ways to make connections between your idea and the ideas of others. These include:
- Stating the view of another, by using words like ‘According to …’
- Talking about the view of another when there is a bit of confusion about that view: ‘Smith’s claim seems…
- Agreeing with the view of another by saying ‘As (the author) says…’
- Disagreeing with the view of another. To do this you can use words like ‘In contrast to…’
- Drawing a conclusion using the work of another. Here you mention their work: ‘From Carlson’s conclusion…’ and then add ‘it can be argued…’
- Point out assumptions by beginning sentences like this: The assumption on which this depends…
- And finally, to state your own position by saying things like: ‘The perspective presented here is…’
Note: You must always put the year of publication in brackets next to the author’s name.
Have a closer look at your literature readings – note how authors move to and from a citation
Look at your literature readings to see how other writers include citations in their work.
Examine this extract:
The key to success with diverse students is finding ways to provide them with the amounts and forms of instruction that they need in order to succeed in mastering the curriculum. Shepard (1991) articulated a theoretical perspective for planning appropriate instruction for diverse student populations: recognise that intelligence and reasoning are developed ability and learning-to-learn strategies are largely context specific, and that learning is a constructive process.
(Adapted from Good & Brophy 2000, Looking in Classrooms. 337).
Choosing verb tense when you connect ideas is also important - Present or Past
Choosing the correct verb tense for words linking your ideas to others’ is also important. Most of the time, you should use the present tense for any verbs that link your work. The present tense makes your argument stronger and more direct, as seen in these examples.
Examples:
Multicultural experiences, although initially challenging, enrich lifelong learning (Gregson, 2010). Patterson (1971) demonstrates that rote learning has a crucial role when combined with other forms of learning.
However, choose the past tense when ...
There are some situations where you should choose the past tense for any linking verbs. These include situations where you are writing about something that happened in the past, where you disagree with the author or where an author’s view is unusual or not commonly held.
- Writing about a phenomena (something that happened)
- You disagree with the author
- When it’s a ‘one-off’ finding and not in accord with most accepted other viewpoints.
For example:
Although Ausubel (1964) stated that learning via memorisation is an exercise that brings about little learning, Patterson (1971) claims that rote learning has a crucial role when combined with other forms of learning.
Finally – other useful sites!
Finally, when working on your paraphrasing, quoting and summarising skills, you may also find the following websites handy.
Academic Integrity at Curtin:
Student Guidelines for Avoiding Plagiarism. Office of Assessment, Teaching and Learning. Curtin University of Technology 2010.
http://academicintegrity.curtin.edu.au/
EndNote:
Does the mechanics of referencing for you!
http://libguides.library.curtin.edu.au/
PDF version
Follow the link to view the ‘Paraphrasing and summarising’ pdf version.
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