BIOL 315L Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy

These three ways of incorporating other writers' work into your own writing differ according to the closeness of your writing to the source writing.

Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author.

Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.

Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s). Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material.

From Purdue OWL

A paraphrase is...

• Your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form.
• One legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source.
• A more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea.

6(+1) Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

1. Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
2. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card or scrap paper.
3. Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
4. Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
5. Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
6. Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.
7. Be careful when paraphrasing technical language. Sometimes it is possible to simplify technical language, but you may not be able to paraphrase technical language. Be careful not to erode the meaning of the original passages or to use alternative terms that do not mean the equivalent.

From Purdue OWL

Elements of Summaries:

• Sufficiently expresses the content without representing the content of the article.
• Take a wide passage (or an entire article) and condenses it into a few sentences.

Mark E. Eberle "Paraphrasing, Plagiarism, and Misrepresentation in Scientific Writing," Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 116(3-4), 157-167, (1 January 2013)