Research Skills: Citing for Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

It is no secret that the internet has made a lot of things easier for the modern student. Research no longer involves card catalogs at libraries and the frustration of not being able to find certain academic articles. Paper writing happens almost exclusively on laptops and computers, and citing the research is as easy as pushing a button. Still, it is important to know the basics of research: the difference between quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing; the type of citation for each of these and why properly citing is important; and finally, the consequences of improper citations.

Quotations, according to Purdue Owl, “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” (Driscoll). These are not to be overused, as they are directly lifted from the original text. They should be in quotes – which indicate that the words are attributed to an author other than the paper writer – and the name of the author should follow in parenthesis if operating in MLA format. Either way, the author must be credited on a bibliography or works cited page.

Paraphrasing is the smallest departure from the original quote. It is basically putting one’s own spin on the material. Purdue Owl calls defines paraphrasing as “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” (Driscoll). In this case, parenthesis are still necessary so that readers can refer to the works cited page in order to see the original thought in its original format.

The largest departure from the original quote is summarizing. While the paper writer is still using their own words, they are only looking for the main points, not the passage in its entirety. Again, for the sake of clarity, Purdue Owl says, “Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material” (Driscoll). Even though it is the paper writer’s own words being put on the page, it is still necessary to attribute the idea itself to the original author. This is a mistake often made by students unfamiliar with citing as they confuse the fact that they have significantly shortened a work into their own words with creating the original words themselves.
Academia is interested in protecting the ideas of others in all of their forms. Researchers and article writers can work for years on an article or book, and the ideas – unless otherwise cited, of course – are completely their own. It is their career, their livelihood, to create original ideas that contribute to an ongoing conversation of their chosen topic. It is important to cite sources for the benefit of the original creators as well as for the integrity of undergraduate paper writers that could potentially end up in Academia themselves one day.
Most colleges have disciplinary actions in place for academic dishonesty, which of course includes failing to cite a source or plagiarism. According to the Maricopa Community College site, these disciplinary actions include probation, suspension, or expulsion from the college all together depending on the degree and frequency of the dishonesty (MCC). It should be noted that most colleges have resources available to students such as writing labs that will assist students in learning to properly cite sources.

Works Cited

Driscoll, Dana L., and Allen Brizee. "Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing." Purdue University Online Writing Lab. Ed. Caitlan Spronk. N.p., 15 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01/>.
"2.3.11 Academic Misconduct." Maricopa Community College. Ed. Danay Bell. N.p., 24 Jan. 2008. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.