Copyright, Fair Use, Citations, Paraphrasing and Footnotes: Paraphrasing

The online Britannica Dictionary defines paraphrase as, "a statement that says something that another person has said or written in a different way." The American Heritage Dictionary goes a little further, explaining that the paraphrase often has a different purpose that the original, which helps guide the ways in which the text is reworded. At this point, definitions begin to differ; some suggest that paraphrased text is often shorter than the original while others recommend the paraphrase is a similar length. Either way, it's important that the meaning of the paraphrase should be consistent with the original author's intent, even if the paraphrase may focus on only the specific details that the researcher needs to prove her thesis.

According to Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL), "quotations must be identical to the original" and in writing are always indicated through the use of quotation marks. However you should be very thoughtful before deciding to use direct quotations, especially in a history paper where they should be reserved for things like statistics, primary sources, or uniquely beautiful or powerful language. Pay special attention to things like lists, which can be very hard to paraphrase. When in doubt, you can always use direct quotations, but you may want to consider whether you really need to include everything in that list -- if it doesn't prove your thesis, a paraphrase of just selected parts might be better.

Last but not least, summarizing refers to creating an overview of the original author's points but in a form that is much shorter than the original, and usually does not include any of the specifics or examples. 

ALL of these writing strategies -- paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing -- require that you cite your original source! Each citation style guide (APA, Chicago, MLA) has slightly different instructions on how to format those citations, but forgetting to cite the original is plagiarism, an honor violation.

Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) has provided an easy list of SIX STEPS that will help you paraphrase effectively, to which we've added some helpful Harpeth Hall tips:

1. Reread (or rewatch) the original material as much as necessary to be sure you truly understand its meaning and context. If using NoodleTools notecards and the original is online, copy and paste the original into the "Direct quotation" box and be sure there are quotation marks around the text.
2. If possible, try to write your paraphrase without looking at the original. In NoodleTools notecards, this would go in the "Paraphrase or summary" box.
3. Think about HOW you plan to use this material to prove your thesis. In NoodleTools notecards, you can make a note in the "My Ideas" box.
4. Now review the original and compare it to your paraphrase to double-check that you retained the original meaning but used your own words.
5. Make sure any exact terms or direct quotations are designated with quotation marks.
6. Cite your source! Be sure to LINK your NoodleTools notecard to the correct source.

Paraphrasing is an essential skill in research. It allows you to build on the scholarship of others so that you can add your own arguments to the ongoing scholarly conversation. It allows you to create a smoother argument that is not cluttered by overquoting. However, you must always follow the ECFS Upper School Academic Integrity Philosophy and Policy as outlined in the school handbook and give credit to the original author from whom you learned your information, otherwise your audience may think that idea or that research is your own -- that would become plagiarism, or stealing someone else's work, which is a serious violation.