MLA Formatting

REMEMBER…

Generally speaking, there are three ways to integrate sources into a research paper – summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting.  First, it is important to understand the difference between these three things:

SUMMARY – A relatively brief objective account, in your own words, of the main ideas in a source or a source passage.

PARAPHRASE – A restatement, in your own words, of a passage of text.  Its structure reflects (but does not copy) the structure of the source passage, and may be roughly the same length as the passage, but does not use exact wording. 

QUOTE – Using the exact words of a source. 

àYou will want to summarize and paraphrase most often in your research paper, using direct quotes sparingly.  Putting source material in your own words shows readers that you have a true understanding of that material.  Also, to restate in your own words the full meaning of a phrase or passage helps readers understand difficult, complex, jargon-riddled or ambiguous passages.  Such passages, if quoted, will still require extensive explanation in order to be understood.

SUMMARY - To write a summary or paraphrase, first read and reread your source until you understand exactly what it is saying. Write down the relevant information from the source. At this point you may still be using phrasing and language from the source. So next, rewrite this information into your own words and sentences so it becomes a coherent part of your paper written in your own style.
Remember, do not include your own ideas or commentary in the body of the summary or paraphrase. You should introduce a summary or paraphrase, then give your own ideas that show the significance of that summary or paraphrase afterward. You don't want your reader to become confused about which information is yours and which is the source's. And you always have to document summaries and paraphrases since the ideas are not your own.

DIRECT QUOTES

1. Always have a good reason for using a direct quote.  Otherwise, paraphrase or summarize.

2. Do not allow quotes to speak for themselves.  Your research paper is ultimately about communicating YOUR IDEAS.  Your research simply helps prove or support those ideas.  So, you should not just string other peoples ideas together giving quote after quote.

3. Always make sure you provide an analysis of the quote.  Show your readers that you understand how the quote relates to your ideas by analyzing its significance. 

4. Do not use quotes as padding.  This is related to tips 1, 2 and 3.  Very long quotes will require long explanations of their significance.  If quotes do not have adequate analysis, readers will feel that you don’t have a grasp on what that quote means, and they also might feel that you are using quotes as “filler” to take up space.