Like a summary, a paraphrase is written in your own words; but whereas a summary reports significant information in fewer words than in the source, a paraphrase restates the information in roughly the same number of words. A successful paraphrase also uses a sentence structure that’s different from the original’s. If you retain occasional choice phrases from the source, use quotation marks so that later you will know which phrases are not your own.

As you read the following paraphrase of the original source, notice that the language is significantly different from that in the original.

ORIGINAL SOURCE

A question that is often posed to the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) is “How much debris is actually out there?” The MDP has recognized the need for this answer as well as the growing interest and value of citizen science. To that end, the MDP is developing and testing two types of monitoring and assessment protocols: 1) rigorous scientific survey and 2) volunteer at-sea visual survey. These types of monitoring programs are necessary in order to compare marine debris, composition, abundance, distribution, movement, and impact data on national and global scales.

—NOAA Marine Debris Program. “Efforts and Activities Related to the ‘Garbage Patches.’” Marine Debris, 2012, pm22100.net/docs/pdf/enercoop/pollutions/noaa-plastiques.pdf.

ORIGINAL SOURCE WITH ANNOTATIONS

PARAPHRASE

Source: NOAA Marine Debris Program. “Efforts and Activities Related to the ‘Garbage Patches.’” Marine Debris, 2012, pm22100.net/docs/pdf/enercoop/pollutions/noaa-plastiques.pdf.

Citizens concerned and curious about the amount, makeup, and locations of debris patches in our oceans have been pressing NOAA’s Marine Debris Program for answers. In response, the organization is preparing to implement plans and standards for expert study and nonexpert observation, both of which will yield results that will be helpful in determining the significance of the pollution problem (NOAA Marine Debris Program).

USING SOURCES RESPONSIBLY: If you paraphrase a source, you must still cite the source.