You should paraphraseinformation instead of using a direct quote when the information that you’re sharing with your readers is more important than the original source’s style of writing.
Use paraphrases to share facts and statistics from outside sources. In this situation, the original author’s wording is less important than the information. Paraphrasing helps you maintain your own writing voice.
Use direct quotes from outside sources in these situations:
When the information is worded so creatively that you can’t express the author’s full intended meaning by paraphrasing
When your purpose is to analyze another piece of writing (e.g., a poem or novel), in which case, direct quotes are evidence of the writer’s style, word choices, or use of literary devices
You can paraphrasea source without plagiarizing by following both of these steps.
Write the information in your own words without using the same phrases and sentences from the original source.
Give credit to the source you paraphrased with an in-text citation. For example, APA citations for paraphrases should include the author and year of publication.
Paraphrase a source without plagiarizing exampleSentences from the original source: Approximately 63 percent of survey participants from Generation Z (born in 2000 or later) stated that they do not drink coffee at all.
APA style paraphrase: According to Ridder (2023), almost two-thirds of adults born after 2000 reported that they never drink coffee.
If you need help paraphrasing a source without plagiarizing, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can reword excerpts from outside sources. QuillBot’s free Plagiarism Checker will help you find paraphrases in your writing that need in-text citations.
Paraphrasing plagiarism happens when someone paraphrases an outside source in a piece of writing without giving credit to the original source.
When you paraphrase ideas from outside sources in your own words, you must show where that information came from in order to avoid plagiarism. Sentences that have paraphrased information should include in-text citations.
An in-text citation includes the author’s name at a minimum, and depending on the citation style you’re using, it might include other elements such as a year of publication or a page number.
For example, APA in-text citations for paraphrases should include the author and year of publication.
Paraphrasing plagiarism example
According to a recent survey, nearly half of dog owners in the U.S. said that they are unlikely to purchase pet insurance in the near future.
According to Megna (2024), nearly half of dog owners in the U.S. said that they are unlikely to purchase pet insurance in the near future.
You can avoid paraphrasing plagiarism by using QuillBot’s free Plagiarism Checker to look for paraphrases in your writing that need citations.
“Et al.” means “and others.” It is used to save space in in-text citations when citing a source with three or more authors; you use it after the first author’s name in place of the remaining names.
To create an APA in-text citation for a source with an unknown author, use the title of the text in place of an author’s last name. Italicize the title of books, but use quotation marks around the title for articles and chapters.
If there are two authors, separate their names with an ampersand (&). If there are three or more authors, list the first author’s name, followed by “et al.” Do not include a comma between the first author’s name and “et al.”
Regardless of the citation style you use, every source you reference in your academic writing should be cited correctly. QuillBot’s Citation Generator can help you cite sources correctly, and our online Plagiarism Checker can help ensure your writing is free of accidental plagiarism.
Chicago style still permits the use of “ibid.,” but the use of short notes is preferred. In either case, the choice to use “ibid.” or short notes should be consistent.
In any case, every source you reference in your academic writing should be cited correctly. QuillBot’s Citation Generator can help you cite sources correctly, and our online Plagiarism Checker can help ensure your writing is free of accidental plagiarism.
“Ibid.” is included only in footnotes or endnotes and should not be used as an in-text citation. Additionally, not all style guides (e.g., APA, MLA) permit the use of “ibid.”
Once you have included the full citation for a source, “ibid.” can be used to refer back to that source in the next citation. It cannot be used if there are other intervening citations.
Every source you reference in your academic writing should be cited correctly. QuillBot’s Citation Generator can help you cite sources correctly, and our online Plagiarism Checker can help ensure your writing is free of accidental plagiarism.
For 2 authors, include both authors’ names in the bibliography entry and all notes.
For 3–6 authors, include all authors’ names in the bibliography. In the notes, include the first author’s name followed by “et. al.”
For 7 or more authors, include the first three authors’ names and et al. in the bibliography. In the notes, include the first author’s name with “et al.”
