Indirect Quotations

Summaries and paraphrases of another author’s ideas can be introduced with phrases such as: 

• Griffin argues that …
• Grewal claims that …
• the author questions that …
• the author complains that …, etc.

Summaries and paraphrases should not be constructed by simply substituting synonyms for, or changing the order of, the words that are used in your source. You should seek to identify the important aspects of the author’s ideas and put them in your own words. One of the best ways to move away from the author’s wording is to close the source while writing, perhaps taking a break before writing the paraphrase, so that you are working with the ideas or concepts rather than with the exact original words. 

Indirect quotations do not require quotation marks, but their origin must be acknowledged with appropriate citations. Citation is important in order to avoid giving the mistaken impression that the ideas discussed are wholly your own.