What is the difference between a direct quotation and a paraphrase?

“Direct quotation” is the verbatim reproduction of an author’s text, written in quotation marks, and may be italicised – direct quotations must be clearly distinguished from your own text. No more than 10% of the work should consist of direct quotations, with around 5% recommended (this may vary depending on the type of work; for example, reviews or legal commentaries may contain more direct quotations).

Paraphrasing is the interpretation of another’s ideas in your own words, and it must always be cited in the same way as direct quotations. Paraphrasing does not simply mean replacing a few words in a sentence. The quality of a paraphrase reflects how well you have understood the subject matter. Paraphrasing is not distinguished from your own text, but it should be stylistically clear where it begins and ends (e.g., a longer paraphrase may be separated by a paragraph).

You can find more information on the citation in text page.