Q. Should I use a direct quote or paraphrase in my paper?

It can be tempting to rely heavily in your paper on direct quotes. After all, reader’s want to see evidence of your claims. That said, an author’s ideas are often more important to your argument then their specific words. Therefore, consider paraphrasing unless: you cannot translate the author’s words into your own without losing core ideas, you are analyzing the quote itself, or the author’s original phrasing or style is notable. For a guide on paraphrasing, see our resource.