A restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form
~ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Four Steps of Paraphrasing
Carefully read and re-read the text you wish to paraphrase.
Put away the text and "teach" it to someone else; that "someone" can be imaginary or real.
Write your paraphrase WITHOUT looking at the original text.
Compare your paraphrase to the original to make sure you've not unintentionally plagiarized.
REMEMBER:
The bulk of your research paper should be your own ideas and thoughts synthesizing what you have learned from others. Direct quotes should be kept to a small percentage of the total work.
Use direct quotes when you have a good reason to do so:
Lends author's authority to your argument.
Accurately present an argument or position you wish to comment on or critique.
Historic or especially significant language or statements.
present a particularly well-stated passage whose meaning would be lost or changed if paraphrased or summarized.
Paraphrasing or restating an author's words or ideas still requires proper citation of your source
Paraphrasing is not simply substituting different words or rearranging sentences or ideas
--from, "Quoting and Paraphrasing," The Writing Center University of Wisconsin-Madison