This is when you use a direct quote from a source and take it word for word. You need to cite this:
Ex. In the book The Water Will Rise, the author notes that, "15% of the world's ice caps have melted causing dire distress to animals living along the coast across the globe," (Smith, 176).
Paraphrasing is taking the information and putting it into your own words. This still needs to be cited:
In the book The Water Will Rise, the author shares varying perspectives on rising sea levels and notes that 15% of the icecaps have melted causing damages along the coastline (Smith, 176).