How to Paraphrase
During your studies, you will read widely and be expected to incorporate concepts, ideas and themes from other researchers in your assignments. You can do this through quotations, summaries, or paraphrasing.
Paraphrasing means rewording the ideas of another author in your own words while maintaining the original meaning, tone, and intent.
Through paraphrasing you can demonstrate your understanding of the information by the way you translate the key points into your own words without changing the original meaning and incorporate them into your assignment.
What is paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is the process of rewording and rephrasing the original text written by someone else, while preserving the original meaning.
It involves taking a piece of writing and expressing it in your own words, which can differ in structure, phrasing, and sometimes even length, from the original text.
The key goal of paraphrasing is to understand and convey the essence of the content without copying it verbatim, making it an essential skill for effective communication, especially in academic writing, research, and creative endeavors.
Paraphrasing can help you to clarify complex ideas, tailor the information to your subject or assignment, and avoid plagiarism by acknowledging the original source with proper citation.
How to paraphrase
The process of paraphrasing starts when you read sources, research papers, lectures, or any other situation you must process new information.
Paraphrasing is more than just making notes in your own words.
To successfully paraphrase a text or extract you need to understand the original text and be able to explain it in your own words.
There are five steps you can follow to paraphrase a source:
Read the text
Explain the text
Compose the paraphrase
Compare your writing with the original
Cite & reference
Step 1 – Read and make notes
To accurately put someone else’s thoughts into your own words, it is crucial to read and analyse the text thoroughly before getting started.
Read the source carefully and make sure you understand the meaning and main ideas.
Take notes while you read to highlight the most important details. These notes will be handy when it comes time to restate the author’s words in your own way.
Focus on the main concepts and supporting information when you read. You don’t need to copy word for work, remember this is about you understanding the source and being able to explain it in your own words.
Step 2 – Explain the text
Without looking at the original source start writing your version of the text.
Think about how you would:
Explain the text
Describe the concept
It can be helpful to think about explaining the information to someone who knows less about the subject than you. This can help you focus on how you would explain the ideas in your own words.
It’s important that you use words and phrases that come naturally to you. If you write the explanation of the information in your own words this will make it easier if you need to incorporate it into an assignment in the future.
Take care not to change the meaning of the text.
This can be especially challenging if the subject is very technical but think about alternative words, phrases, synonyms, and antonyms that you could use.
Step 3 – Compose the paraphrased text
The writing of your paraphrased text is when it all comes together. This can sometimes also be the hardest part of the process.
Rely on the notes you took when reading the text and when explaining the concepts.
You want your text to get the point across, but you also want it to make sense.
This might mean you need to simplify complex terms or define words in different ways.
Be careful not to skip over essential information you don’t want to lose the crucial details that give the text meaning.
Step 4 – Compare and contrast
When paraphrasing it is important to stay true to the tone even if you disagree with the source.
Paraphrasing that changes the overall tone to a more negative/positive feeling will not accurately reflect the original author’s work.
When you have written your paraphrased text, compare your version with the original.
You are checking that the intent, tone, and meaning are the same as the original text.
You may want to refer back to your notes once more to make sure you have included all the essential ideas and details that you deemed necessary from the original.
Step 5 – Cite and reference
It is your responsibility as the author of your assignments to always cite and reference any quotations, summaries, or paraphrasing you include in your writing.
Paraphrasing allows you to use to ideas of other authors in your own writing as long as you acknowledge the original author and source through in-text citations and referencing.
Just because you used your own words doesn’t mean that the original thoughts and ideas were your own.
If you fail to give credit to another author this is plagiarism and is a serious academic offense that has severe penalties.
When to paraphrase
Paraphrasing is a vital skill at university, utilized in various contexts to enhance academic writing, research, and study practices. Here are key situations when paraphrasing is especially important:
Incorporating Evidence: When you're supporting your arguments with evidence from other sources, paraphrasing allows you to present that information in a way that fits the flow and tone of your work, while still giving credit to the original authors.
Avoiding Plagiarism: It's essential to convey ideas from your research without directly copying text, unless you're quoting. Paraphrasing, combined with proper citation, is crucial to avoid plagiarism and maintain academic integrity.
Clarifying Complex Ideas: Sometimes, original texts may contain complex or dense information. Paraphrasing can help simplify these ideas, making them more accessible and understandable for your audience.
Comparative Analysis: When comparing theories, concepts, or studies, paraphrasing enables you to succinctly describe each one in your own words, making it easier for readers to grasp the comparison.
Reflecting Understanding: Paraphrasing demonstrates your comprehension of the material. By rewording content, you show that you've understood the essence of what's being said, not just copied it.
Tailoring Content: Different academic disciplines may have specific jargon or stylistic preferences. Paraphrasing allows you to adjust the original text to better suit your field's conventions or the specific requirements of your assignment.
Creating a Cohesive Work: Integrating various sources into your writing often requires smoothing out differences in style and terminology. Paraphrasing helps unify these sources, contributing to a coherent and cohesive final piece.
Remember, while paraphrasing is essential, it's also important to cite all sources properly to give credit to the original authors, even when you've put their ideas into your own words.
Benefits of paraphrasing
Paraphrasing offers several benefits for university students, enhancing both their academic work and their development as critical thinkers and effective communicators. Here are some of the key advantages:
Improves Understanding: The act of paraphrasing forces students to thoroughly process and understand the original material. By rewording complex texts, students engage more deeply with the content, leading to better comprehension and retention of information.
Develops Critical Thinking: Paraphrasing requires evaluating the essential points of a text and deciding how best to express them in one's own words. This process cultivates critical thinking skills, as students must discern the main ideas and understand their significance within the context of their studies.
Enhances Writing Skills: Regular paraphrasing practice helps students improve their writing skills. It teaches them how to vary sentence structure, use synonyms effectively, and express ideas clearly and concisely, contributing to more versatile and compelling writing.
Avoids Plagiarism: Paraphrasing, coupled with proper citation, is a legitimate way to use information from sources without committing plagiarism. It allows students to integrate evidence and ideas from their research into their work responsibly, respecting academic integrity principles.
Facilitates Research: Through paraphrasing, students can compile and synthesize information from various sources, making it easier to compare different viewpoints, identify trends, and develop a nuanced understanding of their research topic.
Promotes Originality: By expressing ideas in their own words, students create more original and personalized work. Paraphrasing encourages the development of a unique voice and perspective, distinguishing their work from that of others.
Improves Language Proficiency: For students, especially those for whom English is a second language, paraphrasing can be an effective tool for language learning, helping them to expand their vocabulary and grasp the nuances of English expression.
Supports Academic Success: The skills developed through effective paraphrasing—critical thinking, writing proficiency, and academic integrity—are foundational to academic success across all disciplines, contributing to better grades and more persuasive, credible academic work.
In essence, paraphrasing is a multifaceted skill that supports academic development, encouraging students to engage with texts more critically and creatively while upholding the standards of academic integrity.
Challenges of paraphrasing
While paraphrasing is a crucial skill for university students, mastering it comes with several challenges. These difficulties can impact students' ability to effectively incorporate source material into their own work. Here are some of the key challenges they may face:
Maintaining Original Meaning: One of the primary difficulties is ensuring that the paraphrased version accurately reflects the original text's meaning. There's a fine balance between changing the words enough to make them your own and altering the message or losing crucial details.
Avoiding Plagiarism: Even with good intentions, students can struggle to paraphrase sufficiently, which might inadvertently lead to plagiarism. It's challenging to reword complex ideas in a completely new way while still acknowledging the original source correctly.
Language Proficiency: For students, especially those for whom English is an additional language, paraphrasing can be particularly daunting. They must have a strong command of the language to find synonyms and restructure sentences without compromising the content's integrity.
Citing Sources Properly: Knowing how to correctly cite sources after paraphrasing is crucial but can be confusing. Students must navigate various citation styles and understand when and how to cite to avoid unintentional plagiarism.
Time and Effort: Effective paraphrasing requires significant time and cognitive effort. Students need to read and fully understand the original text before they can even begin to rewrite it in their own words, which can be time-consuming amidst their other academic responsibilities.
Developing a Unique Voice: It's challenging to paraphrase content in a way that not only remains true to the original meaning but also aligns with the student's unique voice and writing style. Achieving this balance is essential for the paraphrased work to feel authentic and engaging.
Complexity of the Original Text: Highly technical or specialized texts, dense with jargon or complex ideas, pose a significant challenge. Simplifying these concepts without oversimplifying or misinterpreting them requires a deep understanding of the subject matter.
Fear of Getting It Wrong: The pressure to avoid plagiarism and the desire to do well can lead to anxiety about paraphrasing incorrectly. This fear might discourage students from engaging deeply with the process, potentially affecting their learning and academic performance.
Overcoming these challenges requires practice, guidance, and a strong understanding of both the content and the nuances of academic writing. With the right strategies and resources, students can develop their paraphrasing skills, enhancing their academic work and integrity.
Summary
Paraphrasing is a crucial skill in academic writing, enabling students to digest, interpret, and express complex ideas in their own words. This practice not only deepens understanding but also fosters originality and critical thinking. By engaging with texts to extract and reformulate ideas, students learn to navigate the delicate balance between original meaning and personal expression, a skill essential for avoiding plagiarism and enhancing their work's clarity and impact.
The process of paraphrasing—comprehending, rewording, and citing—serves as a developmental milestone, pushing students to internalize and articulate ideas in a nuanced and authentic manner. It transforms the act of writing from mere transcription to a thoughtful synthesis of information, where the student's voice emerges through the careful integration of evidence and analysis.
Despite its benefits, paraphrasing presents challenges, including maintaining the original text's intent, avoiding accidental plagiarism, and adapting complex ideas into a coherent, personalized narrative. These difficulties highlight the need for practice, guidance, and a deep grasp of academic writing nuances.
Ultimately, mastering paraphrasing enriches students' academic journey, equipping them with the analytical and communicative skills vital for scholarly and professional success. It is an intellectual endeavor that transcends academic requirements, shaping thoughtful, articulate, and ethical scholars ready to contribute to their fields and the broader discourse.
