Paraphrasing

*Paraphrasing is when you state the ideas from another source in your own
words. Even when you use your own words, if the ideas or facts came from another
source, you need to cite where they came from.
According to Wordvice KH, “Paraphrasing” means expressing the meaning of
someone else’s words in your own words instead of quoting directly. Paraphrasing is
applied both by the author of the text and by editors during the proofreading process.
By paraphrasing the work and arguments of others effectively, you can: * save
space and keep your study more focused, *distill complex information into language that
general readers can understand, * and avoid plagiarism (including self-plagiarism) and
provide your own authorial voice in your paper

Tips when paraphrasing

 Don’t take a passage and change a word here or there. If the information is too close to
the original (even if it follows a similar sentence structure), it may be considered
plagiarism.
 Read the passage, reflect upon it, and restate it in a way that is meaningful to you within
the context of your paper.
 After reading the passage that you want to paraphrase, look away from it, and imagine
explaining the main point to another person.
 After paraphrasing the passage, go back and compare it to the original. Are there any
phrases that have come directly from the original source? If so, you should rephrase it or
put the original in quotation marks.

If you cannot state an idea in your own words, you should use the direct
quotation.
Ideally, papers will contain a good balance of direct quotations, paraphrasing and
your own thoughts. Too much reliance on quotations and paraphrasing can make it
seem like you are only using the work of others and have no original thoughts on the
topic.

How to Paraphrase in Research

Direct Quote: simply a “copy-and-paste” of the original words and/or word order. In all
research papers with formatting guidelines (APA, AMA, MLA, etc.), quoted text must be
accompanied by quotation marks and in-text citations.

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Paraphrasing: can include some key terms from the original work but must use new
language to represent the original work—DO NOT COPY THE ORIGINAL WORK.
When you paraphrase–that is, rewrite the text you want to use–you do not need to
include quotation marks, but you must still cite the original work.

Paraphrasing Source Text

Step 1: Read important parts of the source material until you fully understand its
meaning.

Step 2: Take some notes and list key terms of the source material.

Step 3: Write your own paragraph without looking at the source material, only using the
key terms.

Step 4: Check to make sure your version captures important parts and intent of the
source material.

Step 5: Indicate where your paraphrasing starts and ends using in-text citations.

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Paraphrasing Examples in Research Writing

Use the following methods to make your paraphrases even stronger. Note that you
should not apply only one of these rules in isolation—combine these techniques to
reduce your chances of accidental plagiarism.

*Text in red indicates key changes from the source material.

Change the source text voice: active vs. passive voice

By changing the voice of the sentence (active voice to passive; passive voice to
active—have a look at this article for details on the different roles of both voices in
scientific writing), you can alter the general structure of your paraphrase and put it into
words that are more your own.

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Use a thesaurus to find synonyms and related terms

A thesaurus can be an excellent resource for finding terms that are synonymous
with or similar to those in the original text, especially for non-native English speakers.
However, be careful not to use terms that you don’t fully understand or that might not
make sense in the context of your paper.

Include introductory phrases with signaling terms

Signaling terms (e.g., “they write,” “Kim notes that…” “He believes that…”) help
smoothly introduce the work of other studies and let the reader know where your own
ideas end and where the cited information begins.

Use specific signaling verbs to show your position

Authors also show their positions regarding the original content by using verbs that
are neutral, that show agreement, or that show disagreement. A relative pronoun (“that,”
“how,” “if”) is also used in many instances. Include these terms to introduce your position
in paraphrased content

Merge multiple sentences into a one- or two-sentence paraphrase

One major reason for paraphrasing is to capture the main idea of the original text
without using so many words. Use only one sentence or two in your paraphrase to
capture the main idea—even if the original is an entire paragraph.

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 Original Source Text:

The journal primarily considers empirical and theoretical investigations that

enhance understanding of cognitive, motivational, affective, and behavioral
psychological phenomena in work and organizational settings, broadly defined.
Those psychological phenomena can be at one or multiple levels — individuals,
groups, organizations, or cultures; in work settings such as business, education,
training, health, service, government, or military institutions; and in the public or
private sector, for-profit or nonprofit organizations.

(Source: Journal of Applied Psychology Website

http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/)

Paraphrased Source Text:

The Journal of Applied Psychology accepts studies that increase understanding of

a broad range of psychological phenomena and that apply to a variety of settings
and levels, not limited by subgroup, institution, or sector (JAP, 2015).

Combine quotes and paraphrased text in the same sentence

Too often, research writers separate information from the current work and
information cited from earlier studies into completely different sentences. This limits the
dialogue between the works, makes it boring for readers, and can even create issues of
plagiarism if the paper is composed of too much quoted material. Include direct
quotes within your paraphrased sentences to fix all of these issues and make your
research writing much smoother and more natural.

Some details from the original source are quoted because they are taken directly
from the text. They provide important information that readers might need to know and it
thus makes more sense to use quotes here.

How to Paraphrase to Avoid Plagiarism

Although paraphrasing can be very helpful in helping to reduce instances of

plagiarism, writers still need to follow the rules of citation and referencing carefully. Here
are a few rules to keep in mind when paraphrasing any original material, whether from
someone else’s published work or your own work.

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Here are a few things you must keep in mind when paraphrasing any original material,
even your own earlier publications.

 When you paraphrase, use your own terms along with the key terms from the
source material.

 Even when you paraphrase using your own terms, you still must provide in-text
citations (according to the specific formatting requirements—APA, AMA, MLA,
etc.).

 If you are quoting or paraphrasing your own previous work, treat it as another
person’s work (i.e., you must still use quotation marks and/or citations).

Paraphrasing Examples for Reference

Original Sentence Paraphrased Sentence

“The author’s life spanned years of DuBois lived through at least two eras of
incredible changes for African Americans liberating reforms and advances for African
in society.” Americans.

“Any trip to France should include a visit Be sure to include a Marseille pier-watching
to Marseille to visit the old piers of the experience when visiting the South of
17th century.” France.

“Koala bears eat solely eucalyptus leaves Koalas eat multiple kilograms of eucalyptus
and can consume up to 4 kg per day. leaves per day, their only source of food.

“The price of a cruise trip usually includes

Most cruise trips include expenses such as
meals, drinks, and sleeping
meals, drinks, and a room for sleeping in
accommodations, which make your
their overall package price.
vacation dollar stretch further.”

British citizens are among the biggest users

“The average citizen of the UK throws
of plastic in Europe, throwing away kilograms
away 20 kg of plastic per month.”
of plastic each month.

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References:

Universitry Libraries. https://library.unr.edu/help/quick-how-tos/quoting-and-

paraphrasing-in-your-research

Wordvice. (2022). How to Paraphrase to Avoid Plagiarism. https://blog.wordvice.com/

how-to-paraphrase-in-research/