How to Paraphrase
This Resource Page will help you:
- Understand what paraphrasing means and why it’s important in scholarly work
- Learn the differences between paraphrasing, direct quoting and summarizing
- Use strategies for effective paraphrasing
- Understand the ethical considerations when paraphrasing others’ content
What is Paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing involves expressing the ideas, concepts, or arguments from a source text in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. The main focus of paraphrasing is content - not language. The ultimate goal is not to replace the words of a sentence with others, but to demonstrate your understanding of the source content and your ability to convey its core message using different words and structures.
What is the Difference between Paraphrasing, Direct Quoting and Summarizing?
While paraphrasing shares similarities with direct quoting and summarizing, it has a distinct purpose in academic writing. Paraphrasing allows you to rephrase the source's content in your own words, maintaining the original meaning but altering the sentence structure and vocabulary. It requires a deeper engagement with the material and demonstrates your grasp of its nuances.
Direct Quoting involves using the exact words from a source and placing them within quotation marks. Direct quotes are valuable when you want to emphasize the author's specific wording, particularly when it's a unique or influential phrasing. To learn more about how and when to use direct quotes, check our resource page on direct quotes.
Summarizing involves condensing the main ideas of a source into a shorter version, capturing the essential points while omitting minor details. Summaries provide an overview of the source's key arguments. To learn more about summarizing strategies, check our resource page on summarizing.
For more information on the difference between paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing, check this video from and the page at the University of Toronto.
Why do we Paraphrase in Academic Writing?
Paraphrasing is more than just a writing exercise or manipulating words; it’s a strategic tool that offers many benefits to your academic work. Here you will learn about the purposes and advantages of paraphrasing.
Paraphrasing requires you to think deeply about the content of source materials. In order to rephrase an idea, you need to process and digest it, leading to better comprehension of the idea itself and of how it relates to your own thoughts. Through paraphrasing, you demonstrate that you understand complex concepts and can connect them to your research goals.
When you paraphrase, you can clarify complex ideas, ensuring your readers grasp the concepts without ambiguity.
By paraphrasing, you can tailor the paraphrased content to fit your context, eliminating redundancies or unnecessary details present in the original source.
When you paraphrase, you compare, contrast and synthesize ideas from multiple sources drawing connections between different perspectives.
Paraphrasing allows you to incorporate others’ ideas and show how they relate to your own topic and perspective.
Paraphrasing helps you avoid the overuse of direct quotes, allowing you to express others' ideas in your own voice and showcasing your analytical and interpretive skills.
For more on the significance and advantages of paraphrasing, check these resources from and .
Strategies for Effective Paraphrasing
The following tips will help you rephrase others’ ideas while maintaining the essence of the original content.
Paraphrasing Examples
See below more examples of paraphrased content with feedback about their strengths and issues.
For more information and strategies to integrate others’ research and ideas into your own writing, check our resource page on how to write about others' research.
Avoiding Plagiarism when Paraphrasing
There are several ethical considerations when it comes to others’ work even when it’s expressed in your own words. Paraphrasing without proper credit can lead to plagiarism, misrepresenting the true source of ideas and damaging academic integrity and trust within the academic community. Maintaining academic integrity is thus paramount when paraphrasing.
Responsible paraphrasing involves not only rephrasing but providing proper citations, showcasing ethical integrity and respect for others' intellectual contributions.
Why cite paraphrased material?
- Intellectual Theft: Paraphrasing without attribution is a form of intellectual theft, violating principles of fairness and respect by appropriating others' intellectual property.
- Violation of Scholarly Norms: Ignoring proper attribution disrupts academia's collaborative nature and violates the fundamental scholarly norm of acknowledging sources.
- Academic and Professional Consequences: Paraphrasing without proper attribution can result in academic and professional repercussions, potentially leading to disciplinary actions, damaged relationships, and missed opportunities.
- Undermining Personal Growth: Failing to attribute sources limits personal growth opportunities, including learning from others, expanding knowledge, and enhancing critical thinking abilities.
Other strategies to avoid plagiarism when paraphrasing are:
- Reference Checking: Compare your paraphrased version with the source to ensure accuracy. If you're uncertain, return to the source to clarify.
- Mixing Sources: Avoid relying only on a single source for paraphrasing. Blend information from multiple sources to create a comprehensive understanding.
- Quotation for Uniqueness: if a specific phrase or concept is exceptionally well-expressed in the source, consider using a direct quote within your paraphrased content.