Restating Another Work ini Your Own Words

1. Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing: Restating Another Work in Your Own
Words
Prepared by Dr. Andree Swanson
AC Swanson Group, Highlands Ranch, CO
Copyright © AC Swanson Group 2009 - 2013
Academic WritingAcademic Writing
1Image(s) from Microsoft Clip Art.

2.  What is paraphrasing?
 Why do we use paraphrasing?
 Citing your source
 Include the in-text or parenthetical citation
 No need to include page or paragraph number
 Reducing the number of quotes in a paper
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3. Question
 You’ve been asked to paraphrase a paragraph for a paper?
How do you do it?
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4. Answer
 You are turning the words that you read into your own
words.
 You avoid:
 Including your opinion
 Using a quote from the source
 It is as if you are translating the words from the
author’s to yours.
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6. Question
 You can easily put the section that you want to use in
quotes, cite the source, and then avoid plagiarism;
however, your faculty member says: “You need to avoid
too many long quotes”. So, what do you do?
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7. Answer
 You need to put the work in your own words
 Otherwise you are stealing someone else’s work
 A good paraphrase is exact, complete, and in your
own words
 You must cite your source
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8.  Remember… there is no new information in
the world
 Unless you are working on your doctoral
dissertation and coming up with new
concepts, theories, and material, you are
presenting someone else’s ideas in your
research paper or thesis.
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9. Think like an auditor…
What does this mean?
 It is your paper trail to your resource.
 If you find a citation within the text, you can be assured (if
done right), that there will be a corresponding reference
on your Works Cited (MLA) or Reference (APA) page.
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10. Here is an example using an exact quote
 The teacher entered into a contract with the school
district to work at a specific school. “The classical
definition of a contract is a legally binding
agreement made between two or more person”
(Carby-Hall, 2003, p. 24).
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11. Here is an example using a paraphrase
 The teacher entered into a contract with the school
district to work at a specific school. A contract is a
compulsory agreement between at least two
people. A contract can be held up in court. It is a
legal document (Carby-Hall, 2003).
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12. The teacher entered into a
contract with the school
district to work at a specific
school. A contract is a
compulsory agreement
between at least two
people. A contract can be
held up in court. It is a legal
document (Carby-Hall,
2003).
 Note that the page or
paragraph number is
not included when you
paraphrase.
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13.  Essentially the ONLY time that
you should use a quotation is
when your source states:
 an opinion that someone may
question,
 presents a vivid description of a
personal feeling or personal
historical event,
 defines a term,
 makes a statement that you
cannot reasonably paraphrase,
 or makes a statement that you
want to argue against in
considerable detail.
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14.  Pay attention to how many quotes that you use.
 If more than 5-10% of your paper consists of
quotations, you must have very sound justification
for having so many quotes.
 Avoid placing one quote after another.
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15.  Scholarly journals normally indicate that if more
than 30% of the information in your paper comes
from any single source, then you must co-author
your paper with that other author.
 This is a major reason that you must use more than
one source for your paper and/or presentation.
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16.  Avoid the temptation to read an article and copy that
author's thought pattern (ideas) into your own paper.
 This is similar to creating a computer program that has a
similar look and feel" to another program without obtaining
permission.
 Many companies have lost millions of dollars for such acts.
 The written version is called plagiarism and also has cost
authors their reputations and/or substantial lawsuit
settlements.
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17. When in doubt, ask your faculty member.
He/she will be able to coach you through the
process of paraphrasing.
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18. 18Image(s) from Microsoft Clip Art.Copyright © AC Swanson Group 2009 - 2013