PARAPHRASING IS…

oA rewriting of text in your own words

oUsed to clarify meaning

oUsed to shorten a longer statement but keeps the main ideas

o Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage.

o It takes an overview of the whole topic.

How To Paraphrase:o Read the passage carefully o Decide the main ideas of the passageo Highlight important words or phraseso Put the main points in your own words

Pretend Article from the AJC:

All the teachers at Lilburn Elementary will be attending a lecture on Thursday at the University of Georgia. The famous author, J. K. Rowling will be speaking to the elementary teachers and staff. The lecture will conclude with an autograph session and a reception in the auditorium. This conference will be sponsored by The Steven Spielberg Council for Under Appreciated School Librarians, and each librarian attending will receive the entire set of novels by J. K. Rowling, including a preview of her new book, Mystery in the Under Staffed Media Center.

The author of Harry Potter will speak to the Lilburn Elementary teachers and staff on Thursday. They will also attend a reception immediately afterward.

Atlanta Journal & Constitution

Plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledg ing its source.

Using another person's words without giving them credit.

Using another person’s ideas without giving them credit.

Using another person’s research, results, diagrams, or images without giving them credit.

Intentional Copying a friend’s

work Buying or borrowing

papers Cutting and pasting

blocks of text from electronic sources without documenting

Media “borrowing” without documentation

Web publishing without permissions of creators

Unintentional

•Careless paraphrasing

• Poor documentation

• Quoting excessively

• Failure to use your own “voice”

You are discussing your own experiences, observations, or reactions

Compiling the results of original research, from science experiments, etc.

You are using common knowledge

Examples of common knowledgeJohn Adams was our second presidentThe Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on

December 7, 1941.

Original Source:If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for animal behaviorists (Davis 26).

Student’s Paper:The existence of a signing ape was unsettling for linguists, and was also startling news for animal behaviorists

The student should have used quotation marks around the words that he copied directly from the original source.

Also, there is no parenthetical reference with the page number of the source statement.

Original Source:If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for animal behaviorists (Davis 26).

Student’s Paper:The existence of a signing ape unsettled linguists and startled animal behaviorists  (Davis, 26).

Even though the writer has cited the source, the writer’s words are not his own. Look at how closely the phrase "unsettled linguists and startled animal behaviorists"  resembles the wording of the source.

Original Source:If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for animal behaviorists

Student’s Paper:According to Flora Davis, linguists and animal behaviorists were unprepared for  the news that a chimp could communicate with its trainers through sign language  (Davis, 26).

The student has cited the source, and appropriately paraphrased the original source into his own words.

• Practice good research methods

• Know how to quote

• Know how to cite

• Know when something is common knowledge

• Know how to paraphrase