what is paraphrasing in academic writing pdf

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Using Evidence: Paraphrase

Paraphrasing sources video playlist.

Basics of Paraphrasing

A successful paraphrase is your own explanation or interpretation of another person's ideas. Paraphrasing in academic writing is an effective way to restate, condense, or clarify another author's ideas while also providing credibility to your own argument or analysis. Successful paraphrasing is essential for strong academic writing, and unsuccessful paraphrasing can result in unintentional plagiarism. Look through the paraphrasing strategies below to better understand what counts as an effective paraphrase.

In order for a reader to understand the impact of a direct quotation or paraphrased source material, you should work to integrate your evidence into your paragraph's overall discussion. A strong way to integrate source material is to use  transitions . As you integrate sources, you will also often begin  analyzing the evidence

Citing Paraphrases

• Paraphrased material must be cited. Even though paraphrasing means that you are restating information in your own words, you must give credit to the original source of the information.
• Citations for paraphrased material should always include both the author and the year. In-text citation can be placed within the sentence or at the end:

Example: According to Johnson (2012), mirror neurons may be connected with empathy and imitation.

Example: Mirror neurons may be connected with empathy and imitation in human beings (Johnson, 2012).

Note: Be sure to consider the frequency of your source citation when you are paraphrasing.

Integrating Paraphrases Into Your Paragraphs

Paragraph with paraphrased material not integrated.

The causes of childhood obesity are various. Greg (2005) found that children need physical activity to stay healthy. One study found that the amount of time spent in front of the television or computer had a direct correlation to an individual's BMI (Stephens, 2003). Parsons (2003) debated whether nature or nurture affects childhood obesity more. Scientists have linked genetics to obesity (Parsons, 2003). Parents often reinforce bad lifestyle habits (Parsons, 2003).

Here there is a list of paraphrased sentences, but again they seem to be missing any links or connections to show how the different ideas are related. Rather than simply using a list of paraphrased sentences from these sources, the author of the next example integrates each piece of information from the sources by using extra explanation or transitions.

Paragraph With Paraphrased Material, Revised (Revisions in Bold)

The causes of childhood obesity are various. Greg (2005) found that children need physical activity to stay healthy. However, children's inactive lifestyles and the time they spend in front of a screen seem to consume the time they could otherwise spend playing outdoors or involved in physical activities. In fact, this lack of physical activity has a direct effect on body mass index (BMI). One study found that the amount of time spent in front of the television or computer had a direct correlation to an individual's BMI (Stephens, 2003). Although screen time is correlated with high BMI, Parsons (2003) still debated whether nature or nurture affects childhood obesity more. Though Parsons admitted that scientists have linked genetics to obesity, he also explained that parents often reinforce bad lifestyle habits.

Adding transitions allows the author to make connections while still presenting the paraphrased source material.

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Summarizing and Paraphrasing in Academic Writing

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.” – Ernest Hemingway

Plato considers art (and therefore writing) as being mimetic in nature. Writing in all forms and for all kinds of audience involves thorough research. Often, there is a grim possibility that an idea you considered novel has already been adequately explored; however, this also means there are multiple perspectives to explore now and thereby to learn from.

Being inspired by another’s idea opens up a world of possibilities and thus several ways to incorporate and assimilate them in writing, namely, paraphrasing , summarizing, and quoting . However, mere incorporation does not bring writing alive and make it appealing to readers . The incorporation of various ideas must reflect the writer’s understanding and interpretation of them as well.

What is Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing in Academic Writing?

Purdue OWL defines these devices of representation quite succinctly:

Therefore, paraphrasing and summarizing consider broader segments of the main text, while quotations are brief segments of a source. Further, paraphrasing involves expressing the ideas presented from a particular part of a source (mostly a passage) in a condensed manner, while summarizing involves selecting a broader part of a source (for example, a chapter in a book or an entire play) and stating the key points. In spite of subtle variations in representation, all three devices when employed must be attributed to the source to avoid plagiarism .

Related: Finished drafting your manuscript? Check these resources to avoid plagiarism now!

Why is it Important to Quote, Paraphrase, and Summarize?

Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries serve the purpose of providing evidence to sources of your manuscript. It is important to quote, paraphrase, and summarize for the following reasons:

• It adds credibility to your writing
• It helps in tracking the original source of your research
• Delivers several perspectives on your research subject

Quotations/Quoting

Quotations are exact representations of a source, which can either be a written one or spoken words. Quotes imbue writing with an authoritative tone and can provide reliable and strong evidence. However, quoting should be employed sparingly to support and not replace one’s writing.

How Do You Quote?

• Ensure that direct quotes are provided within quotation marks and properly cited
• A Long quote of three or more lines can be set-off as a blockquote (this often has more impact)
• Short quotes usually flow better when integrated within a sentence

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is the manner of presenting a text by altering certain words and phrases of a source while ensuring that the paraphrase reflects proper understanding of the source. It can be useful for personal understanding of complex concepts and explaining information present in charts, figures , and tables .

How Do You Paraphrase?

• While aligning the representation with your own style (that is, using synonyms of certain words and phrases), ensure that the author’s intention is not changed as this may express an incorrect interpretation of the source ideas
• Use quotation marks if you intend to retain key concepts or phrases to effectively paraphrase
• Use paraphrasing as an alternative to the abundant usage of direct quotes in your writing

Summarizing

Summarizing involves presenting an overview of a source by omitting superfluous details and retaining only the key essence of the ideas conveyed.

How Do You Summarize?

• Note key points while going through a source text
• Provide a consolidated view without digressions for a concrete and comprehensive summary of a source
• Provide relevant examples from a source to substantiate the argument being presented

“Nature creates similarities. One need only think of mimicry. The highest capacity for producing similarities, however, is man’s. His gift of seeing resemblances is nothing other than a rudiment of the powerful compulsion in former times to become and behave like something else.” –Walter Benjamin

Quoting vs Paraphrasing vs Summarizing

Research thrives as a result of inspiration from and assimilation of novel concepts. However, do ensure that when developing and enriching your own research, proper credit is provided to the origin . This can be achieved by using plagiarism checker tool and giving due credit in case you have missed it earlier.

Source: https://student.unsw.edu.au/paraphrasing-summarising-and-quoting

Amazing blog actually! a lot of information is contained and i have really learnt a lot. Thank you for sharing such educative article.

hi, I enjoyed the article. It’s very informative so that I could use it in my writings! thanks a lot.

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nice work and useful advises… thank you for being with students

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MyAssignmentHelp Expands Services to Meet Diverse Academic Needs

MyAssignmentHelp Expands Services to Meet Diverse Academic Needs.

New York - June 4, 2024 —

MyAssignmentHelp is a professional academic writing platform where students can hire professionals for all types of assignments, essays, dissertations, research papers, etc. The platform, known for offering a wide range of paid writing services for over a decade, has recently expanded its offerings to include more subjects, enhanced content performance assessment tools, and personalized query-solving sessions.

According to the CEO of MyAssignmentHelp.com , the subjects requiring the most assistance are:

●      English: 25.5% of all orders placed

●      Nursing: 10.8% of all orders placed

●      Programming: 8.9% of all orders placed

●      Science: 8.5% of all orders placed

In addition to these, MyAssignmentHelp provides support in over 100 subjects, including popular choices like Law, Engineering, Medicine, Psychology, History, and Geography. Recently, the platform has introduced help for more unconventional subjects such as Astrobiology, Bakery Science, Nautical Archaeology, Viticulture and Enology, and Spiritual Psychology. This move aims to cater to a broader range of students with diverse academic interests.

Students can access MyAssignmentHelp's services for minimal charges, with a commitment to accessibility. The platform has also introduced free academic tools, initially limited to a plagiarism checker and a grammar checker. The new suite of advanced tools includes:

●      Paraphrasing Tool

●      Essay Typer

●      PDF Summarizer

●      Conclusion Generator

●      Factoring Calculator

●      Equation Solver

These tools are available to everyone, without the need for registration or payment. They are designed to assist students in various ways, such as providing alternative phrasing for content, summarizing lengthy PDFs, solving equations step-by-step, and generating essays and conclusions.

For instance, the paraphrasing tool helps students avoid unintentional plagiarism by offering alternative versions of similar content, while the PDF summarizer simplifies the task of reviewing extensive documents by creating concise summaries. The essay typer and conclusion generator aid students in crafting coherent essays and suitable conclusions, ensuring quality academic writing.

Additionally, MyAssignmentHelp has introduced live interactive sessions where students can connect with subject matter experts to get their queries answered. These sessions are confidential, affordable, accessible, and personalized to meet individual student needs.

MyAssignmentHelp's ongoing enhancements and responsiveness to student demands have solidified its position as a preferred choice for academic assistance.

Summary: MyAssignmentHelp has expanded its services to include unconventional subjects, launched new academic tools, and started live-interactive sessions for personalized student support. These additions aim to provide comprehensive assistance, making the platform a top choice for students seeking homework help .

Contact Info: Name: MyAssignmentHelp Email: Send Email Organization: SolveMore Limited Website: https://myassignmenthelp.com/

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