Research Guides: Research Handbook: Paraphrasing

The essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form (i.e., your own words)
A more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea

It is better than quoting information from an undistinguished passage
It helps control the temptation to quote too much
The mental process required for successful paraphrasing helps in grasping the full meaning of the original content

Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
Set the original aside and write your paraphrase.
Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. Add a note or comment at the start of the paraphrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form. Make any changes as necessary.
Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
Record the source (including page number) next to the paraphrase so that you can credit it easily if you decided to incorporate the material into your project.

Ask Us 24/7

Location: Learning Commons

Phone: 518-381-1235