In my doctoral program, we had an entire lesson and assignment on paraphrasing. We had to read about how to do it, and then we had to do it, and then a professor critiqued how we did it, and then we had to do it again.
If paraphrasing is a doctoral-level assignment, then it must be a big deal, right?
Actually, it is.
First, let’s talk about why we paraphrase. If you said, “So we don’t plagiarize,” you’re only a little bit right. Sure, rewriting a few sentences in your own words means you won’t get dinged on Turnitin or iThenticate or whatever plagiarism checker your university uses. It also means your professors probably won’t point out that you did a poor job paraphrasing because you’re often more familiar with the source you’re citing than they are.
But you’re not just a student writing your final, culminating paper to receive your degree. You’re a scholar. You’re an expert on your topic. And you want to show you fully understand everything you’re saying. To that end, here’s 6 foolproof ways to paraphrase like a boss.
1. Read the passage you want to paraphrase.
Read it again. Now maybe one or two more times to ensure you really, really get the meaning of the passage.
2. Set the original work aside.
Read it again. Now maybe one or two more times to ensure you really, really get the meaning of the passage.
3. Make a list.
Write down all the ideas, concepts, and points from the original related to the paragraph you’re writing. Be as detailed or as sparse as you want; only you know how you like to outline or prepare for writing.
4. Write your version of the author’s ideas.
Write down all the ideas, concepts, and points from the original related to the paragraph you’re writing. Be as detailed or as sparse as you want; only you know how you like to outline or prepare for writing.
5. Compare your version to the original.
Here’s a list of violations you’ll want to look out for:
- Using too many of the same words as the author you’re citing. Highlight the major words that appear in both passages to help you see where you need to make changes—and then make them.
- Using the same words or ideas in the same order as the original. Remember: Paraphrasing isn’t just changing the original language; it means presenting the information as you understand it, not just how the author wrote it.
- Introducing any new information that either contradicts the original author or says things they never intended. (Delete it.)
- “Paraphrasing” the passage sentence by sentence. Usually, a paraphrase is shorter than the original. You’re not summarizing every idea and word the original author used; you’re presenting the essence of what they said as it pertains to your study.
6. Make any necessary corrections.
If you committed too many of the violations in 5., go back to 2. and repeat as many steps as you need to produce a scholarly paraphrase.
Paraphrasing isn’t fun, especially at first. It takes a lot of work to retrain yourself to present someone else’s ideas without a surrounding pair of quotation marks. But just like any other skill (riding a bike, say, or learning how to write academically, like you did in this program), you can learn it, and you can master it. You can own it.
You can paraphrase like a boss.
If you’re still struggling with paraphrasing, you can find a lot of resources on the web. (Sometimes hearing it in different ways from different people is helpful.) You can consult a writing or a dissertation coach. Or you can find a paraphrase buddy in your doctoral program, reading each other’s original and paraphrased passages and providing feedback and suggestions. You can do this, boss!
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