Academic papers allow the writer to restate someone else’s ideas in the form of paraphrasing. While the words are different, it is still important to refer to the original source by way of a citation.
When writing essays, theses, dissertations, research papers, journal submissions, etc., students often quote words or sentences from external sources. This not only provides clarity but can also add weight to the writer’s viewpoint.
However, the writer cannot afford to litter the document with verbatim quotations all over the place. At times, they can choose to paraphrase another writer’s ideas by restating the text in different words. Paraphrasing is also a useful tool to clarify complex ideas and make them easier to understand for the reader.
Paraphrasing is usually considered better than quotations in English editing as the writer is elaborating another person’s thoughts in his own words or style. The idea remains the same and adds credibility to the writer’s work, yet the work seems more original. The paraphrasing can be weaved into the document so that the flow and readability become better.
The following are some tips on paraphrasing in academic writing:
- It is imperative to rewrite the selected text in your own words in such a way that it is not too close to the original wording.
- Change the sentence structure as well – like from active to passive and so on.
- Usually synonyms are used to change the wording of text.
- You can play around by breaking long sentences into two or joining small sentences.
- Yet, the idea and meaning of the text should remain the same. You cannot add your own views either.
- The number of words should remain close to the original.
- If any words or phrases from the original document are used, they should always be placed in quotation marks.
Last but not least, just like quotations, it is necessary to cite the source for the paraphrasing. There are different styles for citing the original source like APA, MLA, etc. Usually, the name of the article, book or website should be mentioned along with the page number, year of publication and the author.
Presenting the information as your own is tantamount to plagiarism. The citation will give credit for the idea, example, evidence or other information where it is due. It is also handy for the reader to follow up or find out more about the topic, if needed.
Editing and proofreading comes in handy for checking the paraphrasing as well. For instance, professional thesis editing will not just weed out typos, grammatical mistakes and the like. They will also comb through the document to check whether you have missed any citations or even whether a paraphrase is too similar to the original. This will help avoid accusations of plagiarism later on.
In fact, skilled editing and proofreading by native English experts will check the entire document and polish it till it shines like a diamond!
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