How to Avoid Plagiarism: Paraphrasing and Summarizing for Beginners

Don't forget to cite the source that the quote comes from! Text-based tutorials: Video tutorials: Required customized aid? Curators are available 365 days/nights each year! Notices Examine here for updates about any continuous technical blackouts and issues in the library.

When should I paraphrase, and when should I summarize? To paraphrase means to reiterate somebody else's ideas in your own language at approximately the very same level of detail. To summarize means to decrease the most necessary points of another person's work into a shorter form. Along with quote, paraphrase and summary offer the main tools for incorporating your sources into your papers.

For instance, literature evaluations in science reports rely nearly solely on summary. Argumentative essays, by contrast, count on all 3 tools. Paraphrase and summary are important in argumentative papers since they permit you to consist of other people's concepts without cluttering up your paragraphs with quotes. These techniques assist you take greater control of your essay.

Area constraints might assist you in your choice. But above all, believe about how much of the information from your source relates to your argument. If your reader needs to know only the bare bones, then sum up. Though paraphrase and summary are often more suitable to quotation, do not rely too heavily on them, either.

Permit yourself the area to develop those ideas. How do I paraphrase? Whenever you paraphrase, keep in mind these two points: You must offer a reference. The paraphrase should be in your own words. You must do more than merely alternative phrases occasionally. You need to likewise develop your own sentence structures.

Focus, rather, on filtering the concepts through your own understanding. The following method will make the task of paraphrasing a lot simpler: When you are at the note-taking stage, and you stumble upon a passage that may work for your essay, do not copy the passage verbatim unless you think you will wish to quote it.

You do not even need to utilize full sentences. In your note, you need to currently be equating the language of the original into your own words. What matters is that you capture the initial idea. Make certain to write the source as well as the page number so that you can make a proper reference in the future.