Paraphrasing a Source

When should I paraphrase source material?

Some reasons for paraphrasing source material include...

-- avoiding plagiarism.
-- condensing ideas into concise statements.
-- reducing the amount of quoted material in a paper.
-- clarifing complex ideas.

Remember: If the idea is not yours, you must give credit to the original author by stating both the author’s name and the text from which you got the idea.  When paraphrasing, you must also use a parenthetical reference as a way of acknowledging that the idea is not wholly original and that it came from a specific text.

Guidelines for writing a good paraphrase:

-- Carefully read the passage you intend to use in your paper.
-- Define terms that are unfamiliar to a general audience.
-- Clarify complex ideas.
-- Replace common words with synonyms.
-- Replace unfamiliar or esoteric language with more familiar terms.
-- Provide examples to explain difficult concepts.
-- Avoid using the same sentence structure as the original.
-- Reread the paraphrase to ensure it is accurate.