Paraphrasing & Plagiarism
Use this flowchart to determine if you are paraphrasing or plagiarizing, and to decide when to use a citation.
Use this flowchart to determine if you are paraphrasing or plagiarizing, and to decide when to use a citation.
Paraphrasing Strategies
Paraphrasing Strategies
Strategy 1: Chunking
Depending on text complexity, select only one or two sentences at a time to read and summarize.
Strategy 2: Read - Look Away – Reread
Read a few sentences.
Look away from the source. What key words or ideas did you remember?
Look back at your source and reread. Write down what sticks.
Strategy 3: Use a Dictionary/Thesaurus
Look up words you don’t know.
Hint: Keep an online dictionary open on your computer and toggle back and forth between your resource and the dictionary.
Strategy 4: Take What You Need and Leave the Rest
Do not feel like you have to use all of the information that is in the source you are using. Choose the main ideas and key concepts and leave the rest behind.