Paraphrasing
It's a great idea, but the essay was written in 1910, so it's expressed in language that's a little old-fashioned. Or it's a brilliant thought, but you just wouldn't say it that way – it's very technical and wouldn't fit into the flow of your paper. How do you include references to ideas expressed by others without using direct quotations? Paraphrase – and include a full citation.
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A paraphrase of a sentence in an article will usually be about the same length as the original sentence – just in your own words.
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As with quotations, paraphrases should be used sparingly – a paper should be a balance between thoughts of other scholars and your original ideas.
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A paper composed mostly or entirely of paraphrases from other authors is very likely to be described as 'patchworking' (discussed later in this tutorial). Even if you have cited every paraphrase correctly, you've forgotten to include your own analysis!
Examples of Paraphrasing:
CSE Style |
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| Original |
However, although humans are comparatively poor sprinters, they also engage in a different type of running, endurance running (ER), defined as running many kilometres over extended time periods using aerobic metabolism. Bramble DM, Lieberman DE. 2004. Endurance running and the evolution of Homo. Nature 438:345-52. |
| Paraphrase |
Having limited success in sprinting compared to other mammals, humans perform better in endurance running, which is a form of aerobic running over extended distances and periods of time (Bramble and Lieberman 2004). |
APA Style |
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| Original |
In the current paper we will be examining responses to a particular type of imposter; the vegetarian who eats meat. We chose this example because the core norm of the vegetarian is very clear (to not eat meat), and violation of the norm is easily recognized. Hornsey, M.J. & Jetten, J. (2003). Not being what you claim to be: impostors as
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Paraphrase |
Hornsey and Jetten (2003) investigated group responses to impostors. For the purposes of their study, the impostors were defined as vegetarians who go against the norm by eating meat. The “violation of the norm” in this particular situation is easily noticed (Hornsey and Jetten, p. 641). |
MLA Style |
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| Original |
In The Sopranos, the mob is besieged as much by inner infidelity as it is by the federal government. Early in the series, the greatest threat to Tony's Family is his own biological family. One of his closest associates turns witness for the FBI, his mother colludes with his uncle to contract a hit on Tony, and his kids click through Web sites that track the federal crackdown in Tony's gangland. Fields, Ingrid Walker. “Family Values and Feudal Codes: The Social Politics of
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Paraphrase |
In the first season of The Sopranos, Tony Soprano’s mobster activities are more threatened by members of his biological family than by agents of the federal government. This familial betrayal is multi-pronged. Tony’s closest friend and associate is an FBI informant, his mother and uncle are conspiring to have him killed, and his children are surfing the Web for information about his activities (Fields). |
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