Sources if you need help figuring out where to look for this kind of definition. Paraphrasing academic integrity libguides at central. Advice on how to paraphrase and quote in an efficient and correct manner is provided here. Paraphrase definition is a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form. A paraphrase that is too close to the original is called patchwriting, and this is regarded as a form of plagiarism. And when i looked closely at her examples, i realized that journalists. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.
This handout compares and contrasts the three terms, gives some pointers, and includes a short excerpt that you can use to practice these skills. Writers often refer to other texts through paraphrasing. Paraphrasing and patchwriting academic writing is largely reliant on the skill of paraphrasing to demonstrate that the author can capture the essence of what they have read, they understand what they have read and can use the appropriately acknowledged evidence in support of their responses fillenbaum, 1970. Paraphrasing is an important tool to use when writing research papers, essays, and pieces of journalism. You have to cite your source, even when paraphrasing, but you dont use quotation marks if you are putting the concept into your own words. Paraphrasing is the third technique, and it is the one that is the most difficult to master.
For examples of paraphrasing, consider these possible rewordings. Student guide to understanding and avoiding plagiarism in the. When you decide to paraphrase a source, you are using the idea that you have read, but you are using it in your own words. Paraphrasing is putting the ideas of an author into your own words. A paraphrase is a restatement of a text in another form or other words, often to simplify or clarify meaning. A precise restatement, in your own words, of the written or spoken words of someone else.
Its especially important to avoid the trap of academic theft. Their description contains a definition of patchwriting that is similar to. The ability to paraphrase, whether orally, visually, or in writing, is directly related to how well the material has been understood. Mar 26, 2016 definition to get a better understanding of their differences, let us first define the meaning of a summary vs. The central idea of a passage is often found in the topic sentence of a paragraph or in the thesis statement of an essay. The practice includes everything from repurposing someone elses words to kidnapping anothers ideas and dressing them up as your own. Some teachers and scholars argue that when patchwriting is accompanied by some form of citation, it should not be classified as plagiarism or as ethical or moral misconduct. Patchwriting happens when you rephrase a portion of source material, but your language remains too close to the vocabulary andor sentence structure of the original text. When you paraphrase, youll include information from sources in your own words, so your professors will still know youre using sources, but you wont have to quote everything. This video gives two examples of how to paraphrase. Patchwork writing, or patchwriting, is a new name for an old problem. It is very important, however, to paraphrase correctly because there is a fine balance. Patchwriting one of the most common mistakes a student makes is bad paraphrasing. This is a lesser charge than plagiarism if the original author is credited.
Both paraphrasing and summarizing are allowed and accepted till due. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Sep 18, 2012 patchwriting is often a failed attempt at paraphrasing, howard said. A student may change a few sentences around and swap a few words to avoid plagiarism char. In fact, approaches to theorizing plagiarism and paraphrasing have become more nuanced through howards development of this term, defined as copying from a source text and then deleting some words, altering grammatical. Framing and signaling referencesworks cited page what if you do want to include some direct quotations. Their description contains a definition of patchwriting that is similar to professor howards. It is important to be very thorough when you paraphrase. Aug 23, 2016 according to the free plagiarism book created by unplag, patchwriting is cutting and pasting material without adding anything of the value to the content.
Summary, synthesis, paraphrasing, patchwork, and plagiarism. These are an absolute must when dealing with scientific concepts. When i put down words that i say somebody said they neednt be the exact words, just what you might call the meaning. University of southern mississippi university college toronto patchwork writing or patchwriting. Mar 28, 2012 in order for students to participate and contribute to their academic discipline, students need to learn the processes of sourcebased writing. A brief restatement, in your own words, of the content of a passage, focusing on the central ideas. According to the free plagiarism book created by unplag, patchwriting is cutting and pasting material without adding anything of the value to the content.
With increasing instruction in paraphrase as an acceptable method of reproducing the ideas of others came the recognition that sometimes when students produce. Two firstyear students strategies for writing from sources. Paraphrasing presenting the ideas and information you have read in your own words is an important academic skill. Clearly, patchwriting is a form of paraphrasing plagiarism. You have to cite your source, even when paraphrasing, but you dont. Rather than copying a statement word for word, the writer is rearranging phrases and changing tenses, but is relying too. Paraphrasing helps the quality of your paper by explaining another persons thoughts in your own writing style, improving the flow and readability. See this example, where the verbatim terms are in quotes, and the structure is.
When the exact words of a source matterthat is, when you want to analyze or distinguish the. The unit director or designee s is the point of contact for questions concerning this policy. Often, patchwriting is unintentional and it typically occurs when a paraphrase is too close to the original text, in structure as well as in style and vocabulary. If your text is too close to the source text, consider quoting instead of paraphrasing. Mar 19, 2020 paraphrasing is the third technique, and it is the one that is the most difficult to master.
The key is to do so without altering the meaning of the idea itself. Reword and format your writing in an original way, and try to avoid using too many similar words or phrases from the source. If the paraphrasing is not done in a proper fashion, but resembles the source text that is, the text on which it is based too much, the risk of patchwriting occurs. It is a necessary academic skill to paraphrase ideas when writing and reading.
Paraphrasing academic writing in english, lund university. Paraphrasing academic integrity libguides at central penn. Being able to read it, and present it in a new and different way allows you to hold credit for the information, but you can paraphrase it by adding in a direct quote from the original author. See a longer definition of patchwriting supplied by lewis and clark college, or the longer plagiarism tutorial. Patchwriting academic writing in english, lund university. Are paraphrasing tools affecting the development of. Patchwriting dictionary definition patchwriting defined. Successfully paraphrasing without plagiarizing involves a bit of a dance. Paraphrasing, by definition, is taking the authors words and ideas and restating them in your own words. This is paraphrasing using your own words to express someone elses message or ideas. At dawn on sunday, 8 january 1815, as the mist cleared, the british army attacked the heavily defended ditch and rampart guarding new orleans.
The implications for student skills in paraphrasing, academic integrity and the clues to assist staff in identifying the use of online paraphrasing tools are discussed. Paraphrasing, specifically ineffective paraphrasing, has been considered along with another phenomenon, patchwriting. Summarizing involves putting the main idea s into your own. Paraphrasing, by definition, is taking the authors words and ideas and restating them in. The instructor, mark pseudonym, our initial contact in this study, was an englishl1 expatriate from the uk, had taught fulltime at hu for more than five years, but had lived in hong kong for about ten years and could speak fluent. The term most commonly used in the usa is patchwriting, although the definition of that term is not fixed and neither is the classification of patchwriting as plagiarism. As with any other academic project, when you are working on the ifixit technical writing project you need to adhere to your institutions code of conduct. All patchwriting is a kind of paraphrase, but successful paraphrase is not. Remember, when paraphrasing, do not just substitute synonyms for original words.
How to avoid plagiarism in research papers part 2 enago. Write down the thoughts behind the original words, not the words themselves. Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing purdue writing lab. Paraphrasing is a crucial concept to be aware of when it comes to writing something important, like an essay.
Patchwriting is more common than plagiarism, just as dishonest. Read aloud each example that cites the original text. Definition to get a better understanding of their differences, let us first define the meaning of a summary vs. Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. Summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting and not patchwriting. Paraphrasing is a method by saying important data from an outside source. Jul 24, 2015 the term most commonly used in the usa is patchwriting, although the definition of that term is not fixed and neither is the classification of patchwriting as plagiarism. Paraphrasing is the ability to take in, comprehend, synthesize, and express information in an original manner.
This means knowing and recognizing the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism. As seen in this pr 2020 blog post, patchwriting isnt fullon. Here is an example of plagiarism that is not patchwriting. By translating content from your research into your own words, you demonstrate to your reader that youve understood and are able to convey this content. In this paper we focus on two firstyear students and one instructor. When you paraphrase, says brenda spatt, you retain everything about the original writing but the words. Allegations of misconduct in scholarly work performed by faculty and staff, and students for work performed outside of coursework, shall be processed under policy 150. All patchwriting is a kind of paraphrase, but successful paraphrase is not patchwritten. Paraphrasing and summarizing are both related terms. This handout is intended to help you become more comfortable with the uses of and distinctions among quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.
Patchwriting is essentially patching together direct quotes or different pieces of information that are too close to the source. Remember, youre still using anothers idea so youll need to include a. Exact same length as the source, unless you follow the rules for adding or deleting material from a quote. Poynters kelly mcbride defines patchwriting as a failed attempt at paraphrasing. Paraphrasing writing information in your own words is a highly acceptable way to include the ideas of other people in your writing. Distinguishing paraphrasing from patchwriting the mla style center. This quiz tests you on how to go about paraphrasing. A casual comment by a student alerted the authors to the existence and prevalence of internetbased paraphrasing tools.
Paraphrasing and summarizing are essential techniques for an effective and efficient essay. Patchwriting is often a failed attempt at paraphrasing, howard said. Paraphrasing simply means changing the words remaining the same meaning of the sentences. Patchwriting was coined by professor rebecca moore howard in 1993, with description of copying from a source text and then deleting some words, altering grammatical structures, or plugging in oneforone synonymsubstitutes. Many of the different types of plagiarism usually found in student work include incorrectly paraphrased material. After all, your assignment is to write a paper, not copy and paste a paper instead of copying a bunch of quotes to prove that youve done your research, try paraphrasing. Paraphrase definition of paraphrase by merriamwebster. If a journalist has mirrored the language of another author save for a few word substitutions, they may be guilty of patchwriting. Clearly, correct attribution and paraphrasing are important lessons to be learned, and not.
In order for students to participate and contribute to their academic discipline, students need to learn the processes of sourcebased writing. Two firstyear students strategies for writing from. Differences in quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing quotation paraphrase summary difference difference difference matches the source word for word. Jan 26, 2017 a casual comment by a student alerted the authors to the existence and prevalence of internetbased paraphrasing tools.
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