What is the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism

To ethically and lawfully use another's information, you must paraphrase and cite sources properly. There are times when it is difficult to know where the line is drawn between paraphrasing and plagiarism. The best way to represent your work, as well as another's, is to use your own words to represent your understanding, while still giving the originator of the idea the credit she deserves for her work on the subject.

To paraphrase a source, you must use your own words to express the ideas that you obtained during your research. In essence, you are interpreting and organizing your understanding of the material. You can use some quotes in a paraphrase if you use word-for-word information.

Academic dishonesty can occur intentionally or unintentionally, and varies in severity. It can encompass paying for a pre-written essay, cheating on an exam, or committing plagiarism. However, paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you correctly cite the source. This means including an in-text citation and a full reference, formatted according to your required citation style.

As well as citing, make sure that any paraphrased text is completely rewritten in your own words. However, the word correctly is vital.

In order to avoid plagiarism , you must adhere to the guidelines of your citation style e. Want to contact us directly? No problem. We are always here for you. Scribbr specializes in editing study-related documents.

We proofread:. You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github. Frequently asked questions See all. Home Frequently asked questions What is the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing?

What is the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing? So when does paraphrasing count as plagiarism? Paraphrasing is plagiarism if your text is too close to the original wording even if you cite the source. If you directly copy a sentence or phrase, you should quote it instead. Frequently asked questions: Plagiarism What is global plagiarism? Does Turnitin check self-plagiarism?

Can you plagiarize yourself? Beware of these paraphrasing hazards… Changing only some of the words—if you change only a few words or include various phrases from the original source in your paraphrase, you are committing plagiarism!

Changing words but keeping the same sentence structure and order of presentation—paraphrasing must be more than substituting synonyms for every word in the original. Rewrite the source. If you do not change the sentence structure and order of presentation, you are committing plagiarism! Adding ideas or explanation—the paraphrase should reflect the source accurately. Explanation of the paraphrase should come in your own subsequent discussion, not in the paraphrase itself.

Adding interpretation or assessment—the paraphrase should not include your evaluation or judgment of the ideas. Evaluate afterwards. The paraphrase must be objective and not include any emotive or sarcastic words in the paraphrase.

Creating a straw man fallacy—writers who exaggerate or misrepresent the source in a way that makes it an easier target for rebuttal commit the straw man fallacy. Even though the writer mentions the original source in the introductory phrase, the result is plagiarism. Although the writer has changed the structure of the sentence, key phrases have been taken directly from the original.

Skip to main content. Exactly what does "paraphrase" mean? Original Plagiarism Paraphrasing Because of their unique perspective, Americans fear globalization less than anyone else, and as a consequence they think about it less than anyone else.

Source: Thurow, L. Fortune Favors the Bold p. New York: Harper Collins. Why is this plagiarism? Why is this acceptable? Complete Thurow reference appears in bibliography What strategies can I use to paraphrase? Change the structure of the sentence. Change the voice from active to passive and vice versa. Change clauses to phrases and vice versa.

Change parts of speech. Example 1 Original Acceptable Paraphrase 1.