29 Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing means to rewrite someone else’s idea in your own words without changing the original meaning while changing the structure of the original. A paraphrase is about the same length as the original.
Key Takeaways
Paraphrase to:
- avoid having too many quotes in your essay
- present, compare or contrast the contributions of others in your own writing style
- show that you understood the information you are using as you are not simply copying it, but rewording and restructuring it
Source: (Stern, 2007).
Paraphrasing in the AI Era
AI creates new challenges and opportunities for paraphrasing:
Inappropriate AI paraphrasing:
- Having AI paraphrase sources for you without acknowledgment
- Using AI to rewrite passages to avoid detection of copying
- Presenting AI paraphrases as your own understanding
Appropriate AI-assisted paraphrasing:
- Using AI to help you understand complex concepts that you then paraphrase in your own words
- Having AI suggest alternative ways to express your own ideas
- Using AI to check whether your paraphrase maintains the original meaning
Example process:
- Read and understand the original source yourself
- Write your paraphrase in your own words
- Use AI to check whether your paraphrase accurately represents the original
- Revise as needed and note any AI assistance
