Library FAQs

According to the APA Style website, "A paraphrase restates another’s idea (or your own previously published idea) in your own words. Paraphrasing allows you to summarize and synthesize information from one or more sources, focus on significant information, and compare and contrast relevant details.

Published authors paraphrase their sources most of the time, rather than directly quoting the sources; student authors should emulate this practice by paraphrasing more than directly quoting." 

Students sometimes feel unsure about how to paraphrase correctly or improve their paraphrasing skills. Here are some reputable resources to help:

• The Purdue OWL page Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words includes steps to effective paraphrasing along with some examples of acceptable and unacceptable paraphrasing.
• The Purdue OWL page Sample Essay for Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting also gives examples of paraphrasing. 
• The Purdue OWL page Paraphrasing includes strategies for better paraphrasing along with some examples.
• The APA Style website includes a handout, Paraphrasing and Citation Activities, with activities and answers about how to paraphrase and then complete in-text citations and reference list entries appropriately. 
• Turnitin's blog post, Exploring the gray area: Understanding Paraphrasing as a Potential Path to Pagiarism, offers additional guidance.

For more citation help, see the library's Citation Help page  or Ask a Librarian. For more about plagiarism, see the library's Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Resources: For Students page or Ask a Librarian. TC3's tutoring services are also a resource for help with writing, including paraphrasing.