How to Paraphrase Research Papers Effectively to Avoid Plagiarism?

When academic research papers in question, students are required to follow certain rules and uphold academic integrity, including avoiding plagiarizing their assignments.

But plagiarism isn’t always intentional—unintentional plagiarism can make its way to students’ research papers.

So, as a student, how can you paraphrase your research papers to remove plagiarism? We explain it below, but before we jump to it, let’s understand a few essential things.

What is Paraphrasing?

Numerous dictionaries, such as the OED, Merriam-Webster, and the Cambridge Dictionary, define paraphrasing as rewriting someone else’s words in your own words, often to make the meaning clearer.

Is it okay to Paraphrase Research Papers?

Students often question whether paraphrasing their sources is acceptable or not.

Though it is best to ask your professor whether they allow paraphrasing or not, it is generally accepted in most educational institutes.

Paraphrasing not only saves you from plagiarism but also gives you an alternate way to write your papers, saving you from over-citing and over-quoting.

That said, it’s okay to paraphrase your research papers, especially if your teachers allow it.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Students are advised to utilize different methods, such as citing and paraphrasing, to avoid plagiarism in their assignments.

1. Cite Your Sources

One of the most effective ways to avoid plagiarism is by giving credits to your sources. Citing your sources is the way to give credits.

A citation may include the author’s name, details about the document such as its name and URL, publishing date, and further details.

There are different ways to cite that you can learn and apply to avoid plagiarism in your assignments.

Remember that it is important to credit your sources even if you paraphrase the material instead.

2. Paraphrase the Sourced Material

The second essential technique to avoid plagiarism is paraphrasing your sources. Paraphrasing means writing the source material in your words.

The goal of paraphrasing is to avoid writing the material as it is and change it to a fair degree while also maintaining its original meaning.

Here’s how to Paraphrase properly to avoid plagiarism:

How to Paraphrase Effectively:

Paraphrasing just by looking at the source is not always effective. Here are some practical tips to help you paraphrase effectively:

• Read the source material carefully: The first thing you want to do when paraphrasing is reading the source material carefully and fully comprehending the meaning. Not understanding the source can lead to mistakes, which can lead to a legal penalty. So, ensure that you’ve read the material carefully at least once before rewriting it.

• Identify main points: As you read the source, try to identify main points and write them down. This helps you break down the source material and write only what is necessary, otherwise writing every detail will increase the chances of plagiarism, if the source is not cited.

• Break longer sentences into shorter ones: An essential aspect of paraphrasing is changing sentences. One of the techniques is to break longer sentences into smaller ones. It helps change the overall shape of the material.

• Combine shorter sentences: Another technique of paraphrasing is combining shorter sentences to form longer ones. You also don’t need to keep the wording as it is when restructuring the sentences.

• Use synonyms: Using synonyms is another effective way of paraphrasing; they allow you to avoid using the same words as the source. Proper use of synonyms also helps you paraphrase the material more concisely than it might be otherwise.

• Use Paraphraser.us: Paraphraser.us is an AI paraphrasing tool that can help you paraphrase your source materials without compromising on their meaning. Our word paraphraser paraphrases the text for you, except citing the sources. It uses advanced AI algorithms to rewrite written text and make it concise and unique.

• Proofread and check for mistakes: Lastly, don’t forget to proofread your work to look for mistakes and correct them. Mistakes in paraphrasing are not acceptable at all because a small mistake on your part can cause confusion and put the source’s integrity in question. So, be sure to check for mistakes.

Conclusion

Paraphrasing source material effectively is vital for avoiding plagiarism in your research papers. Some key paraphrasing practices include reading the source material thoroughly, identifying key points of the subject, restructuring sentences, replacing words with synonyms, using a paraphraser, and proofreading for mistakes.