Is paraphrasing plagiarism?
No, it’s not and here is why:
What Is Proper Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is simply changing the way the original message was delivered in your own words. This means other authors can present someone else’s content or ideas as their own as long as they give credit to the original author.
Read the original text and fully understand it as a whole > translate the content into main points or concept in your own words
Paraphrasing is good for:
- Turn long-form content into short form (Long story short type of translation)
- Combine multiple sources to convey concise information
- Direct quotation for well-worded content that may lose meaning by paraphrasing
Example:
Original
“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? / Deny thy father and refuse thy name; / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.880–884).
Paraphrased
“Juliet muses about why Romeo’s family name is Montague and concludes that if either gave up their name (and thereby their family affiliations) for the other, they could be together” (Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.880–884).
What Is Incorrect Paraphrasing
Improper paraphrasing is usually about presenting content or idea while claiming the work as their own, either with or without citation. In addition, the wrong interpretation of the content is the worst. The author must fully understand the meaning before putting it in their own words.
Lastly, paraphrasing by simply changing a few words and omitting other words is not enough to be considered proper paraphrasing.
How To Define Plagiarism
Plagiarism is taking other people’s original work and presenting it as if it was someone’s own. It’s not a crime, but it’s considered a breaking of the creator ethics code.
There are 4 types of plagiarism, and please avoid these four:
Direct plagiarism – Literally word for word copy, without citation or quotation marks
Accidental plagiarism – Misquoting sources without due diligence
Self plagiarism – This is more of academic misconduct. It’s about presenting previous work to current assignment
Mosaic plagiarism – Also known as patch writing. This happens when someone copies work from a source without using quotation marks
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