How do I paraphrase?

1.  Read the material closely until you fully understand it.

2.  On a separate piece of paper, job down key bullet points of the passage.

3.  Using your bullet points - and not the original passage - write it in your own words.

4.  Compare both versions to make sure yours accurately reflects the original.

5.  Give it an in-text citation: just because it's now in your own words, it originated somewhere else.

Why is paraphrasing so important?

• because you don't want to overuse direct quotes in your paper
• it shows your professor that you are understanding the material
• it helps you develop critical thinking skills

What do I have to know about paraphrasing?

• you must always CITE a paraphrase within the text, just as you would a direct quotation (see the videos below to learn how to do an in-text citation in APA or MLA format)
• you must be careful NOT to misinterpret the original text in your paraphrase
• you have to put the information in YOUR OWN WORDS