Paraphrasing and Avoiding Plagiarism

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(Academic Integrity)

Academic Integrity uses Critical Thinking

Your lecturer doesn’t just want to see that you have found the required information for an assignment. They also want to know that you have understood it, thought

about it, and know how it relates to your ideas. This is called critical thinking.

Showing your lecturer you are engaging with your readings, and that you’re thinking and learning, is all part of acting with integrity.

KEY TERMS• Note-making: As distinct from

note-taking, note-making is thinking about the work of others to create short points on that work.

• Quoting: Copying the exact words

from another source into your work.

• Paraphrasing: Achieved through restructuring sentences and paragraphs and by replacing the words of others with your own words, while retaining the original meaning.

School of Education

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

KEY TERMS Summarising: Extracting the main

ideas from another source and then condensing them into a brief overview.

Synthesising: Combining different aspects of your notes, paraphrases and summaries to produce a new meaning or emphasis.

Referencing: Referring to another work or person from whom you have taken information for your assignment.

Plagiarism: Plagiarising is stealing the work of others.

How different do…

• Quoting,

• Paraphrasing and

• Summarising look?

• Quoting is copying the exact words from another source into your work.• Identified by quotation marks (use double “...” unless instructed to use single –

most importantly, be consistent).• For citations of long quotes (check your style guide for how many words), block

quotes should be used. A block quote is indented and written on a new line. Itdoes not have quotation marks around it.

• YOU MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE SOURCE.

Quoting

• Quotations should be used sparingly: they should never dominate your work, for it is yourown scholarly “voice” weaving the information or building the argument.

• Always have a reason for including a quotation.• Quotations should be introduced with your words.• Once you have finished the quotation, it is also good practice to comment further upon it.• The three main elements required to cite quotations are: the author’s surname, the year, and

the page number in brackets (note variations for websites, etc.; see the Library’s referencingguides).

Source: http://www.apastyle.org/

When and how to quote

APA 6th Ed

Quotation – what it looks like in 3 different referencing styles

“Conflict refers to … antagonistic interaction in which one party attempts to thwart the … goals of another” (Koehler, 1984, p. 121).

“Conflict refers to … antagonistic interaction in which one party attempts to thwart the … goals of another.”

“Conflict refers to … antagonistic interaction in which one party attempts to thwart the … goals of another” (Koehler 1984, 121). Chicago 16th Ed

Vancouver1

What is it?

Firstly, remember that it is a PROCESS, not just an end product.

Using words and ideas of others in your assignment.

Different to quoting.

Putting others’ words into your own “voice”.

Restructuring others’ sentences to fit your style.

Paraphrasing

Why use it?

Can encourage the use of your own writing style or "voice“.

Can demonstrate critical thinking more directly than using a quote.

YOU MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE SOURCE.

Paraphrasing

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Source texts

Essay Topic/Provisional Thesis Statement

Notes, summaries, concept maps

Essay

READ, NOTE-MAKE and WRITE with these in mind

Make relevant notes, concept maps, summaries – further process these

Incorporate material into your essay through quotations, paraphrases,

and summaries

Reference all material taken from source texts

Remember to record fullbibliographical details of

all texts

Source: Better Essays – The Learning Centre http://studyskills.curtin.edu.au/essays/

What is it?

Extracting the main ideas from another source.

Much shorter than the original.

Putting others’ words into your own “voice”.

Practise summarising

Read the extract.

Underline main ideas.

Write notes.

Summarising

Using your notes, without looking at the original (only check if you need to), explain the main idea of the extract to your peer.

Coral reefs maintain extraordinary biodiversity and provide protection from tsunamisand storm surge, but inshore coral reef health is degrading in many regions due todeteriorating water quality. Deconvolving natural and anthropogenic changes to waterquality is hampered by the lack of long term, dated water quality data but such recordsare required for forward modelling of reef health to aid their management. Reef coralsprovide an excellent archive of high resolution geochemical (trace element) proxies thatcan span hundreds of years and potentially provide records used through the Holocene.Hence, geochemical proxies in corals hold great promise for understanding changes inancient water quality that can inform broader oceanographic and climatic changes in agiven region.

Give SUMMARISING a go!

Coral skeletal geochemistry as a monitor of inshore water quality by Narottam Saha, Gregory E.Webb & Jian-Xin Zhao Science of The Total Environment Volumes 566–567, 1 October 2016, Pages 652-684 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.066

Original:

Water quality data is crucial to keep updated to determine andmanage how climate changes in specific regions affect inner coralreefs, which are an invaluable source of trace element records datingback to the Holocene period (Saha, Webb & Zhao, 2016, 652).

Summary

Chicago 16th B referencing

A summary is much shorter and encompasses a general idea

Paraphrasing and Summarising

They serve a different purpose.

To summarise is to impart the information succinctly.

To paraphrase is to extrapolate the main essence to use as supporting evidence to your argument.

Many membrane peptides and proteins exhibit potent antimicrobial and antibacterialactivities. They achieve this function by rupturing the cell membranes of the targetorganism. Antimicrobial peptides are produced by many animals, including humans, asan innate immune response against bacteria, fungi, and virus. The membrane-boundstructure of the peptides gives insights into how they destroy the membrane. Forexample, a peptide bound to the surface of the lipid bilayer most likely destroys themembrane by micellization, while a peptide inserted into the bilayer probably kills thecell by forming pores (Hong, 2006, p. 178).

Paraphrasing Process

Membrane peptides and proteins have strong antimicrobial and antibacterial activities.They do this by breaking apart the cell membranes of the target organism. Antimicrobialpeptides arise from many animals, including humans, as a natural immune responseagainst bacteria, fungi, and virus. The membrane-bound structure of the peptidessuggests how they destroy the membrane. A peptide bound to the surface of the lipidbilayer most likely destroys the membrane by micellization, while a peptide inserted intothe bilayer probably kills the cell by forming pores.

Paraphrase Attempt Number One

Some word substitution. No change in sentence structure. Last sentence quoted but not acknowledged. Entire paragraph not acknowledged.

Paraphrasing Process

Paraphrase Attempt Number One

Membranepeptides and proteins have strong antimicrobial and antibacterial activities.They do this by breaking apart the cell membranes of the target organism. Antimicrobialpeptides arise from many animals, including humans, as a natural immune responseagainst bacteria, fungi, and virus. The membrane-bound structure of the peptidessuggests how they destroy the membrane. “Apeptide bound to the surface of the lipidbilayer most likely destroys the membrane by micellization, while a peptide inserted intothe bilayer probably kills the cell by forming pores” (Hong, 2006, p. 178).

Paraphrase Attempt Number Two

Some word substitution. No change in sentence structure. Last sentence quoted and acknowledged. Entire paragraph not acknowledged.

Paraphrasing Process

Paraphrase Attempt Number Two

This one is correct!

One important function of membrane peptides and proteins is the ability to protectagainst bacteria, fungi and virus. Humans have “an innate immune response” (Hong,2006, p. 178), which involves the production of antimicrobial peptides. Although themechanism is uncertain, a harmful organism is likely destroyed through a process ofmicellization, followed by pores being formed through interaction with the peptide intothe lipid bilayer (Hong, 2006, p. 178).

Paraphrase Attempt Number Three

Deconvolving natural and anthropogenic changes to water quality is hampered by thelack of long term, dated water quality data but such records are required for forwardmodelling of reef health to aid their management.

Give Paraphrasing a go!

Source: Chicago 16th referencinghttp://libguides.library.curtin.edu.au/referencing/

Original:

When paraphrasing, you are encouraged to provide page or paragraph numbers to help the reader locate the information, but not essential.

The improvement of ocean water quality and management of coral reef sustainabilityhas been impeded by the lack of long term, up-to-date water quality records : to reversethe damage to ocean waters and manage coral reef sustainability, it is important tomaintain these records (Saha, Webb & Zhao, 2016, 652).

Paraphrase Example

Source: Coral skeletal geochemistry as a monitor of inshore water quality by NarottamSaha, Gregory E.Webb& Jian-Xin Zhao Science of The Total Environment Volumes 566–567, 1 October 2016, Pages 652-684

What is it?

Combines parts from your notes, paraphrases, summaries, quotes to give a new meaning or emphasis.

Brings different strands together in a new pattern or proposes alternative solutions.

Generalises from facts.

Summarising and paraphrasing draw on one text at a time; synthesising, in contrast, draws together ideas of more than one text, giving strength to your argument.

Synthesising

“Conflict refers to hostile or antagonistic interaction in which one party attempts tothwart the intentions or goals of another. Conflict is natural and occurs in all teams andorganizations. However, too much conflict can be destructive, tear relationships apart,and interfere with the healthy exchange of ideas and information needed for teamdevelopment and cohesiveness” (Koehler, 1984, p. 121).

“Conflict occurs in all organisations: it can energize a company when respected as partof the creative process and managed professionally. Unfortunately, in many teamenvironments, personal opinions and self-interest interfere within the exchange ofinformation, inhibiting best outcomes for the organisation” (Brown, 2011, p. 57).

Synthesis: have a go!Original:

Although conflict is natural in all organisations, it can be detrimental to the progress andgrowth of an organisation (Brown, 2011; Koehler, 1984).

Synthesis Exemplar

Note: multiple bracketed citations are in alphabetical order.

Authorial prominent

How to introduce words/ideas of others (quote, paraphrase or summary)

Information prominent

2 styles!

Seminal author – if this author says it, it must be good! This author is saying something quite different from most others. You want to contrast differing viewpoints of authors.

Authorial prominentAs the name implies, the author stands out!Choose this style, for a particular reason:

Although Parsons (1981) strongly promotes methods of classroom discipline, Johnson (2008) gives clear evidence that “constructively managed controversy” has a positive effect on the learning that takes place in the classroom.

One of the most important factors in good conversation techniques isknowing how to address the other (Kaye 1994).

Use this style if using more than 1 source of evidence: when synthesising.

Information prominent

Try to write MOST of your citations in this style

Stereotyping can lead to patronising, sexist labelling (Kaye 1994; Williams 2009).

Acknowledging the original source or

secondary source from which you have

obtained information or ideas you are using for your assignment.

Good scholarship requires attention to

detail, so carefully follow Curtin’s

Referencing Style Guides.

Referring to another work or person from

whom you have taken information or ideas to

give strength to the argument of your

assignment.

See The Library homepage for online

programs and resources, Database Search, EndNote and

other related hands-on workshops.

Referencing - In a nutshell, what is it?

This is done via in-text citation and a

reference list at the end of your work.

How do I structure an essay AND –more so, WHAT

does my lecturer want?

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get through ALL that reading, AND –

more appropriately, HOW can I

UNDERSTAND it?

How do I avoid plagiarism, BUT –

more purposefully, HOW do I reference properly and well?

What does critical analysis mean, AND – more importantly,

HOW do I do it?

LINKSThe Library

Online courses and resources

Better Referencing

Referencing Guides

https://library.curtin.edu.au/

http://studyskills.curtin.edu.au/better-referencing

https://students.curtin.edu.au/study-support/skills/

http://libguides.library.curtin.edu.au/referencing/

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