DCU Writing Centre
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is rewriting information that you learned from an external source such
as a book, journal or webpage into your own words. It is used alongside quoting and
summarising to form arguments or discuss topics.
How to Paraphrase?
You must focus on retaining the meaning of the information but apply your own
language to reflect your understanding of the concepts. In-text citations and references
are required for any paraphrased material.
Example
Original Material
Paraphrased Material
How to Paraphrase?
You must focus on retaining the
meaning of the information but apply
your own language to reflect your
understanding of the concepts. In-text
citations and references are required
for any paraphrased material.
Paraphrasing involves using your own
words to blend the author’s original
meaning into your writing, demonstrating
that you understand their ideas. You
should always cite and reference
paraphrased ideas (DCU Writing Centre,
2020).
Steps in Paraphrasing1
1. Read the paragraph or section which you want to paraphrase.
2. Focus on understanding the main ideas.
3. From memory, briefly bullet point the key concepts.
4. Using the information in the summary bullet points, try to write your own version,
blending it into your existing writing. The information may not necessarily be in the
same order as the bullet points.
5. Double check the original text to make sure that you have understood and conveyed
the author’s meaning correctly, and that you are not missing any essential facts.
6. Make sure that your wording is different from the original and truly your own.
7. Always add the correct citation after the paraphrased material.
1
Adapted from Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006) Writing Academic English. 4th edn. White Plains,
NY: Pearson Longman. The Longman Academic Writing Series, Level 4.
