How to Work with Information from Sources

Writing Paraphrases

To paraphrase a passage, you should follow four steps. In this demonstration, we follow the progress of student writer Aaron Batty and see how he paraphrased a passage from a source he used in his research writing project: "Taiwan Asks U.S. to Let It Obtain Top-Flight Arms," an article first published in the New York Times and then presented on the Web at http://taiwansecurity.org/NYT/NYT-030100-Arms.htm. (Note that this demonstration uses APA style for documentation. If you are using an alternate style, consult the appropriate guidebook for that documentation style.)

Four Important Steps to Remember When Paraphrasing:

• Step 1: Make sure that you understand the passage by reading it and the surrounding text carefully.
• Step 2: Restate the passage in your own words, and make sure that you do more than simply change key words.
• Step 3: Compare the original passage with your paraphrase. Make sure that you've conveyed the meaning of the passage but that the wording and sentence structure are different from those in the original passage.
• Step 4: Be sure to note the author, title, and the page on which the paraphrase can be found, following the format of the documentation system you've chosen.

These steps are illustrated in this demonstration. To begin, click on the Continue button.