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4 Paraphrase key information from texts
A key skill for successful academic writing is being able to accurately paraphrase what you read from source texts. A good paraphrase involves maintaining the original idea, but changing the sentence structure and many of the words. A common mistake is accidental plagiarism, where ideas from the source text are cited, but only small changes are made to the original text. How can you effectively paraphrase complex ideas, such as those found in case law and statutes?
Step 1: Read the original text
According to the Supreme Court of Canada in McKinley: The employer’s response should have been proportional to McKinley’s conduct, taking into account its nature and seriousness and the context of his situation, including length of service, work history, and other relevant factors (McKinley v. B.C. Tel., [2001] 2 SCR 161).
Read this text until you understand it very well. If you do not understand any words, look them up in a monolingual dictionary (e.g. Oxford English Dictionary; Oxford Learner’s Dictionary).
Step 2: Identify key vocabulary
Some words are technical terms or key words that cannot be changed in your paraphrase. Underline these words.
Step 3: Break the original text into chunks of meaning, and number these chunks.
Step 4: Look away from the original text, and write the ideas as you remember them. Imagine you are telling a friend about the key ideas you have just read.
Paraphrase (Draft 1)
Step 5: Meaning and structure check: This is the stage in the process where you check that the meaning is the same, but the structure (words and the way they are ordered in your sentence) are different.
a) Meaning: Does your paraphrase mean the same as the original? Did you miss any ideas that are important for your research and writing?
b) Structure:
-Did you change the sentence structure?
-Did you use synonyms where this is appropriate? (note: do not change key words/technical terms)
-Did you change the word order?
-Did you use different types of connecting words?
-Did you change the order of the main ideas.
Step 6: Refine your paraphrase: After you have finished your checks, re-write your paraphrase to ensure that it is clear while maintaining an academic tone.
Original text
First paraphrase
Edited paraphrase
Step 7: Add your citation. Make sure that you have the correct information for an in-text citation and for the full entry on your References page.
Example paraphrase: In McKinley v. B.C. Tel., the judges determined that employer response must be proportional to an employee’s conduct. The employer response should include consideration of the following factors: (1) length of employment; (2) prior behaviour problems and performance reviews; and (3) related extenuating circumstances that may have led to the misconduct (McKinley v. B.C. Tel., [2001] 2 SCR 161).
References:
Paraphrase method adapted from: Denchuk, A. (2019, May 31). Processing the language of the paraphrase. Presented at the Canadian Writing Centres Association National Conference, Vancouver, BC.
Additional Resource:
The video below reviews the paraphrasing method discussed in this section. While the video is aimed at first-year students, you may find it to be a helpful tool for reviewing this information.
