Originality Steps and Checklist
How can my learners use their own words and be original?
Tips on How to Be Original in Academic Writing
Definition:
"Using your own words" includes being original in your word choice, specifically your vocabulary and grammar. Often we use our own words to express new ideas, talk about our opinion, to simplify or summarize and idea, or to paraphrase another’s words.
Paraphrasing and Summarizing:
Learners seem to have the most trouble with summarizing and paraphrasing as they are putting another author’s idea in “their own words.”
Common errors include...
• Changing the vocabulary or words, but not the grammar and sentence structure
• Changing the sentence structure, but moving the author’s words around
• Summarizing using “phrases” from the original text that have been linked together
Originality Steps for Paraphrasing
1. Clearly understand the text
2. Break down the quote or text
3. Change the vocabulary
4. Change the sentence structure
5. Synthesize and edit
6. Cite the source (last name, year)
*recommended to also include a page number.
Paraphrase checklist:
• Slightly shorter and easier to understand
• Should sound natural and like “you” or “your voice”
• Include all the important or main ideas
• Does not change the original authors meaning
• Requires time, effort, and multiple revisions
• May require outside knowledge or sources
• Help readers gain a better understanding of the text
Originality Steps for Summarizing
1. Identify the main idea
2. Outline the text
3. Hide the original source
4. Write a short summary
5. Check against original
6. Edit and cite (last name, year)
Summary checklist:
• Much shorter than the origin text or a paraphrase
• Generally easier to understand and synthesize
• Focused on the main ideas only
• Requires time, effort, and multiple revisions
• May require outside knowledge or sources
• Helpful to readers' understanding of the text
