In academic writing, Turnitin has become a popularly used plagiarism checker. The increased use of this tool is due to the emphasis on originality in writing academic papers. Since most information that one uses in writing is from other sources, then comes the need for techniques that will help a student avoid plagiarism.
Paraphrasing is a widely used technique that allows the writer to convey the same meaning as the source but using different words. It is a valuable skill to master for any writer, both in the academic and other fields. A student can adopt different techniques, for effective paraphrasing.
One can change the order of words in the original text, use a different voice from that of the author, change every third word in a particular passage, or change the structure. These are just some of the common ways to rephrase a text. However, one needs to remember that successful paraphrasing only results when you don’t alter the message of the source.
