What is the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing?

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own. Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas in your own words.

So when does paraphrasing count as plagiarism?

Paraphrasing is plagiarism if you don’t properly credit the original author.
Paraphrasing is plagiarism if your text is too close to the original wording (even if you cite the source). If you directly copy a sentence or phrase, you should quote it instead.
Paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you put the author’s ideas completely in your own words and properly referencing the source.

Frequently asked questions: Paraphrasing Tool

What’s the difference between paraphrasing, rephrasing, and rewording?: The act of putting someone else’s ideas or words into your own words is called paraphrasing, rephrasing, or rewording. Even though they are often used interchangeably, the terms can mean slightly different things:

Paraphrasing is restating someone else’s ideas or words in your own words while retaining their meaning. Paraphrasing changes sentence structure, word choice, and sentence length to convey the same meaning.

Rephrasing may involve more substantial changes to the original text, including changing the order of sentences or the overall structure of the text.

Rewording is changing individual words in a text without changing its meaning or structure, often using synonyms.
Does the paraphrasing tool improve the readability and tone of the content?: It can. One of the two methods of paraphrasing is called “Fluency.” This will improve the language and fix grammatical errors in the text you’re paraphrasing.
Is using a paraphrasing tool considered cheating?: Paraphrasing and using a paraphrasing tool aren’t cheating. It’s a great tool for saving time and coming up with new ways to express yourself in writing. However, always be sure to credit your sources. Avoid plagiarism.
Why are references an important element in paraphrasing content?: If you don’t properly reference text paraphrased from another source, you’re plagiarising. If you use someone else’s text and paraphrase it, you need to credit the original source. You can do that by using citations. There are different styles, like APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago. Find more information about referencing sources here.
Is paraphrasing considered plagiarism?: Paraphrasing without crediting the original author is a form of plagiarism, because you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

However, paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you correctly referencing the source. This means including an in-text citation and a full reference, formatted according to your required citation style.

As well as citing, make sure that any paraphrased text is completely rewritten in your own words.

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How can I contact Scribbr?: Our support team is here to help you daily via chat, WhatsApp, email, or phone between 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. CET.
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Read more about how the sample edit works
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Because we have many editors available, we can check your document 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, all year round.

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What types of editing does Scribbr offer?: Every Scribbr order comes with our award-winning Proofreading & Editing service, which combines two important stages of the revision process.

For a more comprehensive edit, you can add a Structure Check or Clarity Check to your order. With these building blocks, you can customize the kind of feedback you receive.

You might be familiar with a different set of editing terms. To help you understand what you can expect at Scribbr, we created this table:

Types of editing Available at Scribbr?

Proofreading
Correction of superficial mistakes, such as typos, misspellings, punctuation errors and consistency errors. Yes!
This is the “proofreading” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with editing.

Copy editing
Focus on grammar, syntax, style, tone and the conventions of the field. The editor also considers the internal logic of the text and flags any obvious contradictions. Yes!
This is the “editing” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with proofreading.

Line editing
Focus on language, style, concision and choices. The editor helps you strengthen your story, polish your sentences and ensure that your use of language drives home your ideas. Yes!
Select the Structure Check and Clarity Check to receive a comprehensive edit equivalent to a line edit.

Developmental editing (i.e. content editing, substantive editing)
This is the first step of the editing process and applies to very early drafts. The editor helps you structure your ideas, decide what story to tell and find direction for your writing. No.
This kind of editing involves heavy rewriting and restructuring. Our editors cannot help with this.

View an example
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However, our editors are language specialists, not academic experts in your field. Your editor’s job is not to comment on the content of your dissertation, but to improve your language and help you express your ideas as clearly and fluently as possible.

This means that your editor will understand your text well enough to give feedback on its clarity, logic and structure, but not on the accuracy or originality of its content.

Good academic writing should be understandable to a non-expert reader, and we believe that academic editing is a discipline in itself. The research, ideas and arguments are all yours – we’re here to make sure they shine!
How do I receive my document when the editor has finished proofreading?: After your document has been edited, you will receive an email with a link to download the document.

The editor has made changes to your document using ‘Track Changes’ in Word. This means that you only have to accept or ignore the changes that are made in the text one by one.

It is also possible to accept all changes at once. However, we strongly advise you not to do so for the following reasons:

You can learn a lot by looking at the mistakes you made.

The editors don’t only change the text – they also place comments when sentences or sometimes even entire paragraphs are unclear. You should read through these comments and take into account your editor’s tips and suggestions.

With a final read-through, you can make sure you’re 100% happy with your text before you submit!
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Very large orders might not be possible to complete in 24 hours. On average, our editors can complete around 13,000 words in a day while maintaining our high quality standards. If your order is longer than this and urgent, contact us to discuss possibilities.

Always leave yourself enough time to check through the document and accept the changes before your submission deadline.
What type of documents does Scribbr proofread?: Scribbr is specialised in editing study related documents. We check:

PhD Theses

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How fast can Scribbr proofread my document?: The fastest turnaround time is 24 hours.

You can upload your document at any time and choose between four deadlines:

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Our customer support team is here to find the solution that helps you the most, whether that’s a free new edit or a refund for the service.
Can I choose between American, British and Australian English?: Yes, in the order process you can indicate your preference for American, British, or Australian English.

If you don’t choose one, your editor will follow the style of English you currently use. If your editor has any questions about this, we will contact you.

Types of editing	Available at Scribbr?
Proofreading Correction of superficial mistakes, such as typos, misspellings, punctuation errors and consistency errors.	Yes! This is the “proofreading” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with editing.
Copy editing Focus on grammar, syntax, style, tone and the conventions of the field. The editor also considers the internal logic of the text and flags any obvious contradictions.	Yes! This is the “editing” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with proofreading.
Line editing Focus on language, style, concision and choices. The editor helps you strengthen your story, polish your sentences and ensure that your use of language drives home your ideas.	Yes! Select the Structure Check and Clarity Check to receive a comprehensive edit equivalent to a line edit.
Developmental editing (i.e. content editing, substantive editing) This is the first step of the editing process and applies to very early drafts. The editor helps you structure your ideas, decide what story to tell and find direction for your writing.	No. This kind of editing involves heavy rewriting and restructuring. Our editors cannot help with this.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing?

Frequently asked questions: Paraphrasing Tool

Questions?

Ask our team

Frequently asked questions

How does the sample edit work?