Learn how to paraphrase because copy-paste is a career-limiting move
Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V are fast but won’t impress your professor or future employer. Learn how to paraphrase and convert research into your own original, persuasive arguments that sound like you.
Picture this: you’re stress-writing an essay at 2 a.m., swapping out a few words from an author like you’re rearranging alphabet soup into sentences. You re-read it and think to yourself; do I even have my own voice? Or have I just become a glorified thesaurus?
Meanwhile, your study buddy sits staring at their screen like it’s one of those black holes that swallowed their brain. They’ve found five sources but have no idea how to stitch them into one solid argument.
Here’s the truth: paraphrasing is not “change a word here, flip a sentence there.” Paraphrasing is an academic superpower. It’s the skill of synthesising information from multiple sources, making connections, and expressing them so your reader hears you — not a patchwork of voices out on loan.
Meet Dr Amy Milka, UoA's Manager Academic Integrity, at the workshop!
Bad paraphrase:
Students who regularly attend lectures achieve higher grades than those who do not.
becomes…
Students who go to lectures more often get better marks than students who don’t.
❌ (That’s just word-swapping, folks.)
Good paraphrase:
Regular lecture attendance appears to support stronger academic performance, suggesting that showing up is still one of the simplest strategies for success.
✅ (Same idea, different delivery.)
Learning to paraphrase without using AI does more than get you out of a plagiarism drama — it builds your confidence. It’s about that moment when you can explain a concept to a friend and genuinely sound like you know what you’re talking about.
Bonus: Strong paraphrasing skills transfer directly to the workplace. Imagine writing an email, speaking up in a meeting, or handing your boss a report and having them say, Wow, you really get it. That’s paraphrasing power!
Learning to paraphrase without using AI does more than get you out of a plagiarism drama — it builds your confidence. It’s about that moment when you can explain a concept to a friend and genuinely sound like you know what you’re talking about.
Bonus: Strong paraphrasing skills transfer directly to the workplace. Imagine writing an email, speaking up in a meeting, or handing your boss a report and having them say, Wow, you really get it. That’s paraphrasing power!
Ready to learn or revisit practical paraphrasing skills? Join Dr Amy Milka, Academic Integrity Manager, for a one-hour Practical Paraphrasing online workshop on Tuesday, 19 August from 1 – 2:00 pm.
Practical Paraphrasing is part of the University of Adelaide’s Academic Integrity Awareness Week from Monday 18 August to Friday 22 August 2025.