Patchwriting

Patchwriting: Why Changing a Few Words Isn’t Paraphrasing?

By Ozgur Dogan

Multiple Select

Have you ever copied a sentence from a source, changed a few words, and thought it was fine?

• Yes

• No

• Maybe :)

Objectives

By the end of this mini-lesson, students will be able to:

* Define patchwriting

* Recognize why it’s problematic in academic writing

* Identify strategies to avoid it

Story Time

Once upon a time ...

Attributed to Samuel Johnson

"Your writing is both good and original. But the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good." 

Definition

Patchwriting = copying from a source and making surface level changes

Often done when:

• We don’t fully understand the material

• We’re in a rush

• We’re trying to “play it safe”

Multiple Select

Original Source: Academic writing requires critical thinking and clarity.

Maya: Scholarly writing needs analytical thinking and clear expression.

• same structure

• swaps synonyms

• no understanding

• just rewording

Original: Academic writing requires critical thinking and clarity.

Patchwriting: Scholarly writing needs analytical thinking and clear expression.

• Don’t rely on synonyms swaps

• Practice paraphrasing often

• Read the material, then look away* and summarize

• Use your own voice and sentence structure

🔑 Understand before you write

How to avoid?

Multiple Choice

Social media can negatively affect mental health in teens.

• Social networks may badly impact the mental well-being of teenagers.

• Teenagers who spend a lot of time on social media may experience increased stress, anxiety, or low self-esteem.

Takeaway

Patchwriting is a sign that we’re still learning.

The solution?

Practice mindful, original paraphrasing.

Any Questions?