Patchwriting refers to inadequate paraphrasing, where a writer uses synonyms and alters the structure of a sentence but fails to sufficiently change the wording and meaning. Although it may appear to be original, patchwriting remains too close to the source text to be considered an original piece of writing.
Most institutions view patchwriting as a form of plagiarism, even when the writer did not intend to plagiarize, because the intellectual structure of the original text has been borrowed without proper attribution. To avoid patchwriting, first read and understand the original text, then set it aside before paraphrasing it in your own words and citing the source.
Learn more in our guide on accidental plagiarism and how to avoid it. Quetext's Plagiarism Checker detects near matches and paraphrased content, not just direct copies.