Patchwriting is defined as

• A. writing only original content
• B. piercing together copied words from several papers into a paper of your own
• C. summarizing sources
• D. paraphrasing with citation only

Answer: (B)

Patchwriting involves stitching together phrases copied from multiple sources into your own paper. It reads as a mosaic of language from different texts rather than as your own original writing, even if small tweaks are made to some words. This is why describing it as piercing together copied words from several papers into a paper of your own best captures what happens: the text relies on source wording rather than your own rephrasing or synthesis. It differs from writing something completely original, which would be your own ideas in your own voice. It’s not just summarizing, which would condense ideas into your own concise form. And it’s not paraphrasing with citation, which rewrites the ideas in your own words and clearly attributes them. To avoid patchwriting, you should either quote sources directly with proper attribution or thoroughly rephrase in your own words and synthesize ideas across sources with appropriate citations.