SWTJC/RGC - Don't Plagiarize!

 What is plagiarism?

According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, to plagiarize is to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: use (another's production) without crediting the source: to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.

It is crucial that sources used in writing be cited and cited properly. Credit must be given to the authors whose ideas are used in your research. Even when you do not use direct quotes from an author’s work, if the reading of the work helped contribute to the ideas offered in your paper, the author’s work must still be given proper credit and included in your bibliography. Rephrasing an author’s work, rather than quoting word for word, still requires documentation in your bibliography. Plagiarism violates academic standards and could result in a failing grade or a possible expulsion from the school.

For more information about avoiding plagiarism look at the Purdue Online Writing Lab. There are excellent examples shown to help you decide exactly what plagiarism is and is not. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html

Also used in the preparation of this page plagiarism was: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Citations.html

You Quote It, You Note It!- This is tutorial is from Acadia University.

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