Unit 10: Citing Sources

Lesson 8: Avoiding Plagiarism



What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work—words, ideas, images, etc.—as your own, and not citing the source. Plagiarism is theft. When you plagiarize, you are stealing someone else’s intellectual property, or original work. Plagiarism is also illegal: U.S. laws protect intellectual property rights. Colleges and universities have strict rules against plagiarism. Breaking these rules can result in a failing course grade, suspension, or even expulsion.

You have committed plagiarism when you

• Buy or use a research paper written by someone else
• Include information from the Internet, a book, or an article in your paper without citing the source
• Quote an author’s words without citing them
• Paraphrase an author’s words without them
• Summarize an author’s ideas or conclusions without citing them

To avoid plagiarism

• Write down complete citation information for each resource you consult
• Use the ideas of others only to support your own argument
• Include your own analysis
• Use quotation marks when directly stating another person’s words 
• When in doubt, cite your source!
  
  Time for a quick quiz #10...
  

Congratulations!
You have completed Tutorial 10, the last Tutorial in the series.  Good luck with your research. Don’t forget to ask a librarian if you need help.