AVOIDING PLAGIARISM AND MISUSE OF SOURCES
What Is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person.” In college papers, plagiarism generally takes one of the following forms:
A. Copying Text - This type of plagiarism uses word-for-word sentences from the original without giving credit. This is generally a deliberate attempt to cheat or evidence that a student has no understanding of what plagiarism is. Copying sentences from another source without crediting them is NEVER okay.
B. Neglecting Quotation Marks - This type of plagiarism identifies the source but fails to place quotation marks around sentences used word for word from the original. Neglecting quotation marks is generally a result of rushed or sloppy writing or a lack of understanding the rules of quoting sources.
C. Paraphrasing Ideas Without Crediting Them - This type of plagiarism paraphrases someone else’s ideas but doesn’t identify the source. The reader is left to assume that the ideas are the writer’s. Paraphrasing ideas without crediting them to their source is often a result of students not understanding that citation does not only apply to direct quotations. Whenever you use ANYTHING from a source (quotes, ideas, facts, examples, etc.), you must cite the source.
Additional Plagiarism Offenses and Misuse of Sources
Avoiding plagiarism is not your only concern when dealing with outside sources. Effective, ethical use of sources is one of the most difficult, most important skills you should develop as a college writer. The following list includes other issues you should avoid:
Self-Plagiarism - The idea of plagiarizing oneself may seem paradoxical. However, when scholars publish their work, the publisher gains at least some rights to it. Scholars referring to their own work in later writing must credit the original source of publication. Similarly, when students...