Writing Program Resources: Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the uncredited use of someone else's words or ideas and is one of the most serious offenses any student can commit, even if the act is unintentional. Plagiarism can have severe consequences such as failing classes or even expulsion. To avoid plagiarism, students must follow certain rules in regard to proper citations. This guide provides basic rules for determining what needs to be cited and how to cite information correctly.
What Counts as Plagiarism?
Plagiarism takes many forms. Some of the most common include:
- Buying, stealing, downloading or borrowing a paper or other written work from another person or online source, including AI.
- Hiring someone to write the paper for you
- Copying large sections of text from a source without quotation marks and citation
- Using the words of your source too closely when paraphrasing, even with citation
- Attempting to make the ideas of others appear as if they are your own
- Submitting your own work from previous classes without discussing it with your professor first
How Can I Avoid Plagiarism?
The best way to avoid plagiarism is to give credit. This means crediting your sources for what they have said, written, emailed, drawn or implied. Whenever you use something that is not your original material, you must give credit.
Common types of material that should be cited include:
- Words and ideas from a book, article, movie, web page, lecture, letter, advertisement, song, TV show or other media
- Words and ideas from interviews you have conducted in person, by phone, by email or by other methods
- Diagrams, illustrations, charts, pictures or other materials that you have reprinted or adapted
- Exact wording or unique phrases taken from another source
What Does Not Need to Be Cited?
Not all information requires citation. Examples of material that generally does not need to be cited include:
- Your own experiences, insights, observations and thoughts
- Your own results from experiments you conducted
- Your own original artwork, photography, video, music or other media
- Common knowledge
- Well-known and widely accepted facts understood by the general public
What Is Common Knowledge?
Information may be considered common knowledge if it appears in several credible sources without citation or if it is something most readers already know or could easily find in general reference sources. If you are unsure whether something is common knowledge, it is safer to cite it.
Using Sources in Your Writing
Writing Paraphrases and Summaries
Paraphrasing restates an idea in your own words, though not necessarily the entire text. Summarizing captures the main ideas of a source more concisely while also using your own words.
- Give credit to your source somewhere in the paraphrase or summary.
- Check your writing against the original text to ensure accuracy and originality.
- Use quotation marks around any unique phrases taken directly from the source.
Writing Direct Quotes
A direct quotation uses the exact words from the original source and includes quotation marks and a citation.
- Keep the author's name in the same sentence as the quote.
- Use quotation marks for shorter quotes or block quotes for longer passages depending on the citation style.
- Quote only the material that is necessary to support your point. Quoted material should strengthen and support what you have to say, not say it for you.
Writing About Another Person's Ideas
- Include the name of the original thinker when discussing their idea.
- Use citations so readers can locate the original source.
- Use quotation marks around distinctive phrases taken directly from the original author.
Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism
- Proofread and compare your paper with your notes and sources to ensure that all outside material is cited.
- If you are unsure whether something should be cited, cite it.
- If you have questions about citation, ask your instructor well before the assignment due date.
Paraphrasing Skills
What Is a Paraphrase?
- An explanation of ideas or information from a source
- Written in your own words and sentence structures
- More specific than a summary
Why Paraphrasing Is Valuable
- It is often more effective than quoting from an unremarkable passage.
- It helps prevent overuse of direct quotations.
- The process helps you better understand the source material.
How Not to Paraphrase
- Changing only a few words from the original source while keeping the same structure
Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
- Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
- Set the original text aside and write your paraphrase from memory.
- Compare your version with the original to ensure accuracy.
- Use quotation marks around any exact phrases you keep from the source.
Record the source information, including page numbers if available, so that you can easily cite it if you use the material in your paper.
Patchwriting: Another Type of Plagiarism
Patchwriting occurs when a writer copies phrases or structure from the original text with only minor changes. Even if the source is mentioned, copying too closely can still be considered plagiarism.
| Original Passage | Example of Patchwriting |
|---|---|
| In the 1960s, cultural changes altered the role of women in American society. More women entered the workforce, which increased dissatisfaction about gender pay differences, advancement opportunities and workplace harassment. Another major change occurred in personal life after the government approved the birth control pill in 1960. By the end of the decade, more than 80 percent of wives of childbearing age were using contraception, which allowed many women greater freedom and choices. | Many cultural changes altered women's roles in the 1960s. More women entered the workforce and were dissatisfied with harassment and salary differences. One major change occurred in personal life when the government approved a birth control pill in 1960. By the end of the decade more than 80 percent of married women were using it, giving them greater freedom. |
Correct Summary
In an article for U.S. News and World Report, Kenneth T. Walsh argues that social changes in the United States during the 1960s created greater opportunities and personal freedom for women, including expanded workplace participation and the approval of the birth control pill.
A summary includes only the main ideas, uses the writer's own words, is significantly shorter than the original, and clearly identifies the source.
Correct Paraphrase
Kenneth T. Walsh explains that women experienced expanded employment opportunities and increased personal freedom during the 1960s, particularly after government approval of birth control.
Practice Activity: Paraphrase and Cite
Read the passage below and write a paraphrase in MLA or APA format.
Soon after the Roman republic was formed, the toga became the symbol of Roman citizenship. Different styles of togas represented a male's place in society. Boys wore a white toga with a narrow purple border, and when they reached maturity, usually around age sixteen, they began wearing a plain white toga. On that day they would register as full citizens in the Forum. Throughout their lives, men wore the toga at formal events, religious ceremonies and public occasions, and even in death the body was wrapped in a toga to mark Roman citizenship.
Source
- Article Title: Social Pecking Order in the Roman World
- Author: Dr. Valerie Hope
- Year: 1992