Plagiarism is using other people's ideas or words as your own without properly giving credit to the original author. Sometime plagiarism is unintentional, but is still considered academic dishonesty.
What is plagiarism?
- Using ideas, quotes, or paraphrasing from the original text without citing the source.
- Paraphrasing a portion of the original text using the same sentence structure.
- Paraphrasing a portion of the original text using words that are not your own.
What can you do to avoid plagiarism?
- Become familiar with appropriate citation styles (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) used by different academic disciplines.
- Try a citation management tool such as Zotero or Mendeley to keep track of the sources you're using.
- Not sure if you've fully processed an idea? Ask your professor, a writing tutor, or a librarian.
For more on academic honesty and ethical research, review the Academic Honor Code.