How Do I Avoid Plagiarism?

Do not…

  • Purchase, buy, borrow, “lift,” or steal another’s work and put your name on it.
  • Copy and paste from a digital copy.
  • Copy from a hard copy (paper).
  • Copy, paste, and replace words using the thesaurus.
  • Just rearrange phrases, substitute some words, or make minor stylistic changes.

 

Do…

  • Print or save the author’s work with all reference information.
  • Read a paragraph, look away, restate in your own words.
  • Cite authors for their ideas, even in your notes.
  • Cite your sources even when you paraphrase or summarize in your own words.
  • Use quotation marks when using an author’s exact words.
  • Cite your teachers and speakers when you use notes from their lectures.
  • Cite your source in your text and in your bibliography (parenthetical citation).
  • Put your own ideas, spin, interpretation, analysis, and “voice” into your work.

 

Do not cite…

  • Common facts and information (e.g., George Washington was the first president of the United States, or Yahoo is a popular web portal.)
  • Your own ideas, interpretations, and observations (this includes lab notes) unless they have been previously published (Yes, it is possible to plagiarize yourself!).
  • Titles are not copyrighted, so if you happen to give the same title to your work as someone else you are OK. For example, this handout is entitled “How Do I Avoid Plagiarism.” This is the same title as dozens of other papers and web sites, which is OK. It is not OK to copy and paste this page and put your own name on it and claim authorship.

 

These web pages will help you understand plagiarism

  1. PLAGIARISM: http://www.northwestern.edu/uacc/plagiar.html

This page from Northwestern University has good explanations and excellent examples of correct and incorrect citation.

  1. Avoiding Plagiarism: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html

This Purdue University site has clear guidelines, strategies for avoiding plagiarism, and a practice exercise.

  1. How to Avoid Plagiarism: http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/cyberplag/cyberplagexamples.html

This Penn State site has short and clear sections on Wholesale copying, Cut and paste, Inappropriate paraphrase, and When to cite.

  1. Plagiarism:What it is and how to avoid it http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml

This page from Indiana University has some good examples and explanations of plagiarized text.

  1. How Not to Plagiarize: http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html

This page from the University of Toronto has a bit different format – more of a “frequently asked questions” and answers page.

  1. Plagiarism Resource Site: http://leeds.bates.edu/cbb/

This site is a collaboration between several colleges. It takes an in-depth scholarly look at plagiarism issues. The site includes a bibliography, style guides, interactive tutorials, web logs, and video.