Avoiding plagiarism

English

Definition

The practice of properly crediting sources and presenting only original ideas as your own work. Plagiarism includes copying text without quotation marks, paraphrasing without citation, and submitting someone else's work as yours, and it can result in serious academic consequences.

How It Works

  1. Take careful notes and always record the source of each idea or quote.
  2. Use quotation marks around any exact words taken from a source.
  3. Paraphrase by putting ideas completely into your own words and sentence structure.
  4. Add an in-text citation for every quote, paraphrase, or borrowed idea.
  5. Create a complete Works Cited or References page listing all sources used.
  6. When in doubt, cite the source — overciting is always safer than underciting.

Examples

  • Using quotation marks and a citation: 'To be or not to be' (Shakespeare 3.1.56)
  • Paraphrasing with credit: According to Smith (2023), climate change affects coastal cities disproportionately.
  • Self-checking with a plagiarism detection tool like Turnitin before submitting

Related Terms

Citation Mla and apa format Source integration Source evaluation

Study This Concept

Practice avoiding plagiarism with free review games in these units:

English 10 Unit 2: Research and Citation