What is Plagiarism?

What is plagiarism? Main Entry: pla·gia·rize 1 : to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source 2 : to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source From Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary

Another way to say this is: you’re copying someone else’s work without giving him credit. Sometimes you can plagiarize without thinking about it, but it is still against the law.

Why should you care? In the Student Handbook, it mentions plagiarism: Cheating /Academic Dishonesty: “ Cheating on assignments or tests will not be tolerated … includes such things as submitting another student ’ s work as one ’ s own, plagiarizing, copying another ’ s work or allowing someone to copy yours, using cheat sheets or other material not allowed during tests, etc. ” CONSEQUENCES First Offense: You ’ ll receive a zero (0) on any work where you ’ ve cheated. In addition, any pupil who assists or allows another to cheat will also receive a grade of zero (0). In all cases parents will be notified, and students given the opportunity to explain their actions Repeated Offenses: You ’ ll again be given a reduced grade for the specific work. Depending on the seriousness of the offense, or repeated offenses, more serious consequences may result. From the Student Handbook, which can be found at

How can you avoid plagiarism? Identify any information that would not be considered common knowledge Unless you use quotes (quotation marks), make sure you paraphrase what the original author said Always use a quote if you can’t think of a way to paraphrase the information Always, Always, ALWAYS cite the source of any information in your paper which is not considered common knowledge. If you are not sure, cite it!

What is considered common knowledge? Things that are found in a number of places, and are likely to be known by a large number of people. Examples: – The clouds are white – Trees are usually green – Abraham Lincoln was the 16 st president of the United States

What does paraphrase mean? Main Entry: 1 para·phrase 1 : a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form From Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary

What does it mean to put something in your own words? When you paraphrase something, it can be a little different than putting it in your own words. When you put something in your own words, you are often making a statement about the information you have found, rather than just restating the information. Usually there is an opinion of some sort in something “in your own words.”

What is a quote? Main Entry: 1 quote 1 a : to speak or write (a passage) from another usually with credit acknowledgment b : to repeat a passage from, especially in substantiation or illustration From Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary

What is a citation? A citation is how you indicate where your information came from. There are three citation styles that are in frequent use at the high school and college level. Your teacher will give you information on the style or process you should use. Each style has a way to do in-text citations, a way to do a bibliography, and a way to do footnotes and endnotes.

When should you cite your sources? Whenever you use information that is not common knowledge Whenever you use information that you did not know before doing the research Whenever you quote another person’s ideas or word, whether they are written or spoken Whenever you paraphrase another person’s written or spoken words or ideas Back to Library Skills