What is Plagiarism?

PLAGIARISM? Plagiarism is taking someone else’s work and claiming it as one’s own. It is the failure to give credit to sources properly. Plagiarism is cheating and a form of theft.

You are plagiarizing if you pretend that an idea or information is yours when in fact you found it in a source. You can therefore be guilty of plagiarism even if you thoroughly rewrite the source’s words.

You must give credit to other people's  Ideas  Thoughts  Opinions  Quotes  Judgments  Interpretations  Experiments  Personal observations  Commentary  Analysis  Narrative  Description  Argument Anything that does not originate from you!

Know how to obtain information from the Internet!  To copy and paste exact words or information into your paper is plagiarizing.  Exact words must be put in quotes and credit must be given.  You must also give credit when you paraphrase information.

Plagiarizing from an Internet Website Original Passage Henry Clay, who was the Speaker of the House of the Twelfth Congress, was the leader of a group of congressmen known as the war hawks. They wanted war with both the Native Americans and Great Britain in order to claim the land they felt was theirs. downm/causes.html Changing the wording does not make it your thought or idea! The speaker of the Twelfth Congress, Henry Clay, was the leader of a group of congressmen called the war hawks. In order to claim the land they felt was theirs, the war hawks advocated war with both the Great Britain and the Native Americans. No Credit given!

Paraphrasing from the Internet and giving credit: Original Passage Henry Clay, who was the Speaker of the House of the Twelfth Congress, was the leader of a group of congressmen known as the war hawks. They wanted war with both the Native Americans and Great Britain in order to claim the land they felt was theirs. downm/causes.html Paraphrasing and giving credit! The speaker of the Twelfth Congress, Henry Clay, was the leader of a group of congressmen called the war hawks. In order to claim the land they felt was theirs, the war hawks advocated war with both the Great Britain and the Native Americans (“Causes”). (Internet Website is titled “Causes of the War.”)

Example: Plagiarizing a passage from a book Original Passage Still, the telephone was only a convenience, permitting Americans to do more casually and with less effort what they had already been doing before. Daniel J. Boorstin, The Americans: The Democratic Experience, page 390 Changing or omitting an occasional word is not permitted! The telephone was a convenience, enabling Americans to do more casually and with less effort what they had already previously been doing. No credit given!

Paraphrasing Correctly Original Passage Still, the telephone was only a convenience, permitting Americans to do more casually and with less effort what they had already been doing before. Daniel J. Boorstin, The Americans: The Democratic Experience, page 390 Correct paraphrasing! Daniel Boorstin has noted that most Americans considered the telephone as simply “a convenience,” an instrument that allowed them “to do more casually and with less effort what they had already been doing before” (390). Proper credit given!

How to avoid plagiarism?  Ask yourself – Is this my original thought, idea, opinion, personal observation, personal experiment, interpretation, etc.?  Take good notes and identify your source immediately after every point or phrase.  When in doubt, give credit to your source!

Why be concerned about plagiarism? Why be concerned about plagiarism?  It is dishonest  It is unfair to you and others  It is illegal under the Copyright Act 1968