Make It Your Own Avoiding Plagiarism

Dictionary Definition According to The American Heritage Desk Dictionary, 4 th ed., 2003, 643: “Plagiarize v. –rized, rizing. To use and pass off as one’s own (the ideas or writings of another.) [<Lat. plagiarius, kidnapper.] –pla´giarism, pla´giary n.-- pla´giarist, plagiariz´er n.

How To Avoid Plagiarism Learn exactly what plagiarism is. Practice taking notes so that you never mistakenly use another author’s words or ideas as your own. For every idea taken from another writer make a citation giving credit. Never use anything found on the web without the specific permission of your teacher.

MLA Definitions of Plagiarism Definition 1: “You took notes that did not distinguish summary and paraphrase from quotation and then you presented wording from the notes as if it were all your own.” (MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

MLA Definitions of Plagiarism Definition 2: “While browsing the web, you copied text and pasted it into your paper without quotation marks or without citing the source.” (MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

MLA Definitions of Plagiarism Definition 3: “You presented facts without saying where you found them.” MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

MLA Definitions of Plagiarism Definition 4: “You repeated or paraphrased someone’s wording without acknowledgment.”MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

MLA Definitions of Plagiarism Definition 5: “You took someone’s unique or particularly apt phrase without acknowledgment.” (MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

MLA Definitions of Plagiarism Definition 6: “You paraphrased someone’s argument or presented someone’s line of thought without acknowledgment.” (MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

MLA Definitions of Plagiarism Definition 7: “You bought or otherwise acquired a research paper and handed in part or all of it as your own.” (MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

Avoiding Plagiarism Tips Directly from MLA Handbook

MLA Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism Tip 1: Make a “list of the writers and viewpoints you discovered in your research and us[e] this list to double-check the presentation of material in your paper.” (MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

MLA Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism Tip 2: Keep “the following three categories distinct in your notes: your ideas, your summaries of other’s material, and exact wording you copy.” (MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

MLA Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism “Identify… the sources of all material you borrow—exact wording, paraphrases, ideas, arguments, and facts.” (MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)

MLA Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism “Check... with your instructor when you are uncertain about your use of sources.” (MLA Handbook, 6 th ed. 75)