1. A Magical Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism
Adapted from

2. Original Source
“There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.”
J.K Rowling in a commencement speech at Harvard entitled “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination”

3. “There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” Original Source
There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.
Voldemort’s Paper

4. Plagiarized! Exact wording from the original. No quotation marks
No reference to Rowling
A reader would assume that these are Voldy’s thoughts, ideas, and words.
This is clearly not the case, so it’s plagiarized.

5. “There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” Original Source
There is an expiration date on blaming your parents for steering you wrong; the moment you’re old enough to take the wheel, you’re responsible.
A Dementor’s Paper

6. Plagiarized! Some (but not most) words have been changed.
No quotation marks
No reference to Rowling
This is a bad paraphrase.
Even if you change a few words around, paraphrasing without credit is the kiss of death.

7. “There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” Original Source
According to J.K. Rowling, you can blame your parents for things until you get your driver’s license.
Sirius Black

8. Questionable! Does credit Rowling
Not her exact words
Is this really what Rowling meant?
It’s not plagiarism, but misrepresenting a source’s meaning is Siriusly dishonest.

9. “There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” Original Source
According to J.K. Rowling, you can’t spend your whole life blaming your parents for things.
Ron Weasley

10. Questionable! Incorrect citation!
Does credit Rowling as the originator of the idea
Not her exact words (good paraphrase)
When and where did Rowling say or write this?
Incorrect citation!
Ron still needs to provide information on the source.

11. Don’t be a whiner. Stop blaming your parents.
“There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” Original Source
Don’t be a whiner. Stop blaming your parents.
-Snape

12. Good! Does not resemble Rowling’s speech
Does not imply that Rowling said it.
No citation needed.

13. “There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” Original Source
“There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong
direction,” said J.K. Rowling. “The moment you are old enough to take the wheel, the responsibility lies with you.”
-Neville Longbottom

14. Plagiarism! Incorrect citation!
Does credit Rowling as the originator of the idea
Puts her exact words in quotation marks.
When and where did Rowling say or write this?
Incorrect citation!
Neville, like Ron, still needs to provide information on the source.

15. “There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” Original Source
“There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction,” said J.K. Rowling. “The moment you are old enough to take the wheel, the responsibility lies with you” (“The Fringe Benefits of Failure”).
-Hermione Granger

16. Correct! Ten points to Gryffindor!
Does credit Rowling as the originator of the idea
Puts her exact words in quotation marks.
Gives source information (in-text citation).
Ten points to Gryffindor!

17. Your best defense against plagiarism?
Constant vigilance!
(and a good handbook, like Easy Writer)