What is Plagiarism?

What is plagiarism in the first place? Watch the video, What is plagiarism and how to avoid it, to get an idea on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. You can apply the knowledge gained from the video in writing requirements for your courses. 

To know more about plagiarism and how to avoid it, read Harvard University’s What Constitutes Plagiarism?. Among the different types of plagiarism discussed in the resource, the mosaic or patchwork plagiarism is the most common type of plagiarism students usually commit. To avoid this, always remember to use quotation marks for phrases or sentences you have copied, or paraphrase the statements or ideas that come from your sources and then include in-text citations. Paraphrasing is the recommended approach in incorporating supporting information from your sources. Hence, please study how to do proper in-text citations in your academic papers and outputs.

The APA style is one of the most common citation formats in writing academic papers. You can review the mechanics for paraphrasing, quoting, summarizing, and citing sources within the text and in the reference list using this formatting style through the resources below. Please study the resources carefully so you may apply them in your courses. 

Online Resources:

Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words.[1]

The article will help you how to properly quote and paraphrase sources and will also help you how to properly integrate information from sources without committing plagiarism. 

In-text citations: Author/Authors.[2]

The article provides rules on how to cite authors within text-- authors with incomplete information, two or more authors, unknown author, and authors with same surnames, among others. It also teaches you how to cite sources when information is retrieved through personal communication or from electronic sources.  

APA Format Citation Guide.[3]

General guidelines on American Psychological Association (APA) Documentation is presented in the article. You will learn from this resource how to make in-text and reference list citations

Citing indirect sources (secondary sources). [4]

This article will guide you cite secondary sources. In the article, use of secondary citations is recommended only under particular considerations. This information will be useful when you are uncertain in citing indirect sources.

Video Resources:

How to paraphrase. [5] 

In this video, guidelines on how to paraphrase correctly are explained. The main idea is to restructure information from a source by using your own words but without compromising the meaning of the original information. This will help you avoid using too many direct quotes in your academic writing.

How to make a quote flow in an essay: English & writing tips [6]

The video shows how to incorporate a quote into an essay. You learn will learn from this resource how to cite quote an author and how to make your works more coherent.

In-text citation using APA 6th style [7]

Upon viewing the video, you will learn about paraphrasing, making a reference list, and in-text citation. 

Referencing sources in APA Style: A basic introduction [8]

The video introduces the basic rules in referencing sources in APA Style. This can help you become accustomed to the APA style citation format when writing.

Now that you are aware of the proper way of quoting and paraphrasing materials, as well as citing sources within the text and in the reference list, it is expected that your work will be plagiarism-free, will manifest smooth integration of paraphrased texts, and will show proper citations.