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How can I avoid plagiarism?
PARAPHRASING
PARAPHRASING
Read and reread the text until you have a good understanding of the main idea and the details.
Put the text away and write down what you remember without looking at the text
Compare the original with the paraphrase: Does it have the same meaning? Did you leave out any essential details? Do you use too many exact words?
Circle all of the words that are repeated in the original and your paraphrase. Are there any you could change?
If words are general and unnecessary to switch (for example: wall, or sit) then don’t worry about switching them.
If there is a phrase that is either too difficult to translate or just really well-written as is, use quotation marks within your paraphrase. However, these should be used sparingly.
Names do not have to be changed.
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CITATIONS
CITATIONS
Give credit to the author of the idea by citing the source.
When in doubt, play it safe and cite.
An appropriate amount of citations can actually strengthen your paper by:
proving you did outside research
supporting your ideas
showing that you are processing and interpreting other's work
They give your readers the information needed to locate sources used.
Proves that you are not trying to take credit or claim an original idea of your own.
REVIEW
REVIEW
Did I make a list of all the books, websites, and other sources I used?
Did I keep track of which information came from which sources?
When I used sentences just as they were in the source, did I always put quotation marks around them?
When I summarized ideas in my own words, did I remember to give credit to the original source?
Did I ask my teacher if I was unsure of how to list a source or whether to list it?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is copying and pasting an online source okay to include in my paper?
You need to cite any information that was copy and pasted in to your paper since you are not the author of the original source. Also, if you are copying and pasting a direct quote from another source, be sure to use quotation marks to denote the author's exact words.
Can I change words here and there within a direct quote?
Even if you make a few changes from an author's word for word work, you still need to use quotation marks and cite it.
Do I need to cite common facts?
Common facts is general information that is known by most people and is easily found through multiple resources. You do not need to cite common facts, but if you do not know if the fact would be considered a common fact cite it just to protect yourself.
Can I borrow a friend papers?
No, you can not put your name on a friend's paper and then submit the work as your own. By doing that you would essentially be stealing their work and therefore plagiarizing.
Do images or graphs need to be cited?
Yes, images and graphs were created by someone and therefore "owned" by that creator. Therefore, any image and/or graph that you use for your own use must be cited to give the creator credit.
Am I allowed to reuse a paper that I wrote for more than one class?
Even though you created the work and are the owner of it, you cannot reuse your work in lieu of a new assignment. However, you may want to quote sections of your previous submitted/graded work to include in your new paper, just be sure to cite it.
Is it okay to buy a paper online?
Buying a paper online is not only a copyright issue it is also plagiarism. You can not purchase someone else's work and submit the work as your own.
What if I add a quote in my paper without including quotation marks?
You need to use the quotation marks to separate your own word's from the author's words. If you do not add quotation marks, it appears to the reader that you are taking credit for those words.
Do interviews need to be cited?
Yes, if the interview took place through written, oral, email, or online they all need to be cited. Also, be sure to use quotation marks to specify the interviewee's exact words.
What if I am using someone else's ideas?
Even if the ideas were not written down, you still need to cite any thought or idea that did not originate with you.
Is paraphrasing allowed?
Yes, students may paraphrase another author's work by interpreting the information and expressing the author's ideas. However, you need to cite any work that you paraphrased because you did not come up with the ideas on your own.
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