Plagiarism is passing off another’s words or ideas as your own. Anything you did not write that you turn in as your own work is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of cheating.
Often, plagiarism occurs inadvertently as the result of sloppy scholarship, inadequate paraphrasing skills, or failure to understand the rules of citation. However it occurs, it is a serious academic infraction.
Getting Started
- Take clear, accurate notes about where you found specific ideas.
- Write down or print out the complete citation information for each item you use.
- Always credit original authors for their information and ideas.
- Use quotation marks when directly stating another person’s words.
For more information, see these guides:
