Is It Plagiarism?
Putting an idea that you found in a source into your own words without mentioning where you got the idea.
"How Can I Avoid Plagiarism!?"
There is a very simple way to avoid plagiarism: ALWAYS credit the sources of the facts, ideas, and words you use in your writing.
In fact, there is an exception. You are not required to cite a source for "common knowledge" -- those things everyone knows.
However, if you are in doubt about whether something you saw in a source is common knowledge, CITE IT! "Better safe than sorry" is the rule to follow.
The resource pages included below include some very useful tools that will help you cite any source you use and, therefore, avoid plagiarism.
Online Tutorials for Avoiding Plagiarism
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Plagiarism Tutorial"This tutorial is designed to challenge your understanding of plagiarism and the ethical use of sources in academic writing. You will see ten samples of source material and ten corresponding examples of student writing. It is up to you to determine if the student has used each source responsibly." (Wake Forest U.)
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Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words (Purdue OWL)This resources discusses how to paraphrase correctly and accurately to avoid plagiarism.
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How to Recognize Plagiarism: Tutorials and Tests (Indiana U.)Extensive tutorial from Indiana University. Includes a test for certification.
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Plagiarism Self-Test"To get the most out of this self-test, please read the introduction to Academic Honesty and review the Overview of Terms. The self-test refers to specific types of plagiarism that are defined and described in the Overview of Terms."
MLA Style Guide for Citations
Click on the link to open MLA Style Guide for Citations in a new tab: https://library.hccs.edu/mla-guide .
Chicago Style Guide for Citations
Click on the link to open APA Style Guide for Citations in a new tab: https://library.hccs.edu/Chicago_style.
APA Style Guide for Citations
Click on the link to open APA Style Guide for Citations in a new tab: http://library.hccs.edu/apa .
