Citation Help

Plagiarism is a common (and often misunderstood) issue that can be the result of a lack of knowledge and skills.

Simply defined, plagiarism is the act of using another person's idea or work and passing it off as one's own. The failure to properly credit your source(s) is an act of academic dishonesty and must be taken seriously.

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources - both within the body of your paper and in a bibliography of sources you used at the end of your paper.

Some useful links about plagiarism:

• Plagiarism.org

• The Citation Project: What Is Plagiarism?

• Harvard Guide to Using Sources: Avoiding Plagiarism

• Is it Plagiarism Yet?

Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional. Use these steps to help you avoid plagiarism:

1. Use your own original ideas and opinions. Only repeat another's words exactly when it is particularly relevant to your topic.
2. Use quotation marks when you are using a direct quote.
3. Paraphrase other's ideas in your own words, but be sure to cite it!
4. Cite your sources. When in doubt, cite it!
   1. If the information isn't common knowledge, it should probably be cited.
5. Ask for help from a librarian or your professor.