Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is being presented as being your own work. Plagiarism may be unintentional, but can easily be avoided with citations of all works referenced. Whether intentional or not, it can result in serious consequences when discovered.
The Vaughan Memorial Library at Acadia University has an excellent online plagiarism tutorial.
Documentation and Citation Overview
Documenting a source means recording information that allows another person to locate the source you have used for your research - things such as author, title, date, page number, etc. This information is then compiled into a citation for your Works Cited List. This is also called "citing" (giving credit to an original source).
Common Misconceptions
It's not plagiarism if you paraphrase - This is true, but only if you paraphrase properly (e.g. ALL of your own words and sentence structure, and not just a few words changed), AND cite the source. Otherwise it's plagiarism.
Use quotation marks, it's not plagiarism if you acknowledge that it's a quote - Also true, but only if you cite the source. Putting something in quotation marks is not enough. You still have to tell the reader where you found it. Also, use direct quotations sparingly, and quote only if you have to. The majority of your paper should be in your own words.
Don't worry about plagiarism if you use the web: things on the web are in the public domain - Wrong on two counts. First, using things from the web is no different than using print sources as far as plagiarism goes: you still have to quote or paraphrase AND cite the source. Second, just because something is on the web does not mean it is in the public domain - and even if something IS in the public domain, you still have to give proper credit when you use it.
Quoting and Paraphrasing
Tips to Avoid Plagiarism
Some information on this page graciously borrowed with permission from Vaughan Memorial Library, Acadia University.
Plagiarism is a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is being presented as being your own work. Plagiarism may be unintentional, but can easily be avoided with citations of all works referenced. Whether intentional or not, it can result in serious consequences when discovered.
The Vaughan Memorial Library at Acadia University has an excellent online plagiarism tutorial.
Documentation and Citation Overview
Documenting a source means recording information that allows another person to locate the source you have used for your research - things such as author, title, date, page number, etc. This information is then compiled into a citation for your Works Cited List. This is also called "citing" (giving credit to an original source).
Common Misconceptions
It's not plagiarism if you paraphrase - This is true, but only if you paraphrase properly (e.g. ALL of your own words and sentence structure, and not just a few words changed), AND cite the source. Otherwise it's plagiarism.
Use quotation marks, it's not plagiarism if you acknowledge that it's a quote - Also true, but only if you cite the source. Putting something in quotation marks is not enough. You still have to tell the reader where you found it. Also, use direct quotations sparingly, and quote only if you have to. The majority of your paper should be in your own words.
Don't worry about plagiarism if you use the web: things on the web are in the public domain - Wrong on two counts. First, using things from the web is no different than using print sources as far as plagiarism goes: you still have to quote or paraphrase AND cite the source. Second, just because something is on the web does not mean it is in the public domain - and even if something IS in the public domain, you still have to give proper credit when you use it.
Quoting and Paraphrasing
- A quotation uses exactly the same words and puts them in quotation marks.
- A paraphrase uses an author's idea, but expresses it in your own words - without quotation marks, since it's no longer a word-for-word quotation. And just changing a few words from the original doesn't count!
Tips to Avoid Plagiarism
- Everything that you use in research, whether from a print resource like a book, or an electronic resource such as an article from a database or a page from the Internet must be included in your works cited list.
- When researching or taking notes, write down everything very carefully and mark exact quotes, phrases, and unique words or concepts.
- If you are going to paraphrase a section, read the passage over several times very carefully and then write your paraphrase from memory.
- Make sure that you copy down all of the information you will need for your citation BEFORE you even begin taking notes
- Citation formats can be found on the BBMS Student Media Website (look in the navigation menu in the top left) or in your History Day packet. If you need to cite a source not included on the style sheet, please ask for help.
Some information on this page graciously borrowed with permission from Vaughan Memorial Library, Acadia University.