Wrap-up
Good job!
In looking at these examples, you have identified several common concerns
about plagiarism. To summarize:
- Turning
in someone else's paper as your own work is plagiarism.
- Quoting
someone else's writing without giving credit is plagiarism.
- Material
taken from the web should be cited, just like any other source.
- "Common
knowledge" does not have to be cited, but if you are in doubt that
something is common knowledge, cite it anyway.
- You must
cite the ideas of another person, even if you did not use their exact
words in your paper.
You're probably
pretty clear now on how to avoid intentional plagiarism. But not all students
who plagiarize do so on purpose. Sometimes plagiarism is the result of
carelessness during the research process. Here are some strategies that
will help you achieve several goals:
- get the
most out of the research process;
- improve
your academic writing skills;
- and avoid
"accidental" plagiarism.
