IS IT PLAGIARISM?
Ashworth College
Learning Resource Center
Introduction
The following slides contain examples to help you practice
recognizing what is and is not considered plagiarism.
Look at each example and try to judge whether it is
plagiarism.
Then look at the next slide for the answer. These will also tell
you why it is or is not plagiarism and what could have been
differently to avoid plagiarism.
Examples used here come from the Princeton University
Academic Integrity Office.
Example 1
What original resource says
When he leaps into the open
grave at Ophelia’s funeral,
ranting in high heroic terms,
he is acting out for Laertes,
and perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief.
What you say in your
paper
When he leaps into the open
grave at Ophelia’s funeral,
ranting in high heroic terms,
he is acting out for Laertes,
and perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief.
Is Example 1 Plagiarism?
Yes
It directly copied the words of another without any
indication that it came from the original resource.
Whenever you use the exact words of someone else, you
must use quotations to indicate this, add a citation at the
end of the sentence or phrase you used, and include the
full reference in a footnote or bibliography.
How Example 1 Should Look
What original resource says
When he leaps into the open
grave at Ophelia’s funeral,
ranting in high heroic terms,
he is acting out for Laertes,
and perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief.
What it should look like in
your paper
“When he leaps into the open
grave at Ophelia’s funeral,
ranting in high heroic terms,
he is acting out for Laertes,
and perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief” (Kernan, 1979).
Example 2
What original resource says
What you say in your paper
When he leaps into the open
grave at Ophelia’s funeral,
ranting in high heroic terms,
he is acting out for Laertes,
and perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief.
When he leaps in Ophelia’s
open grave ranting in high
heroic terms, Hamlet is acting
out the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief.
Is Example 2 Plagiarism?
Yes
Like the previous example, it directly copied the words of
another without any indication that they came from the
original resource.
Even when using just a few phrases, if they are the exact
words from someone else, they need to be in quotations,
cited and included in a footnote or bibliography
How Example 2 Should Look
What original resource says
When he leaps into the open
grave at Ophelia’s funeral,
ranting in high heroic terms,
he is acting out for Laertes,
and perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief.
What it should look like in
your paper
When he leaps in
Ophelia’s open grave
“ranting in high heroic
terms, [Hamlet] is acting
out…the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions
of grief” (Kernan, 1979).
Example 3
What original resource says
What you say in your paper
When he leaps into the open
grave at Ophelia’s funeral,
ranting in high heroic terms,
he is acting out for Laertes,
and perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief.
When he jumps into Ophelia’s
grave, hurling his challenge to
Laertes, Hamlet demonstrates
the foolishness of
exaggerated expressions of
emotion.
Is Example 3 Plagiarism?
Yes
Even when you paraphrase, you need to be sure to cite where
the idea originally came from. This is especially true in cases
such as this one where you have only changed a few words
and kept the same basic sentence structure in tact.
Whenever you use the ideas of someone else, add a citation
at the end of the sentence or phrase you used, and include the
full reference in a footnote or bibliography.
How Example 3 Should Look
What original resource
says
What it should look like
in your paper
When he leaps into the
open grave at Ophelia’s
funeral, ranting in high
heroic terms, he is acting
out for Laertes, and
perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of
excessive, melodramatic
expressions of grief.
When he jumps into
Ophelia’s grave, hurling
his challenge to Laertes,
Hamlet demonstrates the
foolishness of
exaggerated expressions
of emotion (Kernan,
1979).
Example 4
What original resource says
What you say in your paper
When he leaps into the open
grave at Ophelia’s funeral,
ranting in high heroic terms,
he is acting out for Laertes,
and perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief.
Hamlet’s excessive outbursts
show the foolishness of
exaggerated displays of
grief. His actions at
Ophelia’s funeral are his way
of acting out for himself and
Laertes.
Is Example 4 Plagiarism?
Yes
Here the words and syntax have been entirely rephrased,
but the basic idea still clearly derives from the original
source.
Whether you change a few words or all of the words
does not change the fact that the idea originated from
another person and their work. As usual, provide a
citation after the idea and a full reference to the original
resource in a footnote or bibliography.
How Example 4 Should Look
What original resource says
When he leaps into the open
grave at Ophelia’s funeral,
ranting in high heroic terms,
he is acting out for Laertes,
and perhaps for himself as
well, the folly of excessive,
melodramatic expressions of
grief.
What it should look like in
your paper
Hamlet’s excessive outbursts
show the foolishness of
exaggerated displays of
grief. His actions at
Ophelia’s funeral are his way
of acting out for himself and
Laertes (Kernan, 1979).
Example 5
What original resource says
Hamlet, in full Hamlet, Prince
of Denmark, tragedy in five
acts by William Shakespeare,
written about 1599–1601
and published in a quarto
edition in 1603 from an
unauthorized text, with
reference to an earlier play.
What you say in your paper
The first version of Hamlet
was published in 1603.
Is Example 5 Plagiarism?
No
Unless you are using the exact words of someone else, if
it is general knowledge referring to it will not be
considered plagiarism. General knowledge is anything
that may be consistent across most or all sources and
which is generally considered fact.
It may at times be difficult to distinguish between what is
general knowledge and what is not. When in doubt, err
on the side of caution and provide a citation.
Learn More

Check out Ashworth’s Learning Resource Center
(LRC) to learn more about:
 Plagiarism
 Making
APA Citations
 Conducting Research
 and Much more!
Sources Cited
Princeton University. (2011). Examples of Plagiarism.
Retrieved February 9, 2013 from
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/pages/p
lagiarism/
Hamlet. (2013). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved
from http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/253508/Hamlet