Avoiding Plagiarism
Tips on Citations, Direct Quotes,
and Paraphrasing
© 2011, Regis University
Plagiarism
 Plagiarism
is using the ideas or
words of another writer, without any
form of acknowledgment, as if they
were your own.
 As
a student, you must be very
careful to acknowledge where all
your ideas come from.
Your Responsibilities
 You
probably already know that you
must document your relevant
sources for direct quotes. But you
must also acknowledge:
 Key
ideas (including diagrams, graphs,
tables and so on)
 Paraphrased
 Any
material
other information that you did not
think of for yourself.
Using Direct Quotes

Remember that Direct Quotes are when
you use an author’s exact words, phrases
or sentences.



Direct Quotes must be enclosed in double
quotation marks.
A citation for the direct quote should be put
in parenthesis, directly after the direct quote,
but before the period, using APA format.
Even if you only use a short phrase, if it is
unique in the original text, then you must
quote it!
APA Format
In CS440, you will cite all sources using APA
format, including page numbers,on all
citations. Guides to APA formatting can be
found at:




1) RMIT University - Referencing APA:
http://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/
1_StudySkills/study_tuts/apa_LL/apa.html
(6 pages)
2) Purdue University Online Writing Lab APA Style Details:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/
560/02/
(20 pages)
Direct Quote Example
in APA Format
Original text:
Students frequently overuse direct quotations in
taking notes, and as a result they overuse
quotations in the final research paper. Probably
only 10% of your final paper should appear as
directly quoted material.
Direct Quote:
When writing a research paper, no more than
“10% of your final paper should appear as
directly quoted material” (Lester, 1999, pp. 117118).
Direct Quote Usage Rules

Use direct quotes sparingly.


If you use too many direct quotes, your
sources are actually writing your
assignment for you.
Limit direct quote use to times when:


The author’s word choices are important
to keep, and changing them could cause a
loss in meaning.
You cannot say something differently than
the author.
Paraphrasing

The preferred method of avoiding plagiarism
when incorporating source material is
through the use of paraphrases.


A paraphrase is a restatement of someone
else’s ideas, evidence or opinions using
your own words.
Note that close paraphrase, where only
trivial changes are made such as
substituting similar words, is essentially
the same as copying the author directly.
Paraphrasing Examples
Paraphrasing examples (good and bad)
can be found at the following sites:

http://library.duke.edu/research/plagiarism/
cite/paraphrase.html

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/
plagiarism.shtml#original

http://facpub.stjohns.edu/~roigm/plagiarism/
Examples%20of%20paraphrasing.html

http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/
QPA_paraphrase.html
Paraphrasing is a valuable
skill, because it:
Is better than quoting an average
passage.
 Controls the temptation to quote too
much.
 Helps you to grasp the full meaning of
the original.
 Proves to the reader that you know what
you are talking about.

Note that you must still cite a
paraphrase containing unique ideas.
Labeling Ideas
 What
is the best way to distinguish
between what my sources are saying
and what I’m saying in my paper?
 Be
explicit. Tell your readers in the
text of your paper when you are
quoting or paraphrasing someone
else’s words, ideas, or information.
 Do
this with phrases like “According to
X . . .” or “As noted in X . .
Note Taking Example
(paraphrased)

Lester notes that in research papers
students often quote excessively, failing
to keep quoted material down to a
desirable level. Since the problem usually
originates during note taking, it is
essential to minimize the material
recorded verbatim (Lester, 1999).
Six Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
1.
Read and re-read a source for
understanding.
2.
Put the source away.
3.
Write key points that you remember
without looking at the source. Note
that you should not even be using the
same sentence format.
Six Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
4.
Compare your notes to the original to
make sure you did not miss any key
information AND that you did not
plagiarize anything.
5.
Enclose any exact borrowings (i.e. direct
quotes) in double quotation marks.
6.
Record the source and page numbers,
whether quoted or paraphrased, for the
Reference List.
Paraphrasing Conclusion

In order to paraphrase a passage from a
source, you have to understand it very
well. You have to know what all the
words mean, at least in that particular
context.

So by correctly paraphrasing your source
material, with few direct quotes, you
demonstrate to your facilitator, and any
other reader, that you really understand
the topic.
Final Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

Ensure that direct quotes are enclosed in
quotation marks and that you have
presented the words in direct quotes
exactly as they appear in your source.

When incorporating brief quotes into
your own sentences, begin with your
words and then weave your source's
words into your sentence.
Final Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

Use direct quotes sparingly. Attempt to
paraphrase from source material
whenever possible.

Cite all of your source material, both for
direct quotes and paraphrased material
(if in doubt, provide a reference).
References
Lester, James D. (1999). Writing Research
Papers: A Complete Guide, 9th edition.
Reading: Addison-Wesley.
NOTE: The more current edition of this
guide is:
Lester, James D. (2010). Writing Research
Papers: A Complete Guide, 13th edition.
New York: Longman.