Plagiarism
What Is Plagiarism?

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary provides this
clear definition of the verb to plagiarize:

to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's
own;

to use another's production without crediting the source;

to commit literary theft;

to present as new an original idea or product derived from
an existing source.-- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
The Breakdown
Plagiarism is…
 Copying and Pasting without quoting your source
 Taking a section of text changing a few things (paraphrasing) and
passing it off as your own
 Lifting graphs, charts or statistics, etc. and not citing the source
 Asking someone else to write part or all of an assignment and
passing it off as your own.
 Quoting a lecture, presentation or interview without citing
Why Does This Matter?

Plagiarism can cause you to receive a failing grade (On a specific
assignment or in the course)

You can be expelled from the University

It is Illegal

It is dishonest and unethical

It will follow you for the rest of your career…
Sticky Situations
or
How to Avoid Plagiarism

Common Knowledge
 You
do not need to cite information that is considered
common knowledge
 For
Example: I do not need to cite a source if I write that the
Declaration of Independence was issued on July 4th, 1776.
A
good rule of thumb is that if you find the same information in
3 or more sources and it is not cited there, then it is common
knowledge.

Lazy and incorrect citations
 Don’t
 Be
make up citations
accurate
 TAKE GOOD NOTES
 PLAN AHEAD
 GIVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME
 FOLLOW THE CITATION STYLE FOR YOUR DISCIPLINE
 DEVELOP YOUR OWN IDEAS AND USE THE WORK OF OTHERS TO
SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT
 WHEN IN DOUBT CITE IT!
REFERENCES
•
"How Do I Know If I'm Plagiarizing?" Scribendi. Accessed March 15,
2018.
https://www.scribendi.com/advice/how_do_i_know_if_im_plagiarizing.en.h
tml.
•
Osborne, Mary Alice. "Plagiarism vs. Cheating: What Is the
Difference?" LinkedIn SlideShare. November 19, 2008. Accessed March 16,
2018. https://www.slideshare.net/maryaliceosborne/plagiarism-vscheating-what-is-the-difference-presentation.
•
Plagiarize. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2018, from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarizing
•
"Plagiarism | The Consequences Of Plagiarism." Plagiarism | The. 2018.
Accessed March 16, 2018.
https://www.scanmyessay.com/plagiarism/consequences-ofplagiarism.php.
•
Staff, EasyBib. "Why Do I Cite? When Do I Cite?" EasyBib. January 01,
2018. Accessed March 15, 2018. http://www.easybib.com/guides/citationguides/citation-basics/why-do-i-cite-when-do-i-cite/.