A quick guide to help you avoid plagiarism

Rules for Writers

What is plagiarism?Plagiarism is a form

of academic dishonesty. Like cheating on a test, plagiarism involves using someone else’s knowledge without crediting the source or creator of the information.

Avoid plagiarism by always citing the information sources that you use in your paper.

When do I need to cite a source?o If you….o Quote ito Paraphrase ito Summarize it CITE IT!CITE IT!

Word to the wise…Don’t be tempted to add your citations later, enter them as you write your paper.

There is no such thing as “borrowing” someone’s ideas in academic writing. Avoid plagiarism by citing your sources.

QuotingA quote is a line or

section from a work that is written verbatim as it appears in the original work.

You MUST cite quotations.

Example from The Hunger Games:

“What do they do all day, these people in the Capitol, besides decorating their bodies and waiting around for a new shipment of tributes to roll in and die for their entertainment?” (Collins 65).

ParaphrasingWhen you

paraphrase, you are restating part of a work in YOUR own words.

You MUST still cite the original source when you paraphrase.

Example:Katniss wonders what the citizens of the Capitol do with their time, other than find frivolous ways to entertain themselves (Collins 65).

SummarizingA summary presents

the main idea of a work or section in a work.

A summary is written in YOUR own words, but the ideas are drawn from another source.

You do not always have to cite a summary (although it is advised), but you should include the source on your Works Cited page.

Example :

In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen’s actions challenge the values and beliefs held by the citizens of the Capitol (Collins).

Works CitedAny sources that

you cite in the text, MUST be included on your Works Cited page.

Example:

Works Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Print.

How to Cite Sourceso First, find out which documentation style your

professor wants you to use.In English and humanities courses, you will use MLA style.

o Next, find the right style guide.Style guides and manuals are available on the Library’s Ready Reference shelf.

Or check out the following online guides:

the Library’s Style & Citation Guides page Diana Hacker’s Research & Documentation OnlineThe OWL at Purdue

RefWorkso A great way to organize, track, and save

your reference information.o Setting up a RefWorks account:o Visit the Library’s E-Research pageo Click on RefWorkso Getting Started:

o Set-up Account at Libraryo Create Folders o Import Citations o Place Citations in Folderso Print Bibliographies

Gricel DominguezSt. Thomas University Library

July 2012

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