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Avoiding Plagiarism: Avoiding Plagiarism

Tips to Avoid Plagiarism

1. While gathering sources, gather citations, too.

Use the built-in citation tools in library databases and Google Scholar to copy the citation for any source you plan to use.

2. While reading sources, take good notes.

Be sure to make note of the source of any phrase, idea, or piece of information you want to use.

3. Acknowledge every source.

Always include a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information from a source.

4. Use quotation marks when necessary.

When you borrow an exact phrase, sentence, or passage, use quotation marks or an indented block quote to show your reader which words are not your own, and include a citation.

5. When in doubt about common knowledge, provide a citation.

Keep in mind that common knowledge within one cultural group or academic discipline may be new information to another. Think about what knowledge your audience is likely to share and, if you are uncertain, provide a citation.

Quoting and Paraphrasing

Watch this short video and learn how to avoid plagiarism when you are quoting and paraphrasing information from sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, self-plagiarism happens when you submit the work you completed for one course in another course without the permission of the instructors.

An important part of academic honesty is that your work in each class reflects what you learned in that class. If you see an opportunity to revisit or build on work that you did previously, talk to your professor about ways to make sure the new work reflects your learning in the present course.

When one of your sources quotes or paraphrases someone else, you may wonder how to cite the original source properly.

Librarians recommend locating and checking the original source whenever possible because (1) you will understand the original context of the information and (2) you will avoid duplicating any errors that could have occurred when the original source was cited by someone else. You can contact the library for help with tracking down an original source.

If the original source is not available, use these steps to give proper credit:

  • In your bibliography, works cited list, or reference list, provide the details of the work in which you found the quotation or idea. For example,
    • APA: Orlean, S. (2019). The Library Book. Simon & Schuster.
    • MLA: Orlean, Susan. The Library Book. Simon & Schuster, 2019.
  • For the in-text citation, include identifying information for both the original source and the indirect source.
    • APA: (Smith, 2015, as cited in Orlean, 2019)
    • MLA: (Smith, qtd. in Orlean, p. 119)

Make sure that your in-text citation provides the information your reader will need in order to locate the correct source in your full bibliography.

Just as you would cite books, articles, or other documents, you should always cite multimedia sources, too. By doing so, you:

  • show respect and appreciation for the creative labor of others;
  • practice academic honesty by avoiding taking credit for someone else's work.

Here are guidelines for citing multimedia in different citation styles:

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