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MPS Betsy and Bill Vorsheck Library/Research Center: Plagiarism Prevention Resources

What is Plagiarism?

“Plagiarism is the use of another’s work, words, or ideas without attribution.  The word ‘plagiarism’ comes from the Latin word for ‘kidnapper’ and is considered a form of theft, a breach of honesty in the academic community.”

- Yale College (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2014 from http://writing.yalecollege.yale.edu/advice/students/using-sources/understanding-and-avoiding-plagiarism/what-plagarism.

"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.”

- Merriam-Webster Dictionary. www.merriam-webster.com

Ethics for Academic Writers

THREE STEP RULE

"All information from sources must be -

1. Paraphrased, summarized, or quoted (with quotation marks)

2. Cited in the same paragraph.

3. Cited in the list of references at the end of the document."

University of Alabama, Birmingham. "Ethics of Paraphrase: For Academic Writers Who Wish to Avoid Plagiarism While Incorporating Prior Work. "Ethics of Paraphrase. U of Alabama Graduate School, n.d. Web 21 November 2014.

 

Plagiarism #Fail

Plagiarism is considered one of the most series violations of academic honesty.  Plagiarists typically face severe consequences.  At the college or university level, plagiarism often merits suspension or even expulsion.

However, don't worry! Once you know what plagiarism is how and how to avoid it, you can make certain that you are following all the correct procedures for academic writing.  Knowing is half the battle.

Take the Plagiarism Test

PLAGIARISM TEST

This is Bates College plagiarism self-test for plagiarism knowledge. It is a compelling way to acquaint or reacquaint yourself with the tenets of academic honesty. 

Resources for Understanding Plagiarism

Purdue OWL: Avoiding Plagiarism

The Purdue Online Writing Lab offers this comprehensive resource for academic writers.  This is an indispensible guide for students looking to better understand how to correctly cite their sources.

Plagiarism and the Proper Use of Sources

Harvard University's guidelines on academic integrity.  This is a great, easy-to-use gude that features resources to support academic integrity, online tutorials, and tips to avoid plagiarism.  

The Four Types of Plagiarism

Bowdoin College gives a brief synopsis of the four most common types of plagiarism: direct plagiarism, self plagiarism, mosaic plagiarism, and accidental plagiarism.

Plagiarism Resource Site

Bates College offers a concise webpage that gives educators and students access to some very helpful plagiarism-related resources.  The site offers a "basic primer on plagiarism and academic honesty," an extensive bibliography of both print and electronic resources that cover the major concerns regarding plagiarism, style guides, and even a self-test for students to take.

Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism

The Council of Writing Program Administers has produced this statement of best practices in regards to avoiding a plagiarism.  An excellent resource for educators by one of the leading organizations in the field of writing and research.