Avoiding Plagiarism
FIVE TIPS FOR AVOIDING PLAGIARISM | |
1 | First, use your own ideas. It should be your paper and your ideas that should be the focus. |
2 | Use the ideas of others sparingly--only to support or reinforce your own argument. |
3 | When taking notes, include complete citation information for each item you use. |
4 | Use quotation marks when directly stating another person's words. |
5 |
A good strategy is to take 30 minutes and write a short draft of your paper without using any notes. It will help you think through what you want to say and help prevent your being too dependent upon your sources. |
From the U. of Idaho, CORE, Module 6
Step 5 Cite Sources Overview
In this module you will learn about citing and plagiarism
Signal Phases for Better Writing
Why Cite Sources?
Citing sources is giving credit to the original author and publisher of the information you use in your research. It is the essence of Academic Integrity.
Avoid Plagiarizing: You must cite any direct quotation, summary, or paraphrase of any idea or fact from your research. Citing sources is giving credit to the original author and publication where you found the information. Not citing sources is plagiarism and you may be subject to academic discipline.
Lend Authority to Your Paper: By referencing the work of scholars and other professionals, you demonstrate that your own research is based on solid, reliable information and that you are capable of critical thinking by being able to synthesize that research into your own.
Provide a Path: By citing sources, you provide the information readers of your paper need in order to locate the same sources that you did.
Acknowledge Other's Work: Part of your research is built upon the research of other people. It is respectful and fair to give them credit for their hard work (just as you would hope others would give you credit if they were quoting your own work!)
Sample Research Papers with In-text (parenthetical) Citations