Canvas Content Repository: Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else's words or ideas and trying to pass them off as your own. Even if it's accidental, plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity.

Citation practices vary across cultures, and what’s considered plagiarism in the U.S. academic context may differ from norms elsewhere. For international students, this can be surprising and confusing. You're not alone! Many domestic students also find citation challenging. Learning the expectations here will help you succeed.

To help you understand what plagiarism can look like in context, here are some common examples of plagiarism:

• Turning in someone else's work as your own, whether it's written by a friend, produced by an AI tool, or copied from another source.
• Copying words, images, or ideas from someone else without proper citation.
• Quoting from a source without using quotation marks.
• Giving incorrect information about a source.
• Paraphrasing from a source without giving credit.
• Reusing your own work for multiple assignments without permission.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Here are some tips to avoid plagiarism:

1. Don't procrastinate with your research and assignments.

Ensure you give yourself enough time to complete your assignment. By starting an assignment early, it gives you ample opportunity to get assistance from your professor or your liaison librarian.

2. Commit to doing your own work.

If you don't understand the assignment or how to begin, don't hesitate to reach out to your professor! Understanding their expectations will make your assignment much easier to approach.

3. Take careful notes.

When putting together your research outline and draft your assignment, make sure to clearly label which ideas are your own and which ideas came from other authors. When taking notes on ideas written by others, clearly state where you found the information (for example: Rodriguez, 2022, pg. 67). Keeping track of this information will make it easier when you create your reference list.

4. Cite your sources.

You must always cite work created by someone else, regardless of where you found it (for example, an article, blog, or book) or what type of work it is (for example, an image, chart, or phrase).

5. Understand good paraphrasing.

Rewriting an author's work by changing a few words without credit is still plagiarism. Paraphrasing well requires you to understand the source well, expressing it in your own words and citing the original source. If you can't think of a way to paraphrase a specific quote or phrase, use it as a quote. Make sure to always cite the source to give credit to the original creator.