Plagiarism

Introduction

Most students know it’s not okay to copy and paste someone else’s writing into a document and pass it off as their own. However, there are times when students are trying to paraphrase or are quoting a source where things are less black and white, and the concept of plagiarism can become unclear.

In most of your college writing assignments, you’ll be asked to use information from outside sources. Therefore, it is essential you know how to avoid plagiarism and why writers should properly give credit to the authors of those sources.

What is Plagiarism?

In brief, plagiarism is the use of someone else’s ideas as your own. In other words, if you take someone else’s ideas and use them in your paper without giving proper credit, you are plagiarizing. Penalties for plagiarism can range from a failing grade to academic suspension. Although, most of the time, plagiarism is unintentional, it is still each student’s responsibility to learn how to properly attribute material to the original author/s.

Citing Correctly

A common mistaken belief is that citations are only needed for direct quotes, but this is not the case. Generally, you should provide a citation for any information that is not common knowledge or your own ideas. For example, you wouldn’t need a citation to write that the sky is blue because that is common knowledge. However, if you write that the sky is blue because blue light is reflected by particles in the atmosphere more than other colors, your reader may expect you to provide a citation.

Can’t I Just Paraphrase?

Another possible misconception regarding plagiarism is that paraphrasing means taking a sentence from a source, changing a couple words, and providing a citation. However, paraphrasing is more than just changing a word or two. Rather, it is taking another person’s ideas and putting them in your own unique words.

Still, any lengthy series of words taken verbatim from a source need to be placed in quotation marks. A rule to keep in mind is when four or more consecutive, verbatim words are used from a source, place them in quotes.

If you have any questions about whether or not your paraphrased material is too close to the original, you can ask your professor or speak with a consultant at the SWC before submitting your assignment.

Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism

When in Doubt, Cite

Many students worry that too many citations makes it appear that they are relying too heavily on source material and not thinking for themselves. While some assignments will require you to use more of your own words and ideas, if you are in doubt about whether to cite something, it is wise to go ahead and cite it. This way, you do not have to worry about being accused of plagiarism if the sentence in question reads more similarly to an idea taken from one of your sources than to your own ideas. Because plagiarism is considered a fairly serious offense in academia, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Take Notes

When conducting research, it’s a good idea to write down the bibliographic information for your sources in addition to what you plan to use from those sources. Make sure you have, at the very least, the author’s name and title of the work to help you cite your source material later. In addition, be sure to place appropriate quotation marks around material taken directly from your sources so you do not confuse it with your own thoughts. Otherwise, you might forget where you got a particular piece of information and/or whether or not it is in your own words. It can be anxiety-inducing to be nearing a deadline but unable to find the citation details for a source. To avoid this stress, record bibliographic information as you research.

It is also helpful to think of this notetaking as a halfway point between initial research and writing the paper. Breaking down your source material by putting the author’s argument and main points into your own words helps you to better understand the sources with which you are working. Moreover, active notetaking is good practice for putting the author’s ideas into your own words.

Unsure About Something? Ask!

As with most issues in writing, the best thing to do when you are confused about something is to ask. Maybe you aren’t quite sure if you paraphrased well enough in a section of your writing, or perhaps you fear you may have too many or too few citations. If you find yourself in such a situation, reach out to your professor for guidance. Other resources, such as the Del Mar College Libraries and SWC, are here to assist you as well.