2. What is plagiarism?
■ Using other people's ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that
information. It can be intentional, but you might do it without even realizing it.
■ There can be serious consequences for plagiarizing, from getting a zero on a paper to a
full-blown lawsuit. But, don't worry!We'll help you learn what needs to be cited and
how to avoid plagiarism.
■ To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you:
– use another person's idea, opinion, or thought.
– use any information that isn't common knowledge.
– quote or paraphrase another person's actual spoken or written words.
3. Quoting
■ Quoting is copying the exact words from a source.This is fine as long as you place
quotations around the passage you're quoting and properly cite the source.
■ Be sure to:
– put quotation marks around everything that comes directly from the text, especially
when taking notes.
– cite the source.
4. Paraphrasing
■ Paraphrasing is restating a passage from a source in your own words. Being able to
recognize the differences between acceptable and unacceptable paraphrasing will
help you avoid unintentional plagiarism.
■ Be sure to:
– not just rearrange or replace a few words.
– read over what you want to paraphrase carefully.
■ You could cover up the text with your hand or close the text so you can't see any of it.
Then, write out the idea in your own words without peeking.
– compare your paraphrase to the original text to be sure you haven't accidentally
used the same phrases or words and confirm that the information is accurate.
5. Paraphrasing
■ The examples below will show you how to paraphrase correctly.They're adapted
from Plagiarism:What It Is and How to Recognize andAvoid It by theWritingTutorial
Services at Indiana University Bloomington with its gracious permission.
Original text
The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion
of the population were the three great developments of
late nineteenth century American history. As new, larger,
steam-powered factories became a feature of the American
landscape in the East, they transformed farm hands into
industrial laborers, and provided jobs for a rising tide of
immigrants. With industry came urbanization the growth of
large cities (like Fall River, Massachusetts, where the
Bordens lived) which became the centers of production as
well as of commerce and trade.
–from page 1 of Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of Family and
Crime in the 1890s by Joyce Williams et al.
Example of unacceptable paraphrasing
The increase of industry, the growth of cities, and the explosion of the
population were three large factors of nineteenth centuryAmerica. As
steam-driven companies became more visible in the eastern part of the
country, they changed farm hands into factory workers and provided jobs
for the large wave of immigrants.With industry came the growth of large
cities like Fall River where the Bordens lived which turned into centers of
commerce and trade as well as production.
This example is plagiarism because the writer:
•only changed a few words and phrases.
•only changed the order of the original's sentences.
•didn't cite the source.
It is also problematic since it changes the original meaning (for example,
changing "steam-driven factories" to "steam-driven companies").This
wouldn't necessarily be plagiarism, it's just not an accurate paraphrase.
6. Paraphrasing
■ The examples below will show you how to paraphrase correctly.They're adapted
from Plagiarism:What It Is and How to Recognize andAvoid It by theWritingTutorial
Services at Indiana University Bloomington with its gracious permission.
Original text
The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion
of the population were the three great developments of
late nineteenth century American history. As new, larger,
steam-powered factories became a feature of the American
landscape in the East, they transformed farm hands into
industrial laborers, and provided jobs for a rising tide of
immigrants. With industry came urbanization the growth of
large cities (like Fall River, Massachusetts, where the
Bordens lived) which became the centers of production as
well as of commerce and trade.
–from page 1 of Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of Family and
Crime in the 1890s by Joyce Williams et al.
Example of acceptable paraphrasing
Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of
northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century.
Steam-powered production had shifted labor from agriculture
to manufacturing, and as immigrants arrived in the U.S., they
found work in these new factories. As a result, populations
grew and large urban areas arose. Fall River was one of these
manufacturing and commercial centers (Williams et al. 1).
This paraphrased example is not plagiarism because the
writer:
•accurately relays the information in the original while
using his/her own words.
•cites the source.
7. Paraphrasing
■ The examples below will show you how to paraphrase correctly.They're adapted
from Plagiarism:What It Is and How to Recognize andAvoid It by theWritingTutorial
Services at Indiana University Bloomington with its gracious permission.
Original text
The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion
of the population were the three great developments of
late nineteenth century American history. As new, larger,
steam-powered factories became a feature of the American
landscape in the East, they transformed farm hands into
industrial laborers, and provided jobs for a rising tide of
immigrants. With industry came urbanization the growth of
large cities (like Fall River, Massachusetts, where the
Bordens lived) which became the centers of production as
well as of commerce and trade.
–from page 1 of Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of Family and
Crime in the 1890s by Joyce Williams et al.
Example of paraphrasing with quotes
Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of northeastern
industrial cities of the nineteenth century. As steam-powered
production shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, the
demand for workers "transformed farm hands into factory workers" and
created jobs for immigrants. In turn, growing populations increased the
size of urban areas. Fall River was one of these manufacturing hubs that
were also "centers of commerce and trade" (Williams 1).
This paraphrased example is not plagiarism because the writer:
•accurately records the information in the original passage.
•shows what part is quoted by using quotation marks.
•cites the source.
8. Citing
■ Whether you're paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting, you need to cite your sources
whenever you use any research, words, or ideas that aren't your own.The only things
you don't need to cite are information that's considered common knowledge and your
own original research, words, or ideas.
■ Also, make a bibliography at the end of your paper that lists all the sources you used.
■ That's it! Refer to the links below to learn how to cite your sources in different styles
and manage them.
■ How to cite
Learn how to format citations in your paper and bibliography in MLA,APA, Chicago,
and other styles.
■ Manage your citations
Tools you can use to collect, manage, and share your sources.
9. Practice
■ Learn how to avoid accidental plagiarism through this interactive tutorial.You'll learn
how accidental plagiarism can occur and how to prevent it through the correct use of
paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting of sources.A brief quiz is included.
■ Accidental Plagiarism tutorial
10. More Help
■ ThinkTankWriting Center
Go to theWriting Center at theThinkTank to get help with your papers and writing.
■ Writing Skills Improvement Program
Register for this program to schedule tutoring sessions and improve your writing skills.