What Every Student Should Know About Avoiding Plagiarism

Students will take plagiarism seriously and understand its consequences with this timely and effective supplement. Here, source usage methods -- summary, paraphrase and quotation -- are explained, with examples. The most common types of plagiarism are discussed, from simple mistakes such as forgetting to use quotation marks when using someone else's exact words, or failing to acknowledge another's thoughts and ideas, to wholesale fraudulence, such as purchasing student papers from online sites and claiming them as one's own work. A brief essential guide to citing sources using both MLA and APA documentation styles is also included.

What Is Plagiarism?

            Significance of Intellectual Honesty

            Intentional versus Unintentional Plagiarism

Documentation–The Key to Avoiding Plagiarism

Sources and Information That Need to Be Documented

            Recognizing Common Knowledge

How to Use Material Gathered from Sources

            Summary

                        Review

                        Plot Summary

                        Annotated Bibliography Entry

                        Abstract

            Paraphrase

                        Paraphrase of Technical Information

            Quotation

Loyalty to the Source

Creating In-Text Citations

            Using an Introductory Attribution and a Parenthetical Reference

            Placing All Identifying Information in the Parenthetical Reference

            Placing All Identifying Information in the Attribution

Blending Quotations into a Paper

            Correct Grammar

            Correct Punctuation

            Using a Full-Sentence Quotation of Fewer than Four Lines

            Quoting Part of a Sentence

            Adding Information to a Quotation

            Omitting Information from the Middle of a Sentence

            Omitting the End of a Sentence

            Omitting the End of One Sentence and the Beginning of the Next Sentence

            Omitting Information from the Beginning of a Quoted Sentence

            Using a Quotation of More than Four Lines

Is It Plagiarism? Test Yourself on In-Text References

Constructing a Works Cited or References List

            Documentation styles and Their Manuals: MLA, APA, CMS

            Elements Included in a Citation

            Organization of a Works Cited or References List

            MLA STYLE–SAMPLE FORMATS

                        Books

                        Periodicals

                        Electronic Sources

            APA STYLE–SAMPLE FORMATS

                        Books

                        Periodicals

                        Electronic Sources

Is It Plagiarism? Test Yourself on MLA Entries

Using and Documenting Illustrations from the Internet

Evaluating Electronic Sources

            Is the Material Relevant to Your Topic?

            Is the Source Well Respected?

            Is the Material Accurate?

            Is the Information Current?

            Is the Material from a Primary Source or a Secondary Source?

Avoiding Plagiarism: Note-taking Tips

Extended Analysis of a Student Paper

Notes