Plagiarism... What is it?
Quite simply, plagiarism is submitting a paper or project as your own original work when it is not. Plagiarism occurs in many forms and in varying degrees. This page will help make you aware of the forms of plagiarism and how it can be avoided.
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and can result in expulsion from the University. A link to the USF policy on Academic Integrity is included below:
Academic Integrity at USF
* Percent of undergraduate students admit to copying Internet content word-for-word without citing it.
Examples of plagiarism
- Copying any portion of a book, an article, a website, or any other resource word-for-word into your assignment.
- Buying, reusing, borrowing, or stealing a paper or project and submitting it as your own work.
- Paraphrasing incorrectly. When paraphrasing, word order is as important as word choice. Put ideas into your own words to show you understand a concept.
- Failure to include citations.
- Reusing an old paper or project.
Avoiding Plagiarism
Follow these steps to prevent yourself from plagiarizing someone else's work:
- Make sure you understand what constitutes plagiarism.
- Plan ahead when writing papers.
- Ask for help if you need it.
- Keep track of the resources you have used.
- Take thorough notes on your research.
- Correctly cite any and all sources you use in your project.
* Percent of undergraduates turn in work completed by someone else .
Helpful Websites
plagiarism.org is an excellent resource for understanding what plagiarism is, how it can affect you, and how to avoid it. The site also includes links to webcasts and videos about academic integrity.
Another helpful site, the Purdue Online Writing Lab provides countless resources for citing sources and making sure proper credit is given to the authors and creators of your sources.
* Percent of students submit papers they bought online .
Click on the image above to view full-size.
Ask-A-Librarian
If you have any questions about the Research Process, using library resources, or completing these modules, please contact one of our Reference Librarians via the contact information below. You can always call or text our Ask-a-Librarian phone number for help as well. That number is 260.638.VANN (8266).
Reference Librarians
Cindy Kump, MLS
Reference & Instruction Librarian
260.399.7700, ext. 6056
ckump@sf.edu
Cort Eyer, MLS
Reference & Instruction Librarian
260.399.7700, ext. 6057
ceyer@sf.edu
Celia Price, MLS
Reference & Instruction Librarian
260.399.7700, ext. 6066
cprice@sf.edu
*All statisical data was retrieved from the website plagiarism.org on .
