Last updated 3-08	Isothermal Community College P.O. Box 804, Spindale NC 28160 (828) 286-4636  fax (828) 286-8208 For more information, contact Director of Library Services Charles P. Wiggins

  
Avoiding Plagiarism

(See the Glossary below this section for more information on underlined words.)

To plagiarize is to use someone else’s idea, creation or information without giving proper credit to the originator.  Some examples:
 

Deliberate Plagiarism            ï ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ð              Possibly Inadvertent Plagiarism

      

Copying/pasting from a source into a paper or project without giving credit   Using too many of the same words of the source in a paraphrase   Using someone’s graphic or drawing without credit   Turning in a paper written by someone else or used in another class   Expanding on an idea from another source without giving credit   Failing to put quotation marks around a direct quote

Consequences of Plagiarism -- Whether deliberate or accidental, plagiarism is unethical and is taken very seriously in colleges and universities.  Depending on circumstances, consequences may include:
 

Failing an assignment  Failing a course  Being expelled from a college or university   Being sued by a person whose work you have plagiarized

See the Student Code of Conduct, Section III. A: Academic Dishonesty and Section VI: Sanctions, as published in the Student Handbook, for information on Isothermal Community College’s policies.

Avoid plagiarism when preparing a paper, report, or project by citing (giving proper credit to) the original source of an idea or information.  When conducting research, make sure that you carefully record or capture all needed information for every source you use, and that all quotations are accurate.  Make a note of the date when you use electronic sources (databases and Internet) for use in your citations.   

Documenting sources requires that you know what information you need to use from the original source, and specifically how to put it together into a citation.  There are different styles (standard forms for documenting sources) used for writing in various disciplines.  (See Glossary below for more information.)

Basic guidelines for documenting sources correctly in your paper: *

All paraphrases must be in your own words and include citations Direct quotes less than 4 lines (MLA) or less than 40 words (APA) must be enclosed in quotation marks Direct quotes which are 4 lines or more must be indented ten spaces (one inch) in MLA style or five to seven spaces (1/2 inch) in APA style, with quotation marks omitted Introduce borrowed information by giving the author’s name, and follow it by giving an in-text citation that includes the page number where the original passage is found Include a list of works cited at the back of your paper

* Not to worry:
Our intent in providing this information is to warn students to do their best to avoid plagiarism from the very beginning of their college studies. You will be provided with more specific information and appropriate guidance in courses where a documented research paper is required.

Source consulted for writing handout:  Avoiding Plagiarism. OWL at Purdue University and Purdue University. 1995-2004. 4 Aug. 2004 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_plagiar.html>.

Glossary

Citation/Cite - A citation is a reference to a supporting source used for a paper or project.  A citation includes sufficient information to specifically identify and locate that source.  To cite is to refer to a source in order to give credit to the originator of the information or idea.

Document(-ing)/Documentation - To document is to support with references or citations using a standard style, such as MLA or APA.

Paraphrase - To paraphrase is to reword a text or passage from an original source; putting the information into one’s own words.  You must cite your source when you paraphrase.

Plagiarize/Plagiarism - To plagiarize is to use and pass off the ideas or writings of another as one's own. Copy and paste is easy but never ethical unless properly cited.  Plagiarism is the act of plagiarizing.

Quotation/Quote - A quotation is a direct reference to the text of another work, using the exact wording of that source.  To quote someone is to repeat that person’s exact words, either written or spoken.

Source - A point of origin of information or ideas.  Sources may include, but are not limited to, books or articles (in print or electronic format); charts or drawings; films or videos; websites; people. 

Style - “A customary manner of presenting printed material, including usage, punctuation, spelling, typography, and arrangement.” ¹  Styles for writing papers include: Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), Chicago/Turabian, American Political Science Association (APSA), and Council of Biology Editors (CBE).  Examples of styles employed at Isothermal Community College include MLA, used in English courses, and APA, used in the Nursing program.  Formats for creating citations using the styles most often used at Isothermal, and examples of each, can be found on the Library website at http://www.isothermal.edu/library/docres.htm#CITE.

¹ American Heritage eReference Dictionary. 2004. 4 Aug., 2004 http://www.yourdictionary.com.

More information
Other excellent information on plagiarism may be found at:

The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Hamilton College Writing Center
DePauw University Writing Center
Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Disclaimer: These links are provided for your convenience. The resources to which they link are maintained by other entities and do not represent Isothermal Community College.