"What is Plagiarism?" ​Plagiarism.org.​ iParadigms, LLC, 2014. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
| Question | Do I need to cite? | Am I plagiarizing? |
| Is it my own idea? | No | No, because it is your own original idea. |
| Am I using someone else's idea? | Yes |
You are not plagiarizing if you CITE THE SOURCE. You are plagiarizing if you do not give credit to the author! |
| Am I quoting someone else's words? | Yes |
You are not plagiarizing if you use quotation marks and CITE THE SOURCE. You are plagiarizing if you do not quote, cite and give credit to the author! |
| Am I using someone else's idea, but putting it into my own words? | Yes |
You are not plagiarizing if you CITE THE SOURCE. You are plagiarizing if you do not cite and give credit to the author! |
There are three main techniques of integrating someone else’s words and/or ideas into your paper, and all require parenthetical (in-text) citations.
1.) Summarizing: When you summarize, you write in your own words the most outstanding point(s) another writer makes. Your summary is usually much shorter than the original, because it only highlights the most important information/ ideas. So you could summarize an entire book or article in a single paragraph (Ex. for an annotated bibliography).
2.) Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing is another way of conveying the original author's ideas in your own words. A paraphrase is usually different from a summary in that it simply rephrases a specific line or short passage, rather than condensing a longer passage. A paraphrase of one sentence probably conveys about the same amount of information found in the original-- but again, in your own words (You must CITE the source).
3.) Quoting: When you directly quote an author, you record his or her exact words, exactly as they appear in the original document. You MUST put quotation marks around the material you use from the original. Quotations from a text give you specific information or “evidence” to support your points (You must CITE the source).
What are the consequences of plagiarism at WCC?
Sanctions that can be assigned by a faculty member range from giving a reduced grade on the particular work in question to failing the student for the entire course. In addition, some academic departments and programs have their own policies for dealing with academic dishonesty.
