LIBRARY
Copyright Guide: Avoiding Plagiarism
This guide will inform you of copyright and issues pertaining to the use of copyrighted materials. It will not supply legal advice.
Avoiding Plagiarism
Knowing what to cite and what you do not need to cite will give you the confidence needed to avoid plagiarism as you write papers and use ideas and materials from journal articles, websites, books, videos, and more. Citing the materials you used to write your paper tells your readers where you found the information and who created, or authored, the materials used to support your topic.
After viewing these short videos, you will be able to:
- Identify some basic rules about when to cite your sources.
- Identify examples of "common knowledge".
- Be able to describe the difference between paraphrasing, summarizing, and direct quotations when citing sources.
- Avoiding Plagiarism: What Do I Need to Cite?Most students understand they need to cite materials they used if it is a direct quote, but the ideas of others need to be cited, too.
- Plagiarism: You Can't Just Change a Few WordsA lot of students do not think examples like these count as plagiarism, but they do.
- When Should I Cite a Source?This video identifies the conditions under which you need to cite a source when writing an essay or paper.