Citation

Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own. If you don’t credit the author, you are committing a type of theft called plagiarism.

When you do research you incorporate outside sources – other people’s words and ideas – into your paper. It is important to cite these sources, whether you quote, paraphrase, or summarize their ideas. 

It is plagiarism if you:

1. buy or use a term paper written by someone else.
2. cut and paste passages from the Web, a book, or an article and insert them into your paper without citing them. 
3. use the words or ideas of another person without citing them.
4. paraphrase someone’s words without citing them.

Most colleges have an Academic Integrity Policy.  Consequences for plagiarism can range from failing the paper or the class to suspension from the school.

To avoiding plagiarizing:  

Adapted from Western Michigan University Library's Citing Sources module.