Lesson 13 — Activity 5:

Plagiarism



Courtesy of Pixabay

Researching for a report or essay means that you are using materials someone else has written. You can use any information that you got from any source, but you must be sure to give credit to the writer. This lesson will focus on what plagiarism is and how to cite work. 

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to plagiarize is the act of "using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person."


An organization called plagiarism.org provides writers with detailed information on plagiarism.

According to plagiarism.org, all the following are considered plagiarism:

  • turning in someone else's work as your own

  • copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit

  • failing to put a quotation in quotation marks ("...")

  • giving incorrect information about where the source of the quotation came from

  • changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit

  • copying so many words or ideas from a source that the source makes up most of your work, whether you give credit or not



Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided by citing sources. Stating that material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent plagiarism.


What does "citing a resource" mean? It means that you tell the reader that you borrowed ideas from someone else. This allows the reader to find the original source for themselves if they want it. 


When you collect information to cite a source, you need the following:

  • the author's first and last name

  • the title of the book, website, brochure, article, etc.

  • the name and location of the company that published your copy of the source

  • the date your copy was published

  • the page numbers of the material you are borrowing



Courtesy of Pixabay

Digging Deeper!

Click on the Play button below to watch a video on plagiarism and how to avoid it.