Plagiarism is the use of someone else's words, ideas, or line of thought without acknowledgement. Even when plagiarism is inadvertent - the result of careless note taking, punctuating, or documenting - the writer is still at fault for dishonest work, and the paper will be unacceptable. To avoid plagiarizing, learn to recognize distinctive content and expression in source materials and to take accurate, carefully punctuated, and documented notes.
Perrin, Robert. The Beacon Handbook and Desk Reference. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.
At CT State Gateway Plagiarism is considered Prohibited Conduct, outlined in the Student Handbook. It is further defined as "The submission of work by a student for academic credit as one’s own work of authorship which contains work of another author without appropriate attribution." (CT State Student Handbook, 67). There are serious consequences for such misconduct such as probation, suspension or expulsion.
encyclopedia and does not need to be cited.
For example:
• Easily observable behavior (Heat makes people tired in the summer; puppies display tremendous energy)
• Commonly reported facts (Oranges contain vitamin C; Napoleon’s army was decimated by the winter march on Moscow during the War of 1812)
• Common sayings (“You are what you eat;” “Look before you leap”)
• Information easily found within general reference sources (Franklin D. Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882)
But beware: while common knowledge need not be cited, specific expression of common knowledge must be
identified. For example, you may mention without citation, as above, that Napoleon’s army suffered ruinous losses
during the winter march on Moscow. However, if your source says, “Napoleon’s army froze in droves as it struggled
toward Moscow,” you must use quotation marks and cite the source of those words if you include them. Therefore, if
you use someone’s words, you must quote and cite them, even if they contain an idea that is common knowledge.'
Harris, Robert A. The Plagiarism Handbook. Pyrczak Publishing, 2001
| Quotation | Paraphrase | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Difference | Difference | Difference |
|
• Matches the source word for word. • You use the source’s words. • Exact same length as the source, unless you follow the rules for adding or deleting material from a quote. |
• Matches the source in terms of meaning. • You use your own words. • Approximately the same length, though often shorter than the source. |
• Sums up the central point of the source. • You use your own words. • Much shorter than the source. |
| Purpose | Purpose | Purpose |
|
• To provide credibility for what you are saying (you support your point by quoting an authority). • To get someone’s exact words (when HOW someone said something is as important as WHAT they said). |
• To get down the meaning of someone else’s words when: 1. Their exact words are not important 2. Their exact words are not appropriate (style too dense or too simple for example) or useful (what they emphasize is different from what you want to emphasize). • To show that you have command of the material. • To “shorten” a section from the source that is too long to quote. • To demonstrate comprehension |
• To get down the gist of someone else’s work. • To avoid unnecessary details when the main point is all you need. • To show that you understand what the source is saying. • To refresh the reader’s memory if they have read the source. • To give your audience a general introduction to the source. |
| How to | How to | How to |
|
• Copy the source’s words exactly. • There are special rules for capitalization and punctuation within quotes. See Writing Lab for handouts or a tutor for help. • Cite it according to whatever style your instructor requires (e.g. MLA, APA, etc.) |
• Carefully read the section of the source you are going to paraphrase. Put it away and write down in your own words what the source is saying. Then go back and check to see if you missed anything. • Cite it like you would a quote. • Appears on Works Cited page |
• Carefully read the section of the source you are going to paraphrase. Put it away and write down the main point(s) of the source. Do not be a slave to the source’s organization—you decide what the main points are. • First sentence: “[John Doe]‘s essay [‘Wild Gift’] states that...” |