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Plagiarism

Research

Choosing appropriate sources makes avoiding plagiarism easier.

While Google is the "go-to" source for most students, the library has free access to scholarly databases with subject-specific articles, in addition to books.

Library databases supply sample citations for most sources. (See video)►

Citation Examples in Library Databases

Examples from Academic Search Complete and Opposing Viewpoints in Context database

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Quoting

  • Place quotation marks around exact wording you use from a source
  • Always use quotes if the quote best expresses the author's wording
  • Be wary of long quotes. You may need to summarize or paraphrase
  • Quote only what you fully understand

Note Taking

When copying material, whether using copy/paste, making photocopies or handwriting onto notecards, remember to:

  • Take your own notes. DO NOT copy/paste into your paper.
  • Organize your notes so you can easily identify what you intend to use and how.
  • Know the FORMAT of the source you are using: Book; eBook; Article from a print magazine/newspaper; Article from a magazine/newspaper in a library database; Website, whether part or the entire website; Article from a journal on a website, etc. I
  • Note the citation information so you can easily cite the source (Writing / Citing)