The Research Process: A Step-By-Step Guide

To avoid plagiarizing:

• Paraphrase the original text into your own words.
• Use quotation marks around text that has been taken directly from the original source.
• Cite every source of information you use in your paper unless it is common knowledge or the results of your own research.

According to the Unity Student Handbook, plagiarism is defined as:

"Plagiarism: ​Quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing any part of a source, incorporating any information that is not common knowledge, or using another’s work without attributing the source in accordance with fair-use policies; Submitting work that someone else completed."

Plagiarism may take many forms:

• cheating,
• copying information directly without providing quotation marks,
• failing to cite sources, or
• citing sources incorrectly.

It does not matter whether you intended to plagiarize or whether the plagiarism occurred unintentionally; it still constitutes academic dishonesty. Ignorance of the rules of correct citation is not an acceptable excuse.

Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty can subject a student to disciplinary action under the university Student Honor Code.

Posted with permission from Lehman College.