Referencing
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation, without any form of acknowledgment, the ideas or words of another writer as if they were your own. This is more than just another form of cheating. It is literary theft. It is stealing someone else's work.
For academics, plagiarism is one of the worst possible forms of dishonesty because it strikes at the heart of their work as scholars. Academic and intellectual reputations are built on the development and circulation of ideas which, in turn, depend on the intellectual honesty of its practitioners. Without an active commitment to intellectual honesty, scholarship becomes meaningless.
Your responsibilities as an author
As a student you will be expected to pay scrupulous attention to acknowledging where your ideas for your essay came from.
This means more than just documenting the relevant sources. It means acknowledging:
- Key ideas (including methods, maps, diagrams, graphs, tables and so on)
- Direct quotations
- Paraphrased material
- Any information that you did not think of for yourself.
For more detailed information on how to acknowledge your sources fully and properly go to How to quote.
Some tips to avoid plagiarism:
- Cite your source
- Ensure that direct quotes use quotation marks or are in block format so that your reader knows where a quote begins and where it ends
- When incorporating brief quotes into your own sentences begin with your words then weave your source's words into your sentence
- Ensure that you have presented the words exactly as they appear in your source
- For paraphrased material, provide acknowledgment as early as possible in your paragraph. It is unwise to draw on someone's work but only give the reference at the end of the paragraph, or when you have finished making your point
- Be extra careful with material taken from the internet.
Note that plagiarism is not about submitting the same essay (or assignment) for assessment in two different (but related) subjects.
That is certainly a form of cheating but it is not stealing the work of another; you cannot steal from yourself.
There is really only one rule to observe if you want to avoid being accused of plagiarism:
If in doubt, provide a reference.