Plagiarism FAQs: What Is Plagiarism? What Happens If I Plagiarize?
How Do I Avoid Plagiarizing?

Q: What is plagiarism?

• Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty in which you knowingly use another person's words or ideas without giving him or her credit. Plagiarism is considered a form of theft and is a serious breach of the University Code of Conduct .
  
• Some plagiarism is clearly intentional. Copying all or part of a paper from the Internet passing it off as one's own is a case in point. Most people would agree that such an act is unmistakably plagiarism. Not all cases are as clear-cut, though, because not everyone who plagiarizes means to do so.
  
• For example, paraphrasing improperly or having a friend help write part of your paper qualifies as plagiarism. Failure to cite all of your sources (including paraphrases) using a documentation style appropriate for your discipline is also considered plagiarism.

Q: What will happen if I get caught plagiarizing?

• The consequences for plagiarism vary based on the severity of the offense, the policy of the instructor, the policy of the department, and the policy of the school or college. Plagiarism is never worth the risk, but if you are curious about the policies for your course, check your syllabus or ask your instructor.
  
• The most common consequences for plagiarism include a failing grade on the plagiarized paper, a failing grade for the course, and possible suspension/expulsion from your degree program and/or the University.

Q: How can I avoid plagiarizing unintentionally?

• Learn how (and why) to incorporate source materials in different ways. There are several methods of using sources into your text, and each of them achieves a different effect; some strategies remind the reader that the source information is coming from an outside expert, while other strategies demonstrate how well the writer has been able to merge her/his ideas with those of the source. You can learn more about these strategies from our Incorporating Source Materials Effectively handout.
  
• Make sure you understand how to paraphrase correctly. Most people misunderstand what paraphrasing really means and don't know how to write an appropriate paraphrase. You can learn more about what paraphrases should involve using our Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism handout.

• If you are worried about borrowing too much from your source, don't keep your book or your notes directly in front of you while you write. Your goal while you are writing, and especially while you are paraphrasing, should be to use your own words as often as possible. Imagine yourself interpreting the author's argument for a friend or classmate: that's the kind of approach you want to take in your paper. You can always go back to the source to add a quote or correct your interpretation of that source after you've gotten the main points into the paper.
  
• Cite all of your sources completely using an accepted documentation style. You can learn more about the three most common documentation styles (APA, Chicago Style, and MLA) in the Writing Center's Citation Guides.