SOL - Avoiding Plagiarism Lesson

Before you jump into your research project, we need to review the concept of plagiarism so it's fresh in your mind as you begin the search for information.

The use of someone else's words, theories, analysis, or other specific ideas without giving credit to that person constitutes plagiarism. When you take other people's exact words OR even their ideas, you must acknowledge that you have borrowed the information and that it is not your own original thinking. Finally, don't think that putting someone else's words into your own words means you don't have to cite. This is called paraphrasing, and it requires a citation as well!

The only exception is information that is common knowledge and can be found in the same format in multiple sources, such as the name of the 3^rd U.S. President or the state in which Dorothy lived.   If you have questions about documenting a source, ask yourself if the information you are including is something most people would know. If it isn't, you need to cite it. And remember, when in doubt, include a citation.

You will find several resources for reviewing plagiarism linked below, including a video from EasyBib, an interactive tutorial with self-assessment questions, and an interactive game in which you must search out and destroy the Plagiarism Goblins.

Plagiarism Site Link Links to an external site.

Plagiarism Game Link Links to an external site.

Citing Sources

There is a process and structure for formatting an essay and citing the sources that provide supporting evidence. You will need both in-text citations throughout your paper and an MLA-formatted Works Cited page as the last page of your research paper. There are numerous resources in this course to help you.

View both videos below to review the research process and source citation:

You may also find it helpful to review the MLA Review information in the Regionalism unit.

The Source Citation vs. In-Text Citation

Let's learn how the source citation looks (on the Works Cited page) and also what the corresponding in-text citation looks like in the body of the essay.

Source Citation & In-text Citation for An Article from Galileo

 Source Citation & In-text Citation for An Article from a Website

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.