According to Lee University's Academic Integrity policy, plagiarism is:
Directly quoting all or part of another person’s words without quotation marks, as appropriate to the discipline.
Paraphrasing all or part of another person’s words without documentation.
Stating an idea, theory, or formula as your own when it actually originated with another person.
Purchasing (or receiving in any other manner) a term paper or other assignment, which is the work of another person, and submitting that work as if it were one’s own.
Plagiarism is presenting as your own work the words, ideas, opinions, theories, or thoughts which are not common knowledge. Students who present others’ words or ideas as their own without fair attribution (documentation), are guilty of plagiarizing. Unfair attribution includes, but is not limited to, a direct quotation of all or part of another’s words without appropriately identifying the source. It is also unfair attribution to have included a source within a Works Cited page without having carefully cited the source within the text of the document. Plagiarism also includes, but is not limited to, the following acts when performed without fair attributio
An allegation of plagiarism is intent-neutral. In other words, because the reader cannot discern whether the absence of a citation was done deliberately or you simply forgot, it is important to proofread your paper before you submit it to ensure you have listed all sources used during your research. This is why it is important to keep track of everything you have used during the course of writing your paper so you can easily assess whether all your sources have been cited properly.
With this in mind, credit must be given when using one of the following in your own research paper:
To introduce students to the process of citing other people's work, the USC Social Work Librarians have created a useful online tutorial on avoiding plagiarism. It describes what constitutes plagiarism and offers helpful advice on how to properly cite sources.
If you have any doubts about whether to cite a particular source concerning an argument or statement made in your paper, protect yourself by citing a source or sources that helps the reader determine the validity of your work. Note that not citing a source not only raises concerns about the integrity of your paper, but it also tells the reader that you have not conducted an effective or thorough review of the literature in support of the research problem under investigation.
Academic Integrity. The Writing Center. University of Kansas; Avoiding Plagiarism. Academic Skills Program, University of Canberra; How and When to Cite Other People's Work. Psychology Writing Center, University of Washington; Proctor, Margaret. "How Not to Plagiarize." University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Plagiarism. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Plagiarism. The Writing Center. Department of English, George Mason University. Avoiding Plagiarism. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University.