Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

When writing a paper or essay of any kind, it is important that we maintain academic integrity. This means that we must be honest and upfront about where we get the information represented in our writing. In order to do so, we must cite our sources.

When Citation is needed:

Simply stated, citation will be needed in your work anytime you use something that is not an original thought of your own. Whether you are directly quoting someone or paraphrasing what he or she said in your own words, you must give credit to the source of your information.

When Citation is not needed:

If the things you are writing fall under the category of common knowledge, you need not cite it. Common knowledge includes things that can be considered well known by most people.

Quoting:

Quoting is restating something someone else has already said, word-for-word. Quotes should be used when there isn’t a better way to express the same information. When you quote a person, you must copy all of the words in the exact order they were used and place them inside quotation marks. Then you must give the location where you found the quote. As with every other citation, you must include a note inside the text at the end of the borrowed information to indicate that it was someone else’s work, and give the full explanation of where to find it in your bibliography. 

Paraphrasing:

When you review or explain a passage in your own words but are still using someone else’s work, you are paraphrasing. A paraphrase can be longer or shorter than the original; it is simply the writer’s attempt to make something easier to understand within the context of their paper or essay. Paraphrasing demonstrates that you understood what you read in your research, and conveys that understanding to the reader. After you paraphrase, you must provide a noted citation that is later fully explained in your bibliography.