What is plagiarism? Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (1975) defines "plagiarize" as: "vt ... to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (a created production) without crediting the source : vi to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source." Plagiarism includes copying someone else's words or ideas without attribution and submitting them as your own, whether in a term paper, an examination, or any other kind of academic assignment. You plagiarize if you copy whole sentences or phrases without quotation marks and attribution, or if you paraphrase the words of another without attribution.

Why should I care? Plagiarism is theft. It is academic dishonesty. Any student who commits plagiarism is subject to severe academic discipline up to and including expulsion. (Students also have rights to challenge and appeal any accusation of academic dishonesty.) Further, the plagiarist cheats him/herself. By stealing someone else's words the plagiarist loses the benefit of learning something well enough to express it in his/her own words.

How can I avoid plagiarizing? First, do not copy anything, not even a three-word phrase, out of a source for submission as your own work

Second, when you do use words from a source in your writing, attribute it properly. That means you use "quotation marks," italics, or

block indentation to delineate passages which you have taken verbatim from another source.

This will require some preparation. If you are taking notes from a source and want to transcribe a portion of it word for word, put it in quotation marks in your notes and make a note of the source and the page(s) so that you will remember that the material is not yours. Even if you are taking notes in your own words, be sure to keep track of sources and page numbers so that you can properly credit your sources.

So I can copy as much as I want as long as I put it in quotes and attribute it properly? Not exactly. Overuse of quotations is poor style. You should use your own words as much as possible. Nevertheless, as long as you attribute properly you cannot be accused of plagiarism. You might get a poor grade on the assignment, but you won't face academic discipline.

Suppose I take a few words from one book and a few words from another and piece them together into a new sentence. That's not plagiarism, is it? Sure it is. It's plagiarizing from two sources at once.

Well, suppose I change a few words from a book or rephrase a passage slightly, that makes it mine, right? Wrong. That is merely paraphrasing from a source. It is not putting things in your own words. If you don't credit your source, it's plagiarism.

But I don't write very well. I don't know how to put things into my own words. What can I do if I can't copy? This is one of the chief reasons you shouldn't copy. The only way to improve your writing is to write. My first suggestion is that you try to read a source about a particular point you wish to discuss in your work and then close the book. Then write what you learned from the source as though you were explaining it to a friend. If you find you can't do that, it may be you didn't understand what it said. Maybe you need to re-read it. Maybe you need to use a dictionary to define some terms. Maybe you should ask your instructor to help explain it. If you just copy something without understanding it , you have learned nothing.

If you need help with using sources or with writing, see your instructor or visit the Academic Skills Center. You are entitled to help. You are not entitled to cheat.

But I didn't mean to plagiarize ... I didn't know I wasn't allowed to copy ... My other instructors let me do it ... etc. ... You're not really going to enforce this are you? Yes, I really am going to enforce it. I do, however, understand that some students come into class with no understanding of what plagiarism is. That is why I am providing this information to you. Now you know that it is your responsibility to understand the rules against plagiarism and follow them.

Do these rules apply all the time -- even in in-class exams or informal writing assignments? The rules against outright copying or close paraphrasing apply all the time. The rules about citing sources for ideas or data which you express in your own words are more flexible. No one expects extensive footnotes in an in-class essay. In general, the more formal the assignment the more particular you should be about citing sources. Consult a writing manual and/or your instructor if you are in doubt.

How would anyone know if I plagiarized? No doubt I have missed some cases from time to time, but don't kid yourself. Sadly, I catch several cases of plagiarism every year.