Plagiarism is passing off another’s words or ideas as your own. Anything you did not write that you turn in as your own work is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of cheating.

Often, plagiarism occurs inadvertently as the result of sloppy scholarship, inadequate paraphrasing skills, or failure to understand the rules of citation. However it occurs, it is a serious academic infraction.

Getting Started

Take clear, accurate notes about where you found specific ideas.

Write down or print out the complete citation information for each item you use.

Use quotation marks when directly stating another person’s words.

Always credit original authors for their information and ideas.

Try It!

Is It Plagiarism? Paraphrase Pitfalls! – Short interactive video tests your knowledge

More Options

• Avoiding Plagiarism (from the OWL, Purdue University’s Online Writing Center)
• Copyright Guide for Students
• Copyright Guide for Faculty
• How Do I Cite Sources?
• SU’s Standards of Academic Honesty