Avoiding Plagarism

Understanding Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is a big deal. You probably have heard about what plagiarism is and why to avoid it. Here's something that you may not have thought about though. Students actually form habits in school that can lead to plagiarism. Let me explain. Have you ever been asked in an assignment to simply go find the answers in your textbook and copy them down word for word? Yes! We all have. The problem is doing this in other contexts, say a paper for an English class or a presentation in History, might be deemed plagiarism. 

When writing, you cannot simply "find the answer" from a source and then pass it off as your own. Plagiarism is taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as your own. Unless students learn to see the value of properly using other people's words and ideas in their writing they are in danger of plagiarism. 

Why Students Might Plagiarize:

It is actually good scholarship to quote what other people are saying about your topic. Remember, "[y]ou are not reinventing the wheel, you are simply contributing in a significant way. For beginners, this can be a challenge, but once you start to see that there is a pattern that is unique to you, you will find that plagiarism is not needed. Remember — your professor or your supervisor want your ideas to build on what is already established or familiar and NOT to simply repurpose someone else’s ideas and calling it your own" (Plagiarism Overview - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University).