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Learn to Write

A guide to help you understand the process of writing and types of writing for assignments at NorQuest College.

Plagiarism

According to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, plagiarism is "the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own." 

Plagiarism occurs when you borrow another's words without giving credit. Published words, ideas, and other forms of expression are considered the intellectual property of the creator. Borrowing words and ideas without giving proper credit is a serious offense that can lead to serious consequences. Plagiarism violates NorQuest College's policy and is considered to be academic misconduct and can result in failure or more serious penalties. 

Specific examples include:

1. Presenting in any format the words, ideas, images or data created by or belonging to someone else as if it were one’s own.

2. Manipulating source material in an effort to deceive or mislead.

3. Submitting work that contains misleading references that do not accurately reflect the sources actually used.

Learning to use other people's words and ideas correctly is an important skill for students in every program and career path. It's not just a skill for students, either: it's part of being a professional in many fields of work.

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources in the body of your work and in your Works Cited or reference list.

 

word for word - no quotation marks: Using a part of another's work word for word, without using quotation marks to show that it is someone else's work. This is plagiarism even if there is a citation. While the source is cited it is not clear that the sentence is not your own words.  Paraphrasing or using quotation marks avoids plagiarism in this case.

word for word - no citation: Copying another's work exactly without citing the source, even if it is in quotation marks. For example, including a quote from a source in quotation marks tells the reader it may not be your original work, but a citation needs to be included to tell people whose work it is.

paraphrasing  - no citation:  When you paraphrase a source (restate someone else's ideas in your own words), it must be properly cited to avoid plagiarism. Refer to the style guide requested by your instructor (usually APA or MLA) for how to cite correctly.

paraphrasing - find and replace: Changing one or two words from the original source, or using a thesaurus to substitute some of the words without significantly changing the writing style, even if the source is cited. Paraphrasing should keep the major ideas of the source, but said in your own words, and must include a citation.

self-plagiarism: Using your own previous work, and presenting it as new work.  This may include submitting a paper used for one class, in a different class without major changes or indicating its origin.

group (collusion): Copying another person’s work or having another person do the work for you, then presenting it as your own. Or allowing another to copy your work, then having that person present the work as their own. Or where two or more persons collaborate on a project together without official approval and each submit all or part of the work as their own individual original work. Be careful you don’t get too much ‘help’ from others. 

patch working:  Writing consisting mostly of others’ ideas, with few original thoughts or ideas.  Even if those ideas are properly cited it can be plagiarism if you don't include your own thoughts or ideas. 

Learning to use sources properly can take some practice, but it's well worth your time because plagiarism can have serious consequences. Luckily, there are steps you can take at each stage of the writing process to help you avoid plagiarism:

1. Plan ahead

When you get an assignment, make sure to set aside enough time to do research. You're far more likely to use a source improperly if you are rushing to meet a due date.

2. Be organized

It's easy to forget where you got a piece of information by the time you finish writing, so it's important to keep your sources organized and clearly labelled. People tend to develop a system that works best for them, but here are some tips to consider:

  • keep copies of each source you use - save them all in a folder or USB stick or print them out so that you can access at all times
  • if you write notes based on what you read, use a separate page or document for each source, and keep track of which page of the original source you got each piece of information from
  • make sure you clearly mark in your notes when you have quoted a source directly and when you have summarized or paraphrased

3. Be accurate

Make sure that you quote and paraphrase your sources correctly.

4. Cite from the start

Don't save your citations for later. Use in-text citations for every source you refer to from the very beginning of your writing, and keep track of them when you revise your drafts.

5. Double-check

When you proofread your final draft, make sure that every piece of information you got from another source has an in-text citation (having copies of each of your sources comes in really handy here!) and that each source you refer to is in your References/Works Cited page.

 

Additionally, avoid plagiarism accusations by:

  • learning how to document and cite your sources properly.
  • handing in your own, original work.
  • paraphrasing, or putting the ideas of others into your own words and using a citation.
  • using quotation marks and an in-text citation when you copy the words of someone else.
  • always giving credit to sources you use in your research.
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