Plagiarism

Any time you quote or paraphrase what someone else has written you must provide a proper citation for the source in your list of references or bibliography. If you don't complete this step, you've committed plagiarism (which is basically stealing someone's work and using it as your own) or cheating! It is important to give the "author" or person who created the work credit for their hard work. It also allows other people reading your paper to locate the sources you used.

Helpful Tips to Avoid Plagiarism

Always cite the resources you use, even if only using a small amount and even if you paraphrase what was said. You are still using their ideas.

Remember to use quotation marks around direct quotes. Read how to properly quote in one of the style manuals.

Ask permission to use images or photographs you find on the Internet. Make sure you give the person who created the image credit, and if you are going to use it on a website, ASK first!

If you find a really good paper via one of the Internet paper mills, cite it as you would any other resource that you use. Give the persons or corporations that created the information credit for their work.

It is very easy to cut and paste information from another source. Therefore, remember also to copy the bibliographic information (author, title, publisher, etc.) from the source, so that you can properly cite it in your paper. Print a copy of any source that you use for your records and so you have it available to verify information while completing your research paper.

If you use something that was originally written in another language and use a translation as if it were written using your own words, this also is considered plagiarism. You need to cite the original source and give the author credit for their words and ideas.

Don't use a friend's paper or any part of his/her paper and hand it in as your own. If you did not write it, you should not submit it for a grade.

If you write a paper for one class and want to use it for another, you need to get permission to do so. The professor may want you to update your citations, or add some additional information. While it might not appear so, using one paper for multiple classes is unethical.

Be aware that your professors know about Internet paper mills and other Internet sources for getting research papers or essays. They also know how to identify possible plagiarism. There are many resources available that scan the web for plagiarized text, such as http://www.turnitin.com

Other Info

The Writing Center (Academic Support Center) is available for assistance with writing your paper or with citing your sources. Contact the ASC (located on the 2nd floor of the library) for more information or for an appointment at 614 823-1610.

Otterbein does have a policy on academic integrity. Read what it says in the Campus Life Handbook. Your professors may give you more information about their philosophy regarding academic honesty. If they do not, ask, so that this important issue is discussed in your classes.