The Student Academic Honesty Code defines plagiarism as follows:
“Presenting the work of another person as one’s own work (including papers, words, ideas, information, computer code, data, evidence-organizing principles, or style of presentation of someone else taken from the Internet, books, periodicals or other sources). Plagiarism includes:
Richard Wightman Fox, a professor of history at USC, offers students this advice on the issue:
“Don’t claim the ideas or words of someone else as your own. Do use the ideas and words of others to help develop your own. Do have friends read and comment on drafts of your papers. Always give explicit credit when you use anyone’s exact thoughts or language, whether in paraphrasing or quoting them. Give an acknowledgment to someone who’s helped you overall. Intellectual work is about developing and sharing your ideas, and it’s about taking note of and praising other people who have shared good ones with you.”
From his 2004 article “A Heartbreaking Problem of Staggering Proportions,” in Journal of American History 90, no. 4 (p. 1346).
Stable link: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3660353.
Plagiarism can be avoided by citing your sources. Here are some additional tips:
If you're unsure of whether you need to cite something, you can consult your instructor, ask a librarian, or make an appointment at the Writing Center for additional assistance.