Avoiding Plagiarism: The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Sources

Smart Ways of Using Sources

Using sources the right way is an art. But if mastered, spicing up your paper with some quotes, important studies and other materials is a great way of boosting your grade. It will show that you are well-informed and take a scholarly approach to your work.

So, let’s say you have been assigned your first research paper, and you check the internet and the local library for information on your topic. Most likely, you’ll find lots of useful sources. But how do you incorporate these materials into your paper, and when and how do you credit the author?

Most instructors welcome the use of external sources, but what needs to be avoided is the perception of plagiarism on the part of the instructor. However, many students report that they are not sure what exactly plagiarism is. A study conducted at Rutgers University revealed that about 44% of undergraduate students think that cutting and pasting from the internet without acknowledging the source of the material is acceptable, which isn’t true.

So, let’s first go over the definition of plagiarism. To plagiarize is to use someone else’s words, as well as using someone else’s ideas, without acknowledging the source. To hand in your paper with your name on it constitutes a claim that the paper contains work that is exclusively your own: that the ideas, the style, and content is yours. This means that you must take great care to incorporate other sources correctly. Consequences of plagiarism can range from a bad grade on the paper, a bad grade in the course, to dismissal from the college.

Luckily, using sources the right way is not very difficult. Here are some tips on what to do, and what to avoid.

Do:

First, you want to check with your college or university to find out if it has an honor code (you can ask in the admissions or academic advising office). An honor code is a document that holds students and faculty to particular standards of academic integrity. It spells out what academic honesty and dishonesty consist in, as well as the consequences of cheating. Furthermore, it often provides guidelines for proper and improper use of information. If your college or university has an honor code, get a copy and read it carefully. Ask questions if there’s something you don’t understand.
Next, study your course syllabus. Many instructors provide guidelines regarding the use of other sources. Sometimes, a very specific format is required, and each discipline is a little different. Your instructors are also likely to require a particular style for citing sources. Specifically look for the following items: Is there a policy on how much quoted or paraphrased material is acceptable? Does the syllabus state any requirements on how sources should be referenced? Again, if you are not sure about something, ask the instructor. When you write your paper, make sure you follow all the instructions provided.
Now, let’s look more specifically at how to incorporate sources. First of all, if you use a direct quote from another text (a book, a magazine, or an article on the internet), always use quotation marks and provide a reference. Again, there are different ways of doing this and your instructor is the best source for what’s required in a specific course, but the general information required is always the same. You need to provide the title of the document you quoted from, the author, and where the document can be found (journal name, book title, url). As a rule of thumb, quotes should be used only when necessary and they should be as brief as possible. They should be used just to make a point, not as filler to make a paper longer. It is also useful to add a sentence or two to further explain the quote or its importance. This shows both that you understand what is being said and that you can elucidate it further.
Often, it is easier just to summarize what someone else has said. This way, you don’t need to introduce long quotations that may distract from the main point of your paper. Other times, you may want to put the author’s point into your own words. That is called a paraphrase, and again, it signals to the instructor that you understand the materials that you are discussing. It also allows you to put a point more succinctly than the author who has made it. This is especially useful when the author’s views could be put in a more elegant way. When you paraphrase or summarize someone else’s ideas, you don’t want to use quotation marks but you do need to provide a reference as well (in most cases, the reference should follow the paraphrase, but in some cases, the reference can be provided at the end of the paragraph). You are, after all, discussing someone else’s ideas, so you have to give the person credit for their work.
Most importantly, when in doubt, ask. Be proactive! Instructors are there to help.

Don’t:

Do not buy a term paper from a website or a friend. If you didn’t write it, you can’t pass it off as your own. Your instructor may well use Google to check certain parts of the paper to see whether or not they’ve appeared on the internet. Many instructors also use programs like Turnitin or EVE, which checks the entire document for plagiarism.
Also, do not simply cut and paste materials from the internet into your paper without using quotes and providing a proper reference.
Do not have someone else rewrite significant portions of your paper. It’s ok to have someone proofread it for typos and grammatical errors. It’s also perfectly fine to use a tutor, or better yet, the college’s own writing center if one is available. You may also want to discuss the ideas in your paper with others, or have someone read it and give you feedback. Doing so is perfectly legitimate. But you need to make sure that the paper still basically represents your own ideas. Lastly, some instructors also take drafts of your paper and provide feedback. If so, definitely make use of that option. It gives you a chance to enter into a dialogue about your work. (Tip: not all instructors will say that they take drafts. You may therefore have to ask.)
Don’t use a paper or significant portions of a paper that you have submitted in another course. If you want to use some ideas that you have previously incorporated into a paper, speak to your instructor. It is the instructor’s call whether or not you may incorporate work done in other classes.
Don’t overdo it on quotes. As a good rule of thumb, 10-15% quotes is acceptable, anything beyond that will raise the suspicion that you don’t have enough ideas of your own.

Remember: the main goal of a good instructor is to facilitate learning, and leaning can only happen if students do their own work. College professors deeply value academic integrity, and their hope is that you do as well. Lastly, they are there to help. You just have to ask for it.