How to avoid plagiarizing when writing research papers

Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct which can lead to failing an assignment, failing a class, being expelled from a class or even expulsion from the university or college.

This video tutorial module will explain what plagiarism is and how to avoid unintentionally plagiarizing when writing your research term papers.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s ideas or words without noting where they came from, called citing.

Many people think that plagiarism is when someone finds a research paper on the Internet and turns it in as their own.

That is plagiarism, but it can also be committed by copying a single sentence, a phrase, an idea, a statistical table, or even artwork without giving credit.

Unintentional plagiarism occurs when:

• A quotation is given without quotation marks

• The source is not credited or cited inaccurately

• Using someone else’s work and changing just a few words

To avoid plagiarizing and the penalties that go along with it, always cite the source.

There are many different styles for citing sources such as APA or MLA. To learn how to correctly cite sources, see the tutorial on “Citations.”

Include the correct citation information when using someone else’s words or ideas such as:
• quotation
• paraphrasing
• original ideas or conclusions
• a graphic, a table, a photograph or artwork

When quoting a source word for word:
• always put the phrase in quotation marks and
• always include citation information

These are just a few of the tips in this educational must watch how-to for students.