The most basic definition of plagiarism is using someone else's work without giving credit to them in order to present the work as your own. In many cases a person plagiarizes from another as an honest mistake because they do not understand what constitutes plagiarism. Unfortunately with technology it has become easier to plagiarize, whether accidentally or by intent.

It is important to give attribution whenever you use another person's work. Attribution consists of citing all sources used. In higher education there are accepted citation styles used among the disciplines. For information on citation sources available for use please see our Citing Print and Electronic Resources in Research web page.

Creative works are protected by law. In the United States, the primary statutory laws that apply are the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. However, these are not the only laws that protect creative works. There are international laws that also apply. For more information on these laws visit our Copyright and Fair Use web page.

Plagiarism that is determined to be a violation of copyright may result in litigation.

The websites listed below are provided to help faculty, students and staff understand what plagiarism is, why it is important, and how to avoid it.

Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize It and Avoid It
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
This site from Indiana State University gives a concise explanation of plagiarism and includes examples of using sources without plagiarizing.

Avoiding Plagiarism OWL
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_plagiar.html
This site from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab provides lots of information on avoiding plagiarism. Included are charts and examples on how to determine safely using resources without plagiarizing.

Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/douglass/sal/plagiarism/intro.html
This is an online tutorial produced by Rutgers University. Policies and resources in the tutorial are specific to Rutgers University, but the issues about plagiarism and academic integrity apply to a wider audience.

Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgment
via Dartmouth College
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/
This site provides lots of example of how to appropriately cite sources. It also has a page on plagiarism with examples.

Avoiding Plagiarism
via Hamilton College (New York) Writing Center
http://www.hamilton.edu/writing/style/plagiarism/plagiarism.html

This site provides tips on avoiding plagiarism from the beginning of a project, especially during the note taking stage.

Plagiarism and How to Avoid It by David Gardner
http://ec.hku.hk/plagiarism/introduction.htm
This website provides techniques, examples and self tests on how to avoid plagiarism.