Avoiding Plagiarism!: Introduction
Quick Tips
Keep Track of Your Sources
As you search the library website and other resources, keep track of every source you find that you might use. Either print them out, save them as a pdf on your computer, or note them in a Word or Excel doc or references tool that tracks your sources.
Take Good Notes
It's not old school to keep a list of each source you use (incl. page numbers and URLs). It's easier than ever to do it by just maintaining a list on your laptop or using citation tools available at IWU.
Ask Your Professor
If you have a question about integrating sources into your paper, ask your professor.
Don't Procrastinate
Plan ahead! Do not wait until the last minute, as this will lead to sloppy work. Stay organized.
What is Plagiarism?
Did You Know?
Most cases of plagiarism can be identified by a professor in a few minutes using today's technology.
Plagiarizing in college can have a profound impact on your future, whether you're caught or not.
Take the time to educate yourself using this guide to learn how to avoid serious future problems.
Is it Plagiarism?
red push pin: Quoting statistics without citing the source?
red push pin: Using a short passage of music from an unpublished source in your composition without citation?
red push pin: Adding a few lines of a friend's program into your software design project, with the friend's permission but without attribution?
red push pin: Slightly updating an old paper you wrote and using it for a current class?
red push pin: Summarizing an article and mentioning the author/journal in your sentence but not using a parenthetical citation?
red push pin: Cutting and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks?
red push pin: Not citing the correct source or page number from which you took a quote?
red push pin: Summarizing conflicting ideas from several sources without citing the sources?
