How do I know if I am plagiarizing?

Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty. To avoid plagiarizing, make sure

  • you have included a citation for every source you used in your paper in your references, bibliography, or works cited list. When in doubt, include a citation.
  • you have included a parenthetical citation or footnote (depending on your citation style) any time you use information from a source, whether it is a direct quote, a paraphrase, or a summary.
  • you have put "quotation marks" around any sentences or phases that you have borrowed directly from the source.
  • you are following the rules your professor has set around tools such as grammar checkers, translators, or text generators. If you're not sure whether a tool or service is okay to use, check with your professor.
  • you are not turning in a paper or project you've already submitted in another class, even if you made small changes to it. (If you're not sure how much of a paper you can reuse, ask your professor.)
  • your paper reflects your own thinking as well as your own analysis of your sources.
  • your paper is your own writing, not something you have asked or paid someone else to write.

The tutors in the Writing Centre can work with you on your writing style, your use of citations, and the formatting of your paper.

For more information, check out our Academic Integrity Portal.

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