What is Plagiarism?
“Plagiarism is a serious academic offence… Most simply, plagiarism is intellectual theft. Any use of another author’s research, ideas, or language without proper attribution may be considered plagiarism.” (Gordon, 1)
It is NEVER acceptable to copy someone else’s work without proper citation (using quotations and giving credit).
Examples of PLAGIARISM/COPYING are:
- Word for word exactly as it appears in someone else’s work
- Paraphrasing someone else’s work
- Sentences or phrases from someone else’s work
Graphs, statistics and images can appear in your work, but must be CITED (reference given to the author/artist).
Common knowledge, what is known to most people, need not be cited, but must be expressed IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Examples of common knowledge are:
- The moon is a satellite of the earth.
- Shakespeare wrote many plays.
- Vancouver is in an earthquake zone.
There are serious consequences for plagiarized work at LFMSS. You will find this information in your school agenda.
Information on how to cite your sources is found in Bibliographies+.
MORE RESOURCES:
- Plagiarism Tutorial (SFU)
- Plagiarism (UofA) Avoiding Plagiarism Tutorial
- Understand Academic Integrity (UBC)
- Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid it (Indiana University) Avoiding Plagiarism (Owl Writing Lab, Purdue University)
- Avoiding Plagiarism: Mastering the Art of Scholarship (U of C, Davis)
WORKS CITED
Gordon, Colin H., Peter Simmons, Graeme Wynn. Plagiarism: What It Is, and How to Avoid It. Vancouver: University of British Columbia, 199-?.