Definition
“To steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: use (another's production) without crediting the source.”
Plagiarism. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarizing
WNC Policy: Plagiarism in Academic Writing
Western Nevada College Academic Integrity Policy: Plagiarism is presenting someone else's words, ideas or data as one's own. When a student submits work that includes the words, ideas or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate and specific references, and if verbatim statements are included, through quotation marks as well. In academically honest writing or speaking, the student will acknowledge the source whenever:
a. Another person's actual words are quoted.
b. Another person's idea, opinion or theory is used, even if it is completely paraphrased in the student's own words.
c. Facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials are borrowed, unless the information is common knowledge.
Types of Plagiarism*:
* adapted from materials published by the McGoonan Library of Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Always Acknowledge Your Source of Information
When you quote someone else's words, summarize or paraphrase someone's words, or use someone else's data, images, or ideas, you must always acknowledge the source of that information with an in-text citation and in a works cited page or a references list. Examples of both in-text citations and a works cited page or references list can be found on this subject guide under the APA Style page, MLA Style page, and the Chicago Manual of Style page.
Information on how to avoid plagiarism from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University.
This website from the Writing Tutorial Services at Indiana University provides an overview of plagiarism and methods to avoid plagiarizing when writing college papers.
An excellent tutorial if you want to learn more about plagiarism from the University of Texas Libraries.
A tutorial on the basics of plagiarism from the University of Albany Libraries.
Information on plagiarism from the MLA Style Center.
This tutorial from Niche Academy and Bellevue University provides an excellent overview of the subject, including the need for proper citation(s), recommendations and guidelines for paraphrasing, and the potential consequences of plagiarism, both social and academic. This information is presented in a series of modules with opportunities to test your knowledge.