"To PLAGIARIZE OR NOT to PLAGIARIZE?": That is the Question.

In the most obvious sense, plagiarism is submitting someone else's paper as you own, e.g., buying a term paper, borrowing an essay from a friend, or copying an entire article without acknowledging the source. However, plagiarism also involves some little offenses that students do not recognize. For example, they think that by paraphrasing (changing the wording) or by summarizing information, the information no longer needs to be documented. Or, they commit plagiarism through sloppy notetaking because they fail to keep a careful record of  nformation received from written sources. Or, because they are insecure about their own ability to write clearly, they allow another person to rewrite their papers for them.

Plagiarism is theft. Therefore, students are under moral obligation not to use any words or ideas other than their own in any paper they write, unless they are willing to acknowledge the real source. Information form other sources enhances a paper and makes it more informative. However, you must document your source. When in doubt, cite!

Reprinted from ProQuest Online Database