Plagiarism & Citations

Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing are three methods that allow you to ethically incorporate another author's writing into your research, as long as you cite your sources accurately.

Remember these guidelines...

• Quotations must match the source word for word. They must be attributed to the original author.

• Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must be attributed to the original source.

• Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s). Summarized ideas must be attributed to the original source.

When you quote, paraphrase, or borrow someone else's ideas for a research paper you must cite your sources. Careful documentation takes time and can be a real bore to do, but there's no ethical way to avoid it.