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Biographical Sources: Where to Locate Information About People: Avoid Plagiarism!

Plagiarism Defined

The word "plagiarism" is derived from the Latin root for "kidnapping"! *

IT IS PLAGIARISM IF YOU:

  • Paraphrase and do not cite the orginal source...
  • Use exact wording or an exact phrase, and do not put it in quotes and cite it...
  • Reuse a paper you wrote for another class, without permission of your instructor ...
  • Purchase a paper and pass it off as your own..

 *Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon, 1961.

No citation needed for:

  • Standard Information (ex. George Washington was our first President)
  • Folk Literature (ex. fairy tales without a specific author, such as "Snow White")
  • Commonsense Observations (ex. hurricanes cause lots of damage)

ASC Academic Integrity Code

Here is what the Alfred State College Academic Integrity Code says about plagiarism:

Plagiarism: the representation of someone else's words, ideas, or work as one's own. This includes quoting, paraphrasing, or condensing another's work within one's own without giving proper attribution, or purchasing or receiving another's work and submitting it as one's own. When quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing, students must identify the extent to which a source has been used and must cite with precision. This applies not only to written work, but also computer programs, architectural and other designs, photography, video, art, and other media