Avoiding Plagiarism

Updated: June 2, 2008

By Stephanie L. Smith

Don't lie. Don't steal. Don't cheat. Simple, right? Well, what about the difference between doing homework in a group versus copying other people's homework?

Cheating is a serious offense that can get you flunked, suspended, expelled or fired. Plagiarism, or taking credit for another person's ideas, can be more difficult to understand, but it's still cheating. Not knowing the rules doesn't get you off the hook.

Check your head with this quiz before you make any big mistakes. If you still have questions about what is and isn't cheating, talk to your teacher.

Sources:
The President and Fellows of Harvard University.Writing with Sources. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1996.

The Trustees of Indiana University, "Plagiarism: What it is and How to Recognize and Avoid it." URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html

The Regents of the University of California, "Avoiding Plagiarism: Mastering the Art of Scholarship." URL: http://sja.ucdavis.edu/avoid.htm