VGCC Library Services: Human Services: General: Plagiarism

Citations Libguide

Even more resources for avoiding plagiarism are available by checking the following Libguides.

Citations
by Library Services Last Updated Jul 11, 2023 321 views this year
Plagiarism
by Library Services Last Updated Nov 6, 2024 220 views this year

Special Thanks

Portions of this guide were originally published in the "Avoid Plagiarism" Library Research Guide from Kreitzberg Library at Norwich University and are used with permission.

VGCC Library Services

Library Services

Contact:

Main: (252) 738-3279
South: (252) 738-3510
Franklin: (252) 738-3606
Warren: (252) 738-3686

Quoting, Summarizing, Paraphrasing

Don't Get Busted! Avoid disaster with these helpful websites.

According to Plagiarism.org, re-tweeting without giving the original source is the 10th most common type of plagiarism.

Intellectual Property
This tutorial covers intellectual property, basic copyright Q&A, and how to keep your citations straight, by UCLA.
Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
Learn the difference between quotations, paraphrases, and summaries, by Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
Integrating Sources
Examples of how to show agreement, introduce factual knowledge, summarize accurately, objectively, concisely, and how to edit or blend quotations with your own material, by Colorado State University. Use the links on the right-hand side to navigate the lesson.
Quoting & Paraphrasing
An excellent explanation of how and when to quote and paraphrase, by the Writing Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting
Learn when, how, and how much to quote, by the Harvard Guide to Using Sources.
Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
Explains when and how to paraphrase and quote, giving appropriate examples of both.

Tips

Things You DON'T Need to Cite...

Your own opinions/ideas:

"It is a mistake to overlook smaller, lower profile markets because..."

Common knowledge: What IS common knowledge anyway? Common knowledge refers to facts that most people are aware of, for example:

The sun rises in the east and sets in the West.

Thirteen colonies formed the United States.

John Lennon was assassinated.

However, if you use someone else's words to describe something that is common knowledge, you must quote and cite the passage.

General Tips..

Keep track of your sources

Start saving your sources as you find them. Save them to a citation management tool, email them to yourself, or print them out.

Take good notes
Keep track of page numbers and mark the sections you are using. Keep a research log; copy the wording, punctuation, and spelling exactly as it appears in the original text.

Ask your instructor

Always ask if you are unsure of when to cite.

Don't procrastinate

Unintentional plagiarism is often the result of disorganization. Stay organized and don't wait until the last minute.

What happens when you plagiarize?

Plagiarism is taken very seriously in schools, business, government, and all of the places people learn and work. Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism can have long-term and damaging effects on a person's education and career.

At VGCC, if you plagiarize, you can fail an assignment or course, be suspended, or even be expelled. See the "VGCC Plagiarism Policy" page in this guide to find out more about VGCC's procedures for dealing with plagiarism.

At work, plagiarism can get you reprimanded or fired.

Discovery of past incidents of plagiarism have forced politicians out of elections, journalists to lose their jobs, authors to lose publishing contracts, and graduates to have their degrees revoked.

Technology has only made it easier to detect plagiarism. There are many tools available to scan for plagiarism, but even a simple Google search can catch many instances. The easiest way to avoiding getting caught plagiarizing is to not do it in the first place!