Research Skills: Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using someone else's words and presenting them as your own. Sometimes plagiarism is deliberate, but it can also happen unintentionally. Some examples of plagiarism are:

• Copying an entire document and presenting it as your own
• Using your own words to paraphrase ideas from another source without including a citation to the original source
• Not including citations in your essay because you don't know how to reference

Consequences for plagiarism can be serious, particularly if you go on to study at university.

• Learn how to reference
• Make sure you understand how to quote, summarise and paraphrase from your sources 
• Take careful notes when you are researching for an assignment
  • Keep a list of books, articles and websites that you use
  • Make sure your notes include the source for ideas you find - keep careful track of any quotations, including page numbers.