Plagiarism

Many of the rules you have learned in this unit have to do with proper citation.  Being familiar with these rules is extremely important.  An inadvertent mistake can lead to a charge of plagiarism, which is the uncredited use (both intentional and unintentional) of somebody else's words and ideas.

When exact words or a writer's ideas are taken from a source, this borrowing of information must be acknowledged.  Only when the ideas are common knowledge, because they can be found in several sources, can this information be used without crediting a source. 

If you have questions about documenting a source, ask yourself this question: "Would a mature reader be likely to know this information?"  The general rule is: "When in doubt, give credit."  If you have any questions concerning plagiarism, please ask me!