The Two "Kinds" of Wrong of Plagiarism
1. Using another person's words, ideas, or information without acknowledging that person's work is intellectual theft.
2. Passing off another person's words, ideas, or information as your own to gain some other advantage is fraud.
Unfortunately, most plagiarism that occurs is accidental.
Rule of thumb--If you think you should cite it, cite it. If you don't know if you should cite it....CITE IT!
Besides information from books and articles, if you use any information from the following, you need to cite it:
Works of art, movies, documentaries, sound recordings, television shows, podcasts, interviews, lectures or presentations, government documents, photographs, data, maps, video games, computer software, etc.
Accidental or Unintentional Plagiarism
Incorrect paraphrasing is the number one cause of unintentional plagiarism. When you paraphrase, if possible, avoid looking at your source. Ask yourself, "What did the author say?" or "What is the main idea?" and write out your answer. Use your own words, and avoid using the same words the author uses.
Using the authors words in a paraphrase, in a different order, or changing a word here or there, is still an act of plagiarism, even when you cite it!
Examples of Correct and Incorrect Paraphrases:
