Avoiding Plagiarism

What is Plagiarism?

“Plagiarism: The submission by a student of the writings, ideas or data of another individual as the student’s own in any essay or assignment. Avoid the consequences of plagiarism by giving proper references to your sources.”

Excerpt from:
Red Deer College. (2007). Academic Terminology Glossary. Retrieved August 5, 2008.

Avoiding Plagiarism

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources. This means that you have to give credit to the sources that you use for your assignment. This is done using in-text citations and a bibliography. Commonly used citation styles include APA, MLA, and Chicago.

How To ... Cite Your Sources

Consequences of Plagiarism

Red Deer College has a policy that talks about the serious consequences of plagiarism. The Red Deer College policy is called the Student Dispute, Appeal and Misconduct Processes Policy (see page 2, section #7 "Plagiarism").

Resources on Avoiding Plagiarism

Guide to Plagiarism & Cyber-Plagiarism
[University of Alberta]

You Quote It, You Note It! Tutorial
[Dalhousie University]

Plagiarism and © Copyright

Plagiarism isn't just about using someone else's words. It also applies to using music, images, videos or other media that you have not created yourself. Use our Copyright Toolbox to learn how to use copyrighted materials legally.