Plagiarism

A former plagiarist. Be careful. Photo credit P. Tamburro.

Did you know that "plagiarism" comes from the Latin word for "kidnapper?" That's because it's theft, and the University and I will treat it that way. I don't want to go into all the dire consequences that will ensue, but they can include expulsion; so don't do it. Enough said. If you really enjoy scaring yourself, I direct you to page 49 of the Cal Poly catalog.

I count using the Cliff's Notes as plagiarism in all cases. Don't use them, period; they will only confuse you and irritate me. If you need additional help or information, please email me or ask me for authorized and useful sources of assistance.

You may be surprised to know that yes, you can steal from yourself. Turning in a paper for credit that you have already submitted to another class for credit without explicit permission is considered plagiarism by the University and will be treated as such.

If you use someone else's ideas or words, you have to credit them. Here are two rules to help you with this: are you giving credit where credit is due? If someone wanted to find out more about the information you cited, or look up the quote, do they have enough information to do it? I would like you to use MLA documentation. Here's a online MLA style guide, with full information about documentation (including online sources).

Here's another useful link on plagiarism--and more importantly, how to avoid it--courtesy of Indiana University.

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