Plagiarism

Giving credit to the original author by citing sources is the only way to use other people's work without plagiarizing. But there are a number of other reasons to cite sources:

• citations are extremely helpful to anyone who wants to find out more about your ideas and where they came from
• not all sources are good or right -- your own ideas may often be more accurate or interesting than those of your sources. Proper citation will keep you from taking the rap for someone else's bad ideas
• citing sources shows the amount of research you've done
• citing sources strengthens your work by lending outside support to your ideas

“What is Citation?” Plagiarism.org. Accessed September 5, 2013. <http://www.plagiarism.org/citing-sources/whats-a-citation/>

Whenever you borrow words or ideas, you need to acknowledge their source. The following situations almost always require citation:

• whenever you use quotes
• whenever you paraphrase
• whenever you use an idea that someone else has already expressed
• whenever you make specific reference to the work of another
• whenever someone else's work has been critical in developing your own ideas

“What is Citation?” Plagiarism.org. Accessed September 5, 2013. <http://www.plagiarism.org/citing-sources/whats-a-citation/>

Why We Cite, added to YouTube by UNCWritingCenter,  on Apr 24, 2012 <accessed September 3, 2013>

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