How Do I Avoid Plagiarism?

NMC's Catalog and Student Handbook defines plagiarism as:"offering as one's own work, the words, ideas or arguments of another person, without appropriate attribution by quotation, reference or footnote. Plagiarism occurs both when the words of another are reproduced without acknowledgment, and when the ideas or arguments are paraphrased in such a way as to lead the reader to believe that they originated with the writer."

NMC's Writing Center provides this definition:Plagiarism is using others' words or ideas without giving credit to the source. Plagiarism occurs when students use papers others have written, when students use the writing of professionals without documenting the source, or when students allow others to revise their own words and thinking so extensively that the work no longer represents the students' own thinking. Plagiarism is considered the most serious of academic offenses, and students who plagiarize knowingly or unknowingly are subject to severe penalty.

Students found to be guilty of plagiarism will be subject to a failing grade, disciplinary action, and Academic Review Board Action.

Your professors are savvier than you think!
Instructors commonly keep copies of past assignments. Many use online services that check for materials copied from term paper mills, websites or published works.

• Quoting and paraphrasing -- Yes, you must cite sources even when paraphrasing another's words or summarizing their ideas. Make sure you do it correctly!
• How to recognize acceptable and unacceptable paraphrases -- some detailed examples of each
• How to cite sources and create bibliographies -- Did you know you need to give credit for all of the sources you read, learn things from, or get ideas from during your research?