READ: Plagiarism Policy

• I didn’t plagiarize:

We use multiple tools to check for plagiarism (Turnitin.com, Google, readability formulas, and initial writing samples).

• I didn’t know I was plagiarizing

It’s still plagiarism.

• It was unintentional

Generally, there is no distinction between intentional and unintentional plagiarism.

• Only a fraction of the material was copied

There is no acceptable minimum level of plagiarism.

• It couldn’t have been worded better than the original – or – There are only so many ways you can reword the information

Indicates an incomplete understanding of plagiarism, and how to avoid it.

Solution = Give credit to your sources

• Cite your sources - See MLA Formatting and Style Guide (The OWL at Purdue): Scroll down to All Sections in MLA Formatting and Style Guide.

• Use quotations - See Formatting Quotations (The OWL at Purdue)

A student who writes less than perfect original comments, opinions, or observations will earn a higher grade than a student who plagiarizes.