Plagiarism and Documentation

This is Unit Twenty-Four of College Composition. Unit Twenty-Three brought sources into your writing. This unit makes sure every one of them gets its credit, and introduces the documentation systems the next three units teach. Carry one idea through this lecture. Plagiarism is about credit, not intent, so careful writers credit ideas with citations and words with quotation marks, every time. A worked example near the end judges five sentences against one source. By the end you will be able to recognize plagiarism, including the accidental kinds. To explain why and when to cite. To name the documentation styles and what every citation needs. And to research ethically and track sources while writing.

Four entries on plagiarism: what it is, common knowledge, the accidental kinds, and self-plagiarism.

Someone else's work as yours.

CMP 0576 What Plagiarism Is

Plagiarism is presenting someone else's words, ideas or work as your own, without giving credit. It includes submitting another person's paper, buying one, and pasting in any phrase, sentence or passage from another writer without attribution. Plagiarism is about credit, not intent; careless note-taking can produce it as surely as deliberate copying.

What needs no citation.

CMP 0577 Common Knowledge

Common knowledge, information an educated adult would be expected to know or that appears in many sources, does not need a citation. Dates of major historical events, the locations of states and cities, and general laws of science are common knowledge; a specific statistic from one study is not. When you are unsure whether something is common knowledge, cite it.

Plagiarism by carelessness.

CMP 0578 Accidental Plagiarism

Plagiarism often happens unintentionally, through carelessness while taking notes or drafting. Pasting a passage without quotation marks, summarizing an idea without naming its author, or naming the author but omitting quotation marks around exact phrases are all plagiarism. Each of these is avoidable with careful notes that mark exact words and record every source.

Reusing your own paper.

CMP 0579 Self-Plagiarism

Submitting a paper you wrote for one course to another course, even revised, is self-plagiarism. To build on your earlier work, treat it as an outside source: quote or paraphrase it sparingly and cite it, with yourself as the author. Ask the instructor before reusing any part of previous work.

Three entries on why writers cite, which discipline uses which style, and how in-text citations pair with a list.

Credit, checking, trust.

CMP 0580 Why Cite

Citing sources gives credit to their creators, lets readers find and check the evidence, and builds the writer's credibility. Every documentation system shares one principle: when you borrow words, facts or ideas, you indicate that they are borrowed and where they came from. A well-cited paper looks more credible, not less original, because the writer's own contribution stands out.

Styles by discipline.

CMP 0581 Documentation Styles by Discipline

Each discipline follows a documentation style set by its own authority. Languages and literature use MLA; the social sciences and education use APA; history, religion, fine arts and business often use Chicago; other fields, such as the life sciences, medicine and law, have their own styles. Always check which style your instructor requires; publishers may also have a house style.

Brief citation, full entry.

CMP 0582 In-Text Citation and the List

Most documentation systems pair a brief citation in the text with full details in a list at the end, or in notes. The in-text citation points readers to the full entry, which gives them everything needed to find the source. Every in-text citation needs a matching entry in the list, and every list entry should be cited in the text.

Three entries on the core elements of a citation, citing paraphrase and summary, and indirect sources.

Enough to find the source.

CMP 0583 What Every Citation Needs

Whatever the style, a citation needs enough for a reader to identify and find the source. The shared core elements are the author, a person, several people or an organization; the title; the larger container, such as a journal or website; the publisher; the date; and the location, such as pages, a DOI or a URL; and, for online sources, sometimes the access date. Each style arranges and punctuates these differently, as units twenty-five through twenty-seven show. Record all of them when you first find a source.

Rewording still needs credit.

CMP 0584 Citing Paraphrase and Summary Too

Quotations, paraphrases and summaries all require citations, because the ideas still belong to the source. A paraphrase puts the words in your own form, but readers still need to know whose idea it is; a summary of an author's argument needs the author named. Rewording an idea does not make it yours.

A source quoted in a source.

CMP 0585 Citing Indirect Sources

When your source quotes someone else, try to find the original; if you cannot, cite it as quoted in your source. In MLA style, the abbreviation q t d in, for "quoted in," signals that the words come from a source quoted inside the one you read. Citing the original as if you read it misrepresents your research.

Six entries on ethical research, research with people, tracking sources while writing, a worked example, AI-generated text, and choosing the style. The opening idea is paid off at the worked example.

Respecting sources and subjects.

CMP 0586 Ethical Research

Ethical research means respecting both the work of others, by crediting it, and the people you study, by treating them fairly. Keeping an accurate research log and making your own voice and analysis the focus of the paper are the best defenses against plagiarism. Ask how you would feel if someone used your work without credit; that question settles most doubtful cases.

Participants treated fairly.

CMP 0587 Research With People

Field research with human participants must treat them fairly, respecting their privacy and, when required, their anonymity. Universities have review boards that oversee research with people; even a simple survey may need their approval, which asks whether participation is voluntary and confidential. Check your institution's policies before collecting data from people.

Marking while writing.

CMP 0588 Tracking Sources While Writing

Tracking sources while drafting, not after, is the most reliable way to avoid accidental plagiarism. Mark quotations the moment you copy them, label paraphrases with their source in your notes, and add citations as you draft each sentence. Leaving citations for the end invites missed credits and mismatched sources.

Five sentences, one source.

CMP 0589 Is This Plagiarism

A worked example, constructed for this course, pays off the opening idea. A source says wetlands absorb floodwater, citing a regional study. A sentence copied word for word, unmarked and uncited, is plagiarism. A sentence that cites the source but reuses its phrase "natural sponges" without quotation marks is plagiarism of wording. A paraphrase in new words citing the study as quoted in the source is acceptable. A general definition of wetlands is common knowledge. An uncited two-sentence summary of the argument is plagiarism of ideas. The second case is the one students miss: a citation alone does not license copying distinctive language.

Text from AI tools.

CMP 0590 AI-Generated Text

Submitting text produced by an artificial intelligence writing tool as your own work is plagiarism, unless the assignment allows it. Such tools draw on large amounts of others' writing without attribution, and they can invent sources that sound real but do not exist. When you are unsure whether AI tools are allowed for an assignment, ask your instructor first.

Who sets the style.

CMP 0591 Choosing the Style

The style a paper uses is set by the discipline, the instructor or the publisher, not chosen freely by the writer. Once the style is set, use it consistently throughout the in-text citations, the list of sources and the paper's format. Mixing elements of two styles, such as MLA citations with an APA reference list, is a common and visible error.

Look at what you can now do. You can recognize plagiarism, tell what counts as common knowledge, and avoid accidental plagiarism and self-plagiarism. You can explain why writers cite, name the style each discipline uses, and match every in-text citation to an entry in the list. You can name the elements every citation needs, and cite paraphrases, summaries and sources quoted in other sources. And you can research ethically, track sources while you draft, and judge doubtful cases by crediting ideas with citations and words with quotation marks. Unit Twenty-Five teaches the first style in detail: MLA.