Understanding plagiarism

Plagiarism is when you present someone else’s work or ideas as your own.

Plagiarism can be accidental or intentional

Here is a guide to the types of plagiarism and how to avoid them.
Type of plagiarism	Definition	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3
Accidental plagiarism	Results from the disregard for or unawareness of proper scholarly procedures.	Lack of organization in the research and writing process.	Incorrectly citing your sources- citing the wrong sources or having incomplete or inaccurate citations.	Losing track of your words versus another author's.
Intentional plagiarism	Claiming sole authorship of a work that you know to have been largely written by someone else.	Purchasing a pre-written paper.	Letting someone else write your paper.	Creating phony citations.
Additional examples	These examples do not count as plagiarism, nevertheless, they are serious misuses of source material.	Misrepresenting someone's ideas or concepts.	Quoting somebody's words incorrectly.	Quoting somebody's words out of context.

Regardless of intention, plagiarism is taken seriously as a form of academic misconduct, and it is important to make sure that you acknowledge when information you are presenting comes from other people or authors. Citations, therefore, are an essential part of your paper or presentation.

Take a look at Quoting and Paraphrasing, Organizing your Research, and Integrating Sources into Your Paper for more guidance. To review the University of Nevada, Reno's policy about plagiarism, read the Academic Standards section of the University Administrative Manual.

Watch the video below, “Plagiarism: How to Avoid It,” from Bainbridge State College for more information.

View Plagiarism: How to Avoid it Video