How do I keep from plagiarizing?
Plagiarism is simply claiming someone else's work or ideas as your own. If you are writing a research paper, you must give credit to the people who wrote the information you are using. You can do this by using a:
Direct Quote. You can take few sentences from a resource and copy them into your paper provided that they are in quotation marks, or in block format depending on the length. You will need to include a parenthetical citation at the end of each quote.
Example of a short direct quote: Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).
from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/02/
Example of a long direct quote:
What is the brain? According to Richard Restak,
the human brain is the master control center of the
body. The brain constantly receives information from
the senses about conditions both inside the body and
outside it. The brain rapidly analyzes this information
and then sends out messages that control body
functions and actions. ("Brain" 561)
from: http://telecollege.dcccd.edu/library/Module5/Sample.htm
Summary. In a summary, you retell only the important information, leaving out unimportant details. You still need to include a parenthetical citation for information that you have summarized.
Example of a summary:
Roger Sipher makes his case for getting rid of compulsory-attendance laws in primary and secondary schools with six arguments. These fall into three groups—first that education is for those who want to learn and by including those that don't want to learn, everyone suffers. Second, that grades would be reflective of effort and elementary school teachers wouldn't feel compelled to pass failing students. Third, that schools would both save money and save face with the elimination of compulsory-attendance laws (243).
Paraphrase. Paraphrasing is putting someone else's ideas in your own words. Be careful not to just "change a few words" here and there. You need to actually restate the idea. Again, remember that you still must include a parenthetical citation for information that you have paraphrased.
Example of a paraphrase:
Roger Sipher concludes his essay by insisting that schools have failed to in their primary duty of education because they try to fill multiple social functions (56).