Self-service help

There are two circumstances that could give rise to a charge of plagiarism.

Cheating (Intentional Plagiarism)

Intentional plagiarism is where one knowingly appropriates the work of others and passes it off as their own. This can include:

• Copying entire documents and presenting them as your own
• Cutting and pasting from the work of others without properly citing the authors
• Stringing together the quotes and ideas of others without connecting their work to your own original work
• Asserting ideas without acknowledging their sources, reproducing sentences written verbatim by others without properly quoting and attributing the work to them
• Making only minor changes to the words or phrasing of another's work, without properly citing the authors

Intentional plagiarism can also involve inventing sources to which you would attribute your own ideas to make them seem credible. Intentional plagiarists can be either ignorant of the seriousness of the offense, or disrespectful of the seriousness of the offense.

Misuse of Sources (Unintentional Plagiarism)

Unintentional plagiarism, or the misuse of sources, is the accidental appropriation of the ideas and materials of others due to a lack of understanding of the conventions of citation and documentation. This could include:

• A lack of understanding of paraphrasing
• Not being clear about the parameters of common knowledge
• Not being clear about the statute of limitations on the attribution of ideas.

Since rules of attribution are culturally determined, much of unintentional plagiarism could also be the result of writers not understanding the sanctity with which American academics endow the concept of idea ownership. The misuse of sources can be the result of ignorance or laziness, but is not the result of a desire to cheat.

How to Avoid It

•  
• Be familiar with the Washington State definition of and policies concerning plagiarism.
• Be sure you understand your instructors' policies concerning plagiarism.