The act of plagiarism is a form of theft (taking of ideas) and a form of fraud (misrepresentation). Ideas and creativity are as valuable as a tangible property. Simply put, the rule is to give credit where credit is due.
There are three basic forms of plagiarism: mistakes when quoting, problems with paraphrasing, and stealing ideas. A few simple rules should help you avoid these issues.
Mistakes when Quoting
When you repeat a passage or a statement, word for word, you are quoting from another person. When you reproduce these words without acknowledging that you have done so and from whom, you have plagiarized another person's work.
Problems with Paraphrasing
When you restate a passage, keeping the essence or central ideas of the original passage intact but altering its form and wording, you are paraphrasing. When you restate a passage in order to clarify a meaning, concept, or idea, you are paraphrasing. When the idea or statement is presented as your own, or if you do not properly cite the original source, then you are plagiarizing.
Stealing Ideas
When you use ideas that you have fully or partially gleaned from an identifiable source, or set of sources, you must properly acknowledge the origin of these ideas. You must also give credit to another author whose work has helped you in the organization or development of your thinking. Your sources should be cited sufficiently to give the reader an indication of the extent of your indebtedness. Failure to give appropriate credit for an idea is plagiarism.
Adapted from the USM Social Science Guide to Plagiarism and Referencing
