How much copying is plagiarism

The secret of using sources productively is to make them work for you to support and amplify your ideas. If you find, as you work at paraphrasing, quoting, and citing, that you are only pasting sources together with a few of your own words and ideas thrown in-that too much of your paper comes from your sources and not enough from your own mind-then go back and start over.

Try rewriting the paper without looking at your sources, just using your own ideas; after you have completed a draft entirely of your own, add the specific words and ideas from your sources to support what you want to say. Undergrad Program. Prospective Students. Literary and Cultural Studies. African American Literature and Language.

American Literature before Cultural Studies and Theory. Early British Literature. Ethnic American Literatures and Cultures. Creative Writing. Professional and Media Writing. Rhetoric and Writing. Intent to Pursue a Concentration Form.

FAQ for Double Majors. The Honors Program in English. Honors Thesis Guidelines. Advising FAQ. Undergraduate Creative Writing. Writing Contests. Student Involvement. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward. According to U. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some way such as a book or a computer file.

Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source is usually enough to prevent plagiarism. See our section on citation for more information on how to cite sources properly. Revising from Turnitin: Strategies for Paraphrase.

Strategy 1: Set the Source Aside. Drop-In Writing Partners Currently operating remotely by appointment, Writing Partners are Yale College or graduate school students selected for both their writing skills and their ability to talk about writing.

While taking intellectual risks is admirable, a risk to avoid is plagiarism or academic dishonesty. Remember that "I didn't know" is no excuse. Avoid plagiarism by taking careful notes and being certain you understand what it is. Plagiarism is often--and rightly--explained as being a form of theft. Be sure also to read Barnet's discussion of the use of quotations and avoiding plagiarism on pages - of the 11th edition of A Short Guide to Writing About Art.