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Research: A Step-by-Step Guide

Plagiarism @ StFX

Plagiarism is the misrepresentation of another's work, whether ideas, words, or creative works, published or unpublished, as one's own.

The use of someone else's work must be explicitly acknowledged.

Examples of plagiarism include:

  • Quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing text without proper acknowledgement
  • Paraphrasing too closely (e.g., changing only a few words or simply rearranging the text)
  • Downloading all or part of a paper, journal article, or book from the Web or a library database and presenting it as one's own work

Plagiarism and other acts of academic dishonesty, including cheating, tampering, and falsification, are subject to academic discipline.

A more detailed list of acts of academic dishonesty can be found in on the University's Academic Integrity page.

Tip!

 

 

 

 

Even if you paraphrase or put something into your own words, you still need to cite the original source.

Avoid Plagiarism

To avoid plagiarizing someone else words or ideas, make sure you:

  • Paraphrase the original text into your own words. Be sure you are not just rearranging phrases or replacing a couple of words.
  • Use quotation marks around text that has been taken directly from the original source.
  • Cite every source of information you use to write your paper unless it is common knowledge or the results of your own research. This includes facts, figures, and statistics as well as opinions and arguments.

Plagiarism Tutorials

Academic Integrity

Students attending StFX University are expected to conduct themselves in an ethical manner and to help ensure that no one gains unearned academic advantage over another. To create an environment in which all may flourish, members of the StFX community share five fundamental values in their pursuit of truth and knowledge: 

1) intellectual and personal honesty 
2) mutual trust and the free exchange of ideas 
3) clarity and fairness in interactions with each other 
4) respect for others’ ideas and opinions 
5) personal responsibility and accountability 

For more information and guidance on academic integrity please visit the Academic Integrity page.