Rules for Plagiarism

1. Incorrect summary and paraphrase—defined by not adequately changing style. You cannot change just a few words and call it summary; you must change style! All components of style must be changed.

Components of Style: Diction

Sentence Structure

Figurative Language

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2. Failure to document Summaries and Quotations—The most common problem by far is with the summaries. You must acknowledge you took someone’s ideas, not just style. MLA uses parenthetical citations after every summary, paraphrase, and quotation.

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3. Failure to list your sources at the end as a Works Cited page.

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4. Too much help. That is why all formalized processes require an oral defense and why all teachers have the right to ask qustions of you concerning your paper. Do your own work and don’t let others write your essays. The rules that apply for papers also apply for all tests.

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5. Quid pro Quo. A paper submitted for credit in one class cannot be resubmitted for another class without substantial revisions. This is why you would always ask permission of both teachers if you were working on a similar paper in 2 simultaneous courses.

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6. Deliberate cheating—copying the whole paper, buying a paper, etc.