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Even if you did not mean to plagiarize, it's still a violation of college policy.
It is plagiarism when you copy and paste from the Web.
Use the words or ideas of another person without citing them.
Paraphrase other's words without citing them.
Buy or use a paper written by someone else.
When you work on a research paper, you will probably find supporting materials from works by others.
You have to decide what information you have to cite.
If you use information that is common knowledge, you don't have to cite it. For example, Christmas is December 25th.
You don't have to cite your own experiences, observations, or thoughts.
However, you do need to cite every idea that is not yours.
If you directly quote another person's words, you need to use quotation marks, and state the author's name.
Use a direct quote when you want to use the author's words to support what you are saying.
For example, President Obama stated that "Community colleges play an important role in helping people transition between careers."
If you are writing a paper about the importance of community colleges, you can have President Obama support your argument.
If you write out another person's ideas in your own words, you still need to cite the original author for his ideas.
Remember. If you put your name on work that is not yours, it's plagiarism, as well as stealing.
When in doubt, cite the sources.
Students are more likely to resort to plagiarism when they procrastinate.
So don't wait until the last minute.
Take time to organize your research. Keep track of your sources and record the citation information as you go.
If you need help, please ask a librarian.