How do I know what counts as Plagiarism?

Here are typical instances of what is considered plagiarism:

• Using information from web pages, books, songs, televisions shows, email messages, interviews, articles, and artwork and failing to give credit to the original source
• Rephrasing documented ideas or words and failing to give credit to the original source
• Summarizing documented ideas or words from a text and failing to give credit to the original source
• Copying expressions, statements, sections from a text, or a whole text, word‐for-word, and failing to give credit to the original source
• Using facts that are not considered common knowledge and failing to give credit to the original source
• Using sources in the text and not listing full references at the end of the work
• Submitting a paper that your friend or classmate wrote (in part or in whole) as your own work
• Submitting a paper that you wrote for another class without prior consent of the instructor (Self‐plagiarism)

How do I know what doesn’t count as plagiarism?

Here are typical instances of what may be mistaken as plagiarism, but aren’t:

• Using what is considered an accepted or well‐established fact (e.g. historical dates) without giving credit to an original source
• Discussing ideas with a friend or classmate before using them in a written assignment

How do I avoid plagiarism?

A conventional way of avoiding plagiarism is acknowledging the source(s) from which you obtain information that you use in your writing. This is done by providing relevant information about the source, such as the author’s name, the title, the publisher, the date of publication, etc. This practice is known as ‘citing’ or ‘referencing’ your sources. Here are three key conventions on how to reference your source(s):

• Insert a complete, exhaustive and detailed reference list at the very end of your work. Depending on style and format, this list may be entitled Works Cited, References, or Bibliography

Example:



Original Source Material: The concept of systems is really quite simple. The basic idea is that a system has parts that fit together to make a whole; but where it gets complicated ‐‐ and interesting ‐‐ is how those parts are connected or related to each other.	Source: Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Writer’s Plagiarized Version	Writer’s Non‐plagiarized Version
Simply put, any device that is made up of parts is a system. What matters most about systems is “how those parts are connected or related to each other” (Frick, 1991, p.17).	Simply put, any device that is made up of parts is a system. What matters most about systems is “how those parts are connected or related to each other” (Frick, 1991, p. 17). References: Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Explanation: This example of written work is plagiarized. The writer omitted to add a reference list at the end of the work.	Explanation: Note in this example that quotation marks are used to mark the passage that is copied word‐for‐word from the original document. Reference to the original source material is included in the text immediately following the quoted passage. The author is also listed in the references providing the reader with sufficient information to identify the source.

• Language from your source that is reproduced word‐for‐word in your own writing must be enclosed within quotations marks

Example:



Original Source Material: The concept of systems is really quite simple. The basic idea is that a system has parts that fit together to make a whole; but where it gets complicated ‐‐ and interesting ‐‐ is how those parts are connected or related to each other.	Source: Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Writer’s Plagiarized Version	Writer’s Non‐plagiarized Version
What matters most about the parts that make up a system is how those parts are connected or related to each other (Frick, 1991). References: Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.	Frick (1991) states that what matters most about the parts that make up a system is "how those parts are connected or related to each other" (p. 17). References: Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Explanation: This example of written work is plagiarized. Although the author is cited in the text and at the end of the work, the writer reproduced a text word‐for‐word from the original source material but did not use quotation marks.	Explanation: Note in this example that the passage begins with the author and year of publication. Quotation marks are used to indicate that the text is a word‐for‐word citation from the original document. The author is also listed in the references at the end of the work.

• Insert in‐text citations when rephrasing or reproducing a text word‐for‐word in your work. In‐text citations direct the reader to the source(s) of information listed in the references at the end of the work

Example:



Original Source Material: The concept of systems is really quite simple. The basic idea is that a system has parts that fit together to make a whole; but where it gets complicated ‐‐ and interesting ‐‐ is how those parts are connected or related to each other.	Source: Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Writer’s Plagiarized Version	Writer’s Non‐plagiarized Version
Simply put, any device that is made up of parts is a system. What matters most about systems is “how those parts are connected or related to each other.” References: Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.	Simply put, any device that is made up of parts is a system. What matters most about systems is “how those parts are connected or related to each other” (Frick, 1991, p. 17). References: Frick, T. (1991). Restructuring education through technology. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Explanation: This example of written work is plagiarized. The writer reproduced word-for‐word a text from the original source material using quotation marks, but omitted to include a reference to the original source in the text.	Explanation: Note in this example that quotation marks enclose the passage that is reproduced word-for‐word from the original source material. Reference to the original source is included in the text immediately following the quoted text. The source is also listed in the references.



What do I also need to know before taking the Plagiarism Test?



"This short film was shot and edited by an Essex graduate and features current students talking about what they think plagiarism is and offering tips on how to avoid it. Contrary to what some of the interviewees think, plagiarism is not determined by intentionality: whether it is an accident or not, plagiarism is a punishable offense, so please ensure that you understand it, and enjoy the film."

Before you attempt The Plagiarism Test, you can take this practice test to familiarize yourself with the types of questions on the actual Plagiarism Test. The practice test is open to the AUB community only (faculty and students). You will need to log in using your AUB username and password. You can take this practice test as many times as you need: Start the practice test.

When you are ready, START THE TEST. The plagiarism test will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions please check The Plagiarism Test FAQ. For individual assistance please contact the Writing Center, at E-mail: writing@aub.edu.lb or Ext: 3157.