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Avoiding Plagiarism and Citing Sources

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism shouldis bewhen avoidedsomeone atpresents allanother times!person’s work, ideas, or words as their own without proper credit. It can happen accidentally or intentionally, but either way, it’s a serious issue in academic and professional settings.

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, to “plagiarize”plagiarize means:

  • toTo steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another)another as one’s own

    own.

  • toTo use (another’s production) without crediting the source

  • to commit literary theft

  • to present as new and original, an idea or product derived from an existing source

In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else’s work without crediting the source.

  • To commit literary theft.
  • To present an existing idea or product as new and lyingoriginal.

    • Why is Avoiding Plagiarism Important?

    Plagiarism isn’t just about breaking the rules—it afterward.affects learning, creativity, and integrity. When you give credit to original authors, you show respect for their work while also strengthening your own. Proper citations help:

    • Build credibility – Your work is more trustworthy when sources are properly cited.
    • Strengthen arguments – Well-researched work shows a strong foundation of knowledge.
    • Encourage learning – Engaging with different perspectives helps you develop your own ideas.
    • Protect academic integrity – Honesty in research builds a reputation of integrity.

    ToVisit learnPlagiarism.org aboutfor tips on how to avoid plagiarism,plagiarism seeand plagiarism.orgproperly credit sources.

    More Information and Plagiarism Tools

    Tools and Resources to Help You Avoid Plagiarism:


    Citing Sources

    What is a Bibliography or Works Cited?

    A bibliography or works cited lists all the sources you have used while researching your work. InWhenever general,you use an idea that isn’t your own, you must cite where it came from.

    What to Include in a bibliography or works cited should include:

    Citation:

    • Author’s

      thename authors'(Who names

      wrote it?)

    • the titleTitle of the work or(What article

      is it called?)
    • Publisher’s

      thename names(Who ofpublished the publisher

      it?)

    • the publicationPublication date

      (When was it published?)

    • the pagePage numbers of your sources (if they areIf part of multi-sourcea volumes)

      book or journal)
    • URL

      The(If URLfound of the source, if viewed online

      online)
    • Date

      The date you viewed the content onlineaccessed (ifIf applicable)

      it’s a website that may change over time)

    Example: 

    image.png

    Grade K - 5 Students

    In grades K-5, the expectation is that students will have at least two sources to share in their list of references at the end of their project.  Students will learn how to create a title page and a contents list (if necessary), number their pages, insert an image (cite that image) and create a list of references at the end of their project.

    Grade 6 - 9 Students

    Middle-grade students must understand how to compile a bibliography regardless of presenting a book report, research report, PowerPoint, video or artwork. 

    Citing Sources When Using Subscriptions

    Some Subscriptions supply a citation that you can copy.

    • Gale in Context: Canada (Gr. 8-12) - find the citation at the end of the article
    • Pebble Go (K-3) and PebbleGo Next (Gr. 3-5) - find the "cite" button at the bottom of the page.
    • World Book Student (Gr. 5-8) - find the "How to cite this article" button at the end of the article.
    • World Book Advanced (Gr. 9-12) - citations are listed at the end of the article.

    Tip: Even when a source provides a citation, always double-check it against MLA or APA guidelines to ensure accuracy.

    More Information

    Tools for CreatingFree Citations Generators


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