Library:Library Research Skills For Biologists/Module 6/Page 05
Plagiarism is the "theft of someone else's words, work or ideas" (McMillan 2001). [1]
From a student handing in a paper that she/he has printed off the web or "borrowed" from a friend, to a student copying whole passages from a book into his/her paper, plagiarism may occur to varying degrees. The following diagram illustrates the varying degrees to which plagiarism may occur:
At UBC, if you plagiarize, you could receive a zero on your assignment, or even face suspension from the university. See the UBC Calendar for more details.
It is very important, therefore, to learn strategies that will help you to avoid unknowingly plagiarizing another author's work and/or ideas. Start using the following three strategies early in your research process to ensure that your final product is your own work!
Literature Cited:
<references>[1] [2] Literature Cited:
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 McMillan, V.E. 2001. Writing papers in the biological sciences. Bedford/St. Martin's, Boston, Mass.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chart from: Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). [ ] Actions that might be seen as plagiarism. Available from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.htm>. [Accessed August 2011. Note: chart from old version of site.]