Avoid plagiarism.
Every year, the fear is always the same: "But what if I accidentally use an entire paragraph from my source and forget to put quotes around it?" You can avoid this problem by avoiding direct quotes! Use direct wording only when it is absolutely necessary.
Instead, summarize the source in your paper. Use your own words to convey the information from the source.
Take careful notes.
I just want to remind you, once again, that you must take careful notes when conducting your research. Duke's library has a page on avoiding plagiarism that I'd like for you all to read. Here's another site from Louisiana Tech's online writing center.
A general rule is to always print out a copy of whatever you are working with. In fact, you are required to turn in a copy of every source you use with every quote and paraphrase highlighted. This serves as a reminder to you, and it helps me when grading your papers.
Always cite your source.
Always cite, whether you are summarizing or quoting. By cite I mean the process of giving credit to the author(s) you've borrowed information from. Consider the information on loan; don't forget where it came from!
The process for citation has been the same all year long; include a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Include both the author's name and the page number (Adams 145). Better yet, introduce the quote by giving credit to the author (by last name) and/or title. See Purdue's OWL for an example.
At the end of the paper include a works cited page. I will provide the form for these bibliographic citations when we talk about the rough drafts.
For an example, look at the SAMPLE MLA PAPER I referenced in class.
Every year, the fear is always the same: "But what if I accidentally use an entire paragraph from my source and forget to put quotes around it?" You can avoid this problem by avoiding direct quotes! Use direct wording only when it is absolutely necessary.
Instead, summarize the source in your paper. Use your own words to convey the information from the source.
Take careful notes.
I just want to remind you, once again, that you must take careful notes when conducting your research. Duke's library has a page on avoiding plagiarism that I'd like for you all to read. Here's another site from Louisiana Tech's online writing center.
A general rule is to always print out a copy of whatever you are working with. In fact, you are required to turn in a copy of every source you use with every quote and paraphrase highlighted. This serves as a reminder to you, and it helps me when grading your papers.
Always cite your source.
Always cite, whether you are summarizing or quoting. By cite I mean the process of giving credit to the author(s) you've borrowed information from. Consider the information on loan; don't forget where it came from!
The process for citation has been the same all year long; include a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Include both the author's name and the page number (Adams 145). Better yet, introduce the quote by giving credit to the author (by last name) and/or title. See Purdue's OWL for an example.
At the end of the paper include a works cited page. I will provide the form for these bibliographic citations when we talk about the rough drafts.
For an example, look at the SAMPLE MLA PAPER I referenced in class.