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Knowing the Rules of the Road on the Information Highway

The Internet is a vast information highway.
All of that information at your fingertips seems free for the taking, but is it?

If you're not careful, you can be cited for the serious violation of PLAGIARISM!

According to the Clarion University Catalog, plagiarism is "the use of another's words without attribution and without enclosing the words in quotation marks. Plagiarism may also be defined as the act of taking the ideas or expressions or ideas of another person and representing them as your own -- even if the original paper has been paraphrased or otherwise modified. A close or extended paraphrase may also be considered plagiarism even if the source is named" (28).

No matter what source you use, you need to document it.

DO's and DON'Ts

DO NOT copy and paste information into your work without citing it.

• DO paraphrase
• DO summarize
• DO use quotation marks
• DO follow correct documentation style.

DO NOT take notes straight from the Internet.

• DO paraphrase
• DO summarize  
• DO use quotation marks
• DO use commentary skills

DON'T underestimate your professors.

• They're not stupid.
• They know your writing style.
• They know the sources in their field.

Plagiarism is a form of academic theft and is not tolerated.

It can result in failing an assignment, failing a course, or being expelled from the university.

Bottom line : DO your own work. DON'T steal from others; it's just not right.

The Writing Center
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
©2006

Location:

Room 101 Davis Hall

Clarion, PA

Phone:

(814) 393-2173

Hours:

Monday- Thursday

8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday:

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.