Copyright Advisory

Avoiding Plagiarism

Knowing what to cite and what you do not need to cite will help you avoid plagiarism as you write papers and use ideas and materials from journal articles, websites, books, videos, and more. Citing the materials you used to write your paper tells your readers where you found the information and who created, or authored, the materials used to support your topic.

A guide for SMU students on how to avoid plagiarism and citing your sources is available. Click on  INTERACTIVE RESOURCE ON PLAGIARISM to learn:

• some basic rules about when to cite your sources.
• best practices  when citing sources.

Information on how to cite accurately can be found on  this guide How do I use APA Citation Style

For more information please see these resources:

• Avoiding Plagiarism: What Do I Need to Cite?

  Most students understand they need to cite materials they used if it is a direct quote, but the ideas of others need to be cited, too.

• Plagiarism: You Can't Just Change a Few Words

  A lot of students do not think examples like these count as plagiarism, but they do.

• When Should I Cite a Source?

  This video identifies the conditions under which you need to cite a source when writing an essay or paper.