Plagiarism

WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?

PLAGIARISM means using someone else’s words, ideas, or work without giving them proper credit. It’s not just “copy-paste”; it can also happen when you:

Paraphrase someone’s work too closely without citing them,
Forget to include quotation marks for exact words,
Use data, designs, or media without acknowledging the source, or
Rely on AI-generated text or ideas without declaration.

Even if unintentional, plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty because it presents another person’s work as your own. Schools treat it seriously! It can affect your grades, credibility, and integrity as a student writer.

Why Learn about Citations?

Citing properly isn’t just about avoiding punishment! It’s about respect, credibility, and learning.

When you cite:

You respect intellectual ownership, showing that you value others’ work.
You build credibility, proving that your claims are supported by reliable evidence.
You join the academic conversation, adding your voice responsibly to those who came before you.
You strengthen your learning, since tracing sources deepens understanding and reflection.

In short, learning citations helps you write with both integrity and authority. It’s not a rule—it’s a professional habit that makes your writing trustworthy.

With proper citations, you can…

Quote: Write as is.
Paraphrase: Write in your own words.
Summarize: Write a short version.

Now, how do we properly cite? It depends on the citation style your teacher requires, but here are 2 common styles with examples:

APA 7 for Online Sources

In-text

For APA in-text, we cite the author’s surname and year. Here are some formats:

(Author, year)

Example: Mindfulness offers several benefits, including enhanced memory, better sleep, relieved stress, and faster recovery (Jones, 2025).

Author (year)

Example: Jones (2025) reported that mindfulness offers several benefits, including enhanced memory, better sleep, relieved stress, and faster recovery.

No date

Write (n.d.) instead of the year.

Reference List

Besides your in-text citations, you need a “References” page for all your sources at the end of your paper. This list of sources is alphabetically arranged, double-spaced, and indented after the first line of each entry.

The full source follows this format:

Surname, Initials. (Date). Article title in sentence case. Italicized website name. URL

Example: Jones, H. (2025, March 31). 14 mindfulness exercises for all ages. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/mindfulness-exercises-5204406

MLA 9 for Online Sources

In-text

For MLA in-text, we cite the author’s surname and page number. Here are some formats:

(Surname page number)

Example: Public libraries can use kindness initiatives for community dialogue and well-being (Peachy and Thurman 11).

Author… (page number)

Example: Peachy and Thurman shared that public libraries can use kindness initiatives for community dialogue and well-being (11).

No page number

Just put the author’s surname.

Works Cited

Besides your in-text citations, you need a “Works Cited” page for all your sources at the end of your paper. This list of sources is alphabetically arranged, double-spaced, and indented after the first line of each entry.

The full source follows this format:

Surname, Name. “Article title.” Italicized website name, Publication date, URL. Date accessed.

*Note: Only the first author’s surname is first.

Example: Peachy, Jenny, and Ben Thurman. “Creating Space for Kindness.” CarnegieUK, 2021. https://carnegieuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LOW-RES-4937-CUKT-Creating-Space-Report-2.pdf. Accessed 25 October 2025.

WHAT ABOUT AI?

AI reproduces information online and is not a valid source. AI tool are not valid academic sources.

Using AI without acknowledgement is considered plagiarism because:

AI reproduces existing content from the internet without original authorship,
It cannot be verified or peer-reviewed like scholarly sources, and
Passing off AI text as your own misrepresents authorship.

If your instructor allows AI, declare it transparently!

Tips for Honest Writing

It’s easy to make small citation mistakes, especially when proofreading. Here are quick reminders to keep you safe:

For articles on Google Scholar, refer to the “Cite” button for your required citation style.
Always double-check citations given by citation generators.
Run Turnitin on Google Docs for a similarity report and citations check on your paper.

For a more comprehensive citation guide, check out the Harvard Guide to Citing Sources.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse