Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

The following tips will help students avoid unintentional or accidental plagiarism. Remember, a research paper begins when you start reading your first source.

• The research process oftentimes takes more time than expected. Allow enough time to gather, read, and absord the information you find.
  
  
• Develop a system for good note taking.
  
  
• When you copy word for word from a resource, place quotation marks around the passage.
  
  
• Use a different colored pen to distinguish quotations or highlight the passage.
  
  
• Always write the page number next to the quotation in your notes.
  
  
• After reading a paragraph, page or entire article, look away from the text and paraphrase what you have read. This method helps ensure the words are in your voice.
  
  
• Separate your ideas from others by using a different color pen or putting your ideas in brackets.
  
  
• Include the citation (author, title, year) on each page of your notes.
  
  
• Learn one system of documentation (the one used most in your field of study) and obtain written guides to help you with the process. You should feel comfortable with the basics of one citation style and refer to guides and handbooks for more difficult or unusual citaitons. The Library has guides to documenting sources online as well as citation handbooks in the reference collection.
  
  
• Know the policies and punishments for plagiarizing at City College, available in the CCSF Catalog, under the Rules of Conduct.