University of Central Florida Libraries
3/13/2010
http://library.ucf.edu/
UCF Website University of Central Florida Libraries
Log in now
Ask a Librarian Articles & Databases Online Journals Off-campus Access Interlibrary Loan

Plagiarism and Paraphrasing

If you fail to properly credit ideas or materials taken from someone else, it is considered plagiarism.

To avoid plagiarism

  • include complete citations for all materials you use in your paper which  includes text and graphics from printed and online resources.
  • do not copy, borrow, or hire someone to write a paper
  • • do not cut and paste anything from a periodical article or the Internet without quoting and citing
  • Please note that according to the Rules of Conduct in UCF’s Golden Rule, plagiarism is a form of cheating and considered a violation of student academic behavior standards.

A direct quote (verbatim, word-for-word) should follow a specified format.

For APA:

  • short quotations (40 words or less) are in double quotations. The author, year, and a specific page citation are provided in the text.
  • longer quotations, instead of using quotation marks, indent the quoted material five spaces from both the left and the right and maintain double spacing.
  • parenthetical citation is the same for short quotations and comes after the last punctuation mark in the quotation.

Paraphrasing is a restatement of the original quotation.

  • Even if you successfully paraphrase someone else’s work, you still must give credit.
  • The citation format for a paraphrased section is the same as for a direct quotation, except specific page numbers are not required.

There are some instances where a citation is not required.

  • The general rule is that common knowledge: such as Disney World is located in Florida or Levi Strauss invented jeans, do not require a source.
  • Proverbs or well known sayings (e.g., “The early bird catches the worm”) also do not require a citation.

A number of sources are available to help you decide if you have mastered the ability to paraphrase:

University of Central Florida, The University Writing Center, Avoiding Plagiarism http://www.uwc.ucf.edu/Writing%20Resources/Handouts/avoiding_plagiarism.htm

Purdue, Online Writing Lab, Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_paraphr.html

Indiana University-Bloomington, School of Education, How to Recognize Plagiarism; http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/example1paraphrasing.html