Plagiarism
NC State students are expected to adhere to a code of academic integrity, including properly citing sources in academic writing. You may consult the Code of Student Conduct, for rules and guidelines concerning the university’s academic integrity policies.
This page will clarify the role of citation in academic writing, define plagiarism, and suggest a few tips to help you avoid plagiarism.
What is Citation?
Citation is the practice of attributing sources that you have quoted, paraphrased, or summarized in your writing.
There are many citation styles, and some disciplines prefer one over another. While citations vary in format, they all provide the information needed for other researchers to locate cited resource themselves. Citations usually include such information as: author, title of the text, title of publication, date of publication, DOI (Digital Object Identifier), and other details that make a resource identifiable or findable.
Proper citation includes two components:
- In-text or parenthetical citation - These are in the body of the paper and are used directly after quoted or summarized material. They are an abbreviated version of the full citation.
- Full citation - These are usually at the very end of your paper on a reference, works cited, or bibliography page. They contain all of the information about the source so that other researchers may reference them for their own research.
Why is Citation Important?
Citation is important for reasons beyond avoiding plagiarism. It enables students and researchers to become active participants in the academic community and leads them to resources that may be of interest to them or their research.
Good research functions as a part of a network and introduces new information, connects existing knowledge, or provides a new understanding of established ideas in the academic community. Citing sources can instill authority in your writing because it shows that your research has been informed by the work of recognized scholars. Watch this video for more information about how citation works.
Understanding Plagiarism
Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work as your own or without proper citation. This includes words, ideas, data, or images, especially those that are not considered to be general knowledge.
Avoiding Plagiarism
- Use quotation marks around words taken directly from a text and also acknowledge the source and author.
- If you are using your own words to summarize ideas or arguments that are not original to you, be sure to acknowledge the source or author.
- Use the correct style guide to make sure you are including the necessary information in your citations. We have compiled style guide resources that may be helpful.