Plagiarism 101
Plagiarism 101
What is Plagiarism?
The student writer can avoid plagiarism by paraphrasing, summarizing and quoting. When taking notes, you should be careful not to copy directly from the source, unless quoting. The format (print / non-print / electronic) of the information source is beside the point. As you take notes, use a dictionary or thesaurus to help put the notes into your own words. If information is copied directly from the source it should be enclosed in quotation marks on the note card. The student should not simply change a few words, leave out a few words or a phrase, or swap the placement of words trying to avoid plagiarism. Three or more words used consecutively from a source must appear in quotation marks.
The following situations constitute plagiarism and should always be avoided:
- Turning in another student’s paper as your own
- Copying a part of another student’s paper and incorporating it into your paper
- Quoting a source word for word without using quotation marks and a citation
- Paraphrasing and/or summarizing a source’s ideas without giving a citation
RCSD Plagiarism Policy
The Board authorized the County Superintendent or the principal of their designee to suspend any student who commits the following violation: The student uses or copies the academic work of another and presents it as his own without proper attribution. (Ref: Board Policy # JKD #5 11-11-09)
Puckett Attendance Center will enforce the following consequences for plagiarism:
- First Offense: Student will receive a 50/F but will have the opportunity to correct the paper to receive no more than a 89/B as the highest grade.
- Other Offenses: Students will receive a failing grade without opportunity to correct the paper and may face two days of in-school suspension.