Plagiarism FAQ

What is referencing and why should I do it?

Referencing is acknowledging that you have used information from different sources.
 Reasons to reference include:

• To avoid being guilty of plagiarism
• To lend credibility/evidence to your argument
• Show the research that you have done

When do I need to reference?

When you use information, ideas or words that are not your own. Categories that these things may come from are:

• personal communication (information from meetings, surveys, emails or conversations)
• websites (anything you look at online that was written by someone else)
• published material (books, journals etc)
• unpublished material (company reports, theses etc)
• lecture notes (material given to you by your lecture which may have been written by them and/or based on other information)

When do I need to use quotation marks?

• When you have used exactly the same words as the original source. You should only really do this when the WAY the author has expressed their idea is very important in your work

How many times can I use direct quotes?

• There is no rule but in general is best to use direct quotes sparingly: when any paraphrasing will reduce the clarity and succinctness of the original, when you intend to critique the quote, when the quote introduces a key point or definition

I have found a reference that says exactly what I want to say.  Can I just copy and reference it?

• Yes - but only if you use quotation marks and reference it

How do I paraphrase and do I need to include a reference for this?

• To paraphrase you need to express the original idea in your own words
• It is not enough to change one or two words
• It is not enough to change the word order
• and YES you do need to reference paraphrased material

How do I write a summary and do I need to include a reference for this?

• Read the source a number of times and then put it aside and write the information in your own words
• Yes, you do need to reference it because you are still using someone else’s ideas

Everything I write is someone else’s idea.  Is it a problem if my work is cluttered in references?

• Too many quotes looks like you have just patched other people’s ideas together
• You need to demonstrate that you have something of your own to contribute to the discussion
• Make sure that your ‘voice’ comes through in your work - ie make sure you have a 'story' that uses the references for evidence, examples etc
• Your lecturers don't think of references as 'cluttering' your work - they expect to see them there and will be alarmed if they're not!

Is it OK to just put the reference at the bottom of the paragraph.  Will that ‘cover’ the entire section?

• No
• The paragraph should include some of your own ideas or inferences that you have drawn based on the referenced material so it would be incorrect to attribute those ideas to the other author

Can I use references that are cited by another author without reading them myself?

• Yes, these are known as secondary sources
• This means that you need to reference them in a particular way to make it clear what you've done (see the example page for more info)

How do I know if I’ve plagiarized?

• If your work includes exactly the same phrases or sentences as the source material
• If you put you work beside the original and the wording and structure are too similar

Isn’t group work plagiarism?

• No, as all authors are credited with their contributions. However, unacknowledged collaboration with another student will constitute plagiarism.

Which reference style should I use?

• Whichever reference style is recommended by your faculty
• Whichever reference style you are using, make sure you are consistent

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