Skip to Main Content

The Research Process: A Guide for OCC Students: 5a. Avoid Plagiarism

This guide will walk you through the research process for a standard research paper.

Keys to Avoiding Plagiarism

To avoid plagiarizing:

  • Paraphrase the original text into your own words.
  • Use quotation marks around text that has been taken directly from the original source.
  • Cite every source of information you use in your paper unless it is common knowledge or the results of your own research.

Recommended Reading

Real World Examples

Think plagiarism is just an issue for college students writing research papers? Think again!  Check out these real world examples of celebrities being accused of plagiarizing.

Me? Plagiarize?

Me? Plagiarize? Authored by: Hartness Library. License: CC BY: Attribution

Plagiarism at OCC

Plagiarism may take many forms:

  • cheating,
  • copying information directly without providing quotation marks,
  • failing to cite sources, or
  • citing sources incorrectly.

It does not matter whether you intended to plagiarize or whether the plagiarism occurred unintentionally; it still constitutes academic dishonesty. Ignorance of the rules of correct citation is not an acceptable excuse.

Plagiarism is considered academic misconduct, according to the Student Code of Conduct at Coast Community Colleges. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty can subject a student to disciplinary action. If you have questions about plagiarism, talk to one of the librarians for further assistance.