There are six ways to ask a librarian for help using the Alvin Sherman Library:
When you quote or paraphrase the idea of another person in your research paper or speech, you must provide a proper citation for the source. These citations:
If you use other people's words, ideas, or work (including graphics, charts, and tables) without properly giving them credit, you are committing plagiarism.
There are many forms of plagiarism, which include, but are not limited to:
Use the chart below to help you determine when something should be cited.
If it is... | Should I cite? |
someone else's words | ![]() |
someone else’s idea or theory but in my own words | ![]() |
my own idea or experience | ![]() |
common knowledge | ![]() |
Hint: You can usually regard information and facts as common knowledge if you can find that same information in at least five credible sources without it being cited. However, when in doubt, cite it!
Paraphrasing
Be careful when paraphrasing information into your own words. Simply swapping out some words with synonyms is not proper paraphrasing. You must critically analyze and interpret the original passage and restate the essential points entirely in your own words. For more tips about paraphrasing, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).