Research Guides: Copyright: Plagiarism

What is Plagiarism?

According to The New Oxford American English Dictionary 1, the word "Plagiarism" originates from the Latin word for kidnapper and refers to the "practice of taking else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own." Obviously, cutting and pasting from internet documents, or buying a paper from an online "paper mill" are examples of plagiarism. However, so is improperly citing ones sources. We've put together this collection of resources to help you avoid plagiarism.

1 "plagiarism n." The New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition. Ed. Erin McKean. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Vanderbilt University. 18 May 2009.

Vanderbilt University Resources

How to Avoid Plagiarism iBook

Gives a brief overview of what plagiarism might mean at Vanderbilt University based on cases that have been viewed as plagiarism. This iBook was created by the Vanderbilt University English Language Center (ELC) as part of their mission to address the professional, academic, and practical language needs of students who have a first language other than English.

Vanderbilt Center for Teaching: Cheating & Plagiarism

A collection of anti-plagiarism resources for both teachers and students.

Additional Plagiarism Resources

Plagiarism.org - A resource from the people behind the plagiarism detector Turnitin.com. Includes an "accidental plagiarism" detector called WriteCheck, as well as an explanation of the types of plagiarism, and the different citation formats.
Princeton University: Acknowledging Your Sources - Part of the Academic Integrity online booklet.
The OWL at Purdue: Is it Plagiarism Yet? - A service of the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University.
Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid It - A service of the Writing Tutorial Services at Indiana University.
Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism - Resource from the Duke University Libraries.