Avoiding Plagiarism

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is stealing and using someone else's ideas, words, or theories as your own without crediting the source. Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional. Downloading or copying essays, phrases, articles, or other information or ideas found on the web without citing them is plagiarism. Common knowledge – facts – do not have to be cited; for example, if you include an important person's birth date in your essay, you do not need to cite the source.

Avoid Plagiarism
Explains what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. Provides examples of sources cited using the APA citation style.

How to Avoid Plagiarism
Tips for understanding and avoiding plagiarism from the Simon Fraser University Library.

The Owl at Purdue: Avoiding Plagiarism
An overview of plagiarism and how to avoid intentional or unintentional plagiarism.

Printable Handouts on Recognizing and Avoiding Plagiarism
Four printable and easy to read PDF handouts on plagiarism from Laurier University. Options include APA and MLA citation style.

Blackboard SafeAssign:

Prevent Plagiarism and protect the originality of your work by using SafeAssign, available to students and teachers at Bow Valley College. SafeAssign helps teachers prevent plagiarism by detecting unoriginal content in student papers, and it also has features to educate students about plagiarism and the importance of crediting sources for any borrowed content.
For more information on using SafeAssign, email BVC’s Teaching and Learning Centre at tlc@bowvalleycollege.ca.

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