Library Tutorial for Legal 100

In this unit, you will learn what plagiarism is and why it's important for you to avoid doing it in your coursework and academic studies.  Read the material and watch the videos - and don't forget to take notes for the quiz.

According to the Longman Dictionary of American English, plagiarism is, "The act of using someone else's words, idea, or work and pretending they are your own....“ 
(Longman. (2014). Plagiarism. In Longman Dictionary of American English. (2nd ed,. p. 836). 
This concept is based on the belief that an individual or organization owns the work they create, regardless of whether the work is a photograph, a phrase, a book, a song, a film, or even an idea.

Source: Pixabay.com

Watch this video on how plagiarism occurs and how to avoid it.

The University of Guelph McLaughlin Library. Source: YouTube

Plagiarism is taken very seriously in academic study because it is considered stealing others' work and cheating about the work you are supposed to do for your classes.  It is considered a violation of Academic Integrity.  

​So what is Academic Integrity?

Academic Integrity means being honest about how and what you learn. It also means doing your own assignments, using your own ideas, and only using others' work and ideas if you list them as your sources (citations). 

Watch the video below from Bainbridge State College to learn more about Academic Integrity.

Academic Integrity at Edmonds College 

As a student at Edmonds, you are part of an academic community and integrity in your learning is an essential part of how you share our learning and knowledge with others.  ​ 

Edmonds College has a Student Code of Conduct Policy: Academic misconduct and dishonesty - section 3.(a)(ii)

• 3. Student Misconduct
  • The college may impose disciplinary sanctions against a student who commits, attempts to commit, aids, abets, incites, encourages or assists another person to commit, an act(s) of misconduct, which includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:
    • (a) Academic Dishonesty. Any act of academic dishonesty including, but not limited to:
      • (ii) Plagiarism including, but not limited to, presenting or submitting another person’s, entities’, and/or sources’ ideas, words, or other works in an instructional course without assigning proper credit.

  Finally...

The fear of plagiarism can be paralyzing when it comes to doing your assignments.  Don't let it stop you. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to create citations for your sources whenever you quote, paraphrase, and/or summarize information from someone else’s work. If you need help with your citations, be sure to ask a librarian.

Next, go to Unit 10 to learn about Using Citations.