Whenever you quote or base your ideas on another person's work, you must document the source you used. Even when you do not quote directly from another work, if reading that source contributed to the ideas presented in your paper, you must give the authors proper credit.
Citations allow readers to locate and further explore the sources you consulted, show the depth and scope of your research, and give credit to authors for their ideas. Citations provide evidence for your arguments and add credibility to your work by demonstrating that you have sought out and considered a variety of resources. In written academic work, citing sources is standard practice and shows that you are responding to this person, agreeing with that person, and adding something of your own. Think of documenting your sources as providing a trail for your reader to follow to see the research you performed and discover what led you to your original contribution. By following these guidelines, you avoid plagiarism which is a serious violation of the Academic Honesty Policy of the Williams Baptist College Catalog.
Quotation and Paraphrasing
When you reproduce an author's exact wording and phrasing, you must place the text within quotation marks or set off the text in block quotes or other formats recommended in various style manuals.
“In research writing, sources are cited for two reasons: to alert readers to the sources of your information
and to give credit to the writers from whom you have borrowed words and ideas”
Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference (St. Martin’s Press, 1995).
Even if you re-word the material in your own terms, a practice called "paraphrasing," you must credit the source of the information.
Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty. The Williams Baptist College Catalog describes plagiarism as “submitting someone else's work for their own” and is a basis for disciplinary action.
Plagiarism is an act of academic integrity as outlined by the Williams Baptist College Student Handbook.
Plagiarism means using another’s work without giving credit. You must put others’ words in quotation marks and cite your source(s). Citation must also be given when using others’ ideas, even when those ideas are paraphrased into your own words.
“Work” includes original:
- Ideas, strategies, research.
- Art, graphics, computer programs, music and other creative expression.
- Writing, charts, pictures, graphs, diagrams, data, websites, or other communication or recording media.
- Sentences, phrases, innovative terminology.
- Formatting or other representations.
- Published works (books, magazines, newspapers, websites, plays, movies, photos, paintings, and textbooks)
- Unpublished sources (class lectures or notes, handouts, speeches, other students’ papers, or material from a research service).
Using words, ideas, computer code, or any work by someone else without giving
proper credit is plagiarism. Any time you use information from a source, you must cite it.