Reference PE/1475/PUB/2001 Avoiding Plagiarism: Why Use References? Plagiarism is taking, using, and submitting the thoughts, writings, etc., of another person as one's own. Often students are uncertain when to acknowledge sources, or when to assume that a concept or theory belongs to the domain of general knowledge. If in doubt, include a reference. Types of concepts that require a reference include: discoveries, theories, controversies and opinions. Don't forget to acknowledge the source of illustrations, charts, and tables of data. For more information and specific examples, consult "How Not to Plagiarize" http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.h\\... . There are several reasons for including a reference: it is ethical to credit others for their contributions to your writing; it may be a legal obligation in the case of copyright; to protect you in the case of questionable allegations; to reflect your prior reading effort; to show the sequence of events involved in the resolution of a scientific problem, as part of your argument. Paraphrases: It is often necessary to reduce a concept or theory into a few sentences. While the words may be your own, the concepts or theories are not; and you must give credit to your sources. The use of paraphrasing, rather than direct quotes, is often preferred because it helps with creating flow in building logical arguments. Quotations: Direct quotations are to be used very sparingly. The chief drawback is that the text becomes choppy and difficult to read. Using the author's own words in a direct quote is usually justified for only