Earl Babbie, whose name many of you will recognize from discussions on methods and statistics, has written an essay on plagiarism . One Plausible Answer Plagiarism is an issue in theory particularly, for theory is about ideas. In fact, any field of thought evolves as people read each other's ideas, learn from and build on those ideas. The key to doing this properly lies in acknowledgement and citation. One Plausible Answer Easier to get confused when you are thinking as you write.
Facts are fairly easy to rephrase.
Arguments can be complex and convoluted. Sometimes we think we've said what we were thinking, only to discover that we made some intellectual leaps, skipping some steps in our thinking, just as the math teacher occasionally does when she races through a problem at the board. There are two simple tricks to help you guard against plagiarism. Each involves planning a little ahead. Read the scholarly source at least an hour or two before you begin to write.