In many classes faculty members will provide their definitions of plagiarism. In classes where a definition is not provided, students should follow the standards articulated in the following statement written by Professor Michael Clark. Statement on Plagiarism Plagiarism is a serious offense. Every part of the written work you hand in should be your own - unless credit is given by way of a specific footnote. Please note that the important idea here is taking someone else's ideas.
Plagiarism is literary theft.
When you copy the words of anther, be sure to put those words inside quotation marks and to acknowledge the source with a footnote. When you paraphrase the words of another, use your own words and your own sentence structure, and be sure to give a footnote citing the source of the idea. A plagiarist often merely changes a few words or rearranges the words in the source. This is healthy activity, and I encourage the practice. The interpretation of the piece of literature, the wording of your analysis, and the organization of your arguments should be solely your own.