Put simply, plagiarism is cheating! It is pretending that words or thoughts are your own, when really you have accessed them from somewhere else without acknowledgement, be it a book, article, webpage, another person or some other source. It is easy to avoid plagiarism. You are encouraged to gather material from a number of different sources - this is called research. You may quote or acknowledge the ideas and conclusions you have gathered but you must let the lecturer know where the material came from - this is called referencing.
Correct referencing ensures that your assignment will be free from plagiarism. Just remember that extensive paraphrasing or quoting, even when acknowledged, is not advised.
Plagiarism includes:
Cover Page
Students are required to declare that the work is their own by attaching a to all assignments submitted. The cover page will include the following declaration which the student must sign:
I certify that this assignment is my own work and is free from plagiarism. I understand that the assignment may be checked for plagiarism by electronic or other means and may be transferred and stored in a database for the purposes of data-matching to help detect plagiarism. The assignment has not previously been submitted for assessment in any other unit or institution. I have read and understood Avondale's Academic Integrity Policy.
Five easy tips to avoid plagiarism
1. Take detailed notes on where you got all of your information
2. Write down direct quotes as they appear in the text, with page numbers and author name
3. Clearly identify where the information came from when you are writing your paper
4. Use your own words as much as possible
5. When in doubt, cite the source!
