In order to avoid plagiarism in your writing, you need to properly cite any outside information or ideas you include in your work. Below is a page from Austin College's Academic Skill Center Peer Tutor Handbook that clearly defines and exemplifies what plagiarism is and isn't. For more information on properly citing in CMS (Chicago Manual Style), APA style and MLA style, please see our Citations page.
We've highlighted a few basic tips to avoid plagiarism.
1. Use your own words (i.e. paraphrase) as much as possible. Don't know how to paraphrase? Take a look at our paraphrasing tip sheet and video below!
2. When referring to outside information or someone else's ideas, you must acknowledge the source, even if you are paraphrasing! In Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), this means that you have to include a footnote at the end of the sentence that contains that outside information, as well as a corresponding bibliographic entry. For more information about CMS, click on the Chicago Manual of Style tab on the left-hand side of this Libguide.
3. When you want to cite an entire sentence or phrase from an outside source, makes sure you put quotation marks around it and include a footnote!
Click the image for a tutorial on plagiarism.
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