Plagiarism is a very delicate issue, as there often exists a fine line between plagiarism and original material. It's especially tricky when using the Web as a primary research tool. However, our goal is to produce original content, and we want to protect our e-terns as well as our company from the legal ramifications of plagiarism. So please read the information below to learn our guidelines for avoiding plagiarism and for citing sources.

Guidelines for Avoiding Plagiarism: How & When to Cite Sources

Plagiarism typically involves the following:

1. Taking information from a source and slightly modifying it (paraphrasing) without citing the source.
   
   
2. Taking ideas (such as interpretations and statistics) from various sources without citing them (in essence claiming the ideas as your own).

As you probably know from your college studies, there are many ways to avoid plagiarism. Two common ways to avoid plagiarism include the following: quoting material directly and putting the source in parentheses or mentioning the source of your information within a sentence.

Here are examples:

1. Direct Quotation: Researchers say "the flu is rapidly spreading at a monumental rate this year" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002).
   
   
2. Integrating Source into a Sentence: According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu is spreading at a monumental rate this year.

You must use example two instead of example one in your HelpGrams. In addition, always put the information entirely in your words. For example, you can revise example two by stating, "According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu is rapidly spreading." In the example above, it's necessary to cite the source by saying, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” because the flu spreading at a monumental rate is an interpretation of statistical data, not a well-known fact. However, it wouldn't be necessary to cite well-known facts. Refer to the links below to learn the distinction between well-known facts and interpretations.

As you know, the information on many Web sites often overlaps. So, if you find five or more Web sites that all state similar information during your research (such as the cause of a disease, characteristics of a condition etc.), you don't have to cite your sources. However, you MUST write your HelpGram in your words. The easiest way to do this is to read your material, and then to write your HelpGram without referring back to your research. This will ensure the authenticity of your HelpGram.

Author Sharon Williams (see the Avoiding Plagiarism link below) advises writers to exercise caution when taking notes and referring to them during the writing process. When taking notes, it's common to copy them directly from the source. So if you refer to your notes while you're writing HelpGrams, make sure your notes are written in your words and not those of the author.

Here are two easy ways to avoid plagiarism when writing HelpGrams:

1. Find several sites that discuss the topic, and read the information and take notes on important points. Then formulate your version of the cumulative information, where you use your words and phrases to summarize information provided by multiple sources. This is the method that we prefer for you to use.
   
   
2. Use one site in particular, but cite the source you’re using as in the example below.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. . .

• data point
  
  
• data point

This format is particularly useful for your data points as illustrated above. But don't base your expert statement on one source. If you must cite a source for a particular fact in your expert statement, make sure to integrate it into the sentence by following this format: "According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 million people have seasonal allergies." If you use a direct quotation in your expert statement, which is particularly useful for the closing sentence, make sure to integrate the source of the quote into your sentence by following this format: As the United Negro College Fund's famous slogan proclaims, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste."

Please CAREFULLY READ the two articles below learn more about avoiding plagiarism. Pay careful attention to each example of acceptable/unacceptable paraphrases, strategies for avoiding plagiarism, and precautions for notetaking.

• Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
  
  
• Avoiding Plagiarism
  
  
• Avoiding Plagiarism, by Sharon Williams