Plagiarism can be DELIBERATE or UNINTENTIONAL. Whenever you borrow words or ideas, you MUST acknowledge their source to give the author/creator credit and to respect their intellectual property!
The following situations almost always require citation:
--excerpt from Plagiarism.org
For more help understanding plagiarism and citation for research papers, consult the library's Citation Guide.
General knowledge does not need to be documented. Important names, dates and events are considered general knowledge, but interpretations of facts are not.
What is general, or common knowledge? Read this!
Famous quotes or universal sayings do not need documentation.
Highly specific facts should be cited.
Any information you have paraphrased, summarized, interpreted or have drawn conclusions from should be cited.
If you are unsure when to document, document!
Click here to access a handout on citation.
Below is a list of reference books located within the MCTC Libraries to help you properly cite your resources.