Skip to Main Content

ENG101 MCTC Library Research Strategy

ENG101 MCTC Library Research Strategy 2022-2023

#Use of Sources.

Importance of Recognizing Plagiarism

Plagiarism is ALL of the following:

  • Turning in someone else's work as your own.
  • Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit.
  • Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks.
  • Paraphrasing without citing the source.
  • Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, even if you give credit.
  • Using your own work from another class.
  • Buying a paper online and turning it in like it is your own work.

This video will demonstrate 3 easy ways how to avoid plagiarism. (Skip any beginning ads/commercials.)

Common Knowledge: When NOT to Cite

You can regard something as common knowledge if you know it is:

  • Commonly reported facts: even if you did not know this fact before you started the research, but you found this fact in numerous, and credible, souces. i.e. Kentucky became a state in 1792.
  • Common sayings: i.e. "Birds of a feather, flock together," or "A penny for your thoughts" or "Let the cat out of the bag."

But, when in doubt, cite. Your instructor will tell you if the citation turns out to be unnecessary, 

Find out more about plagiarism Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Plagiarism from Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). 

How to Paraphrase and Summarize

Click on the blue buttons below to view the videos. You may need to scroll over the video to see the controls and unmute the sound.

When the video clip has stopped playing, click the Close link in the top right corner of the box.

This video will explain what paraphrasing is and how to treat it in a paper.

This video explains summarizing and how to treat it in a paper.