Digital Rights & Responsibilities:
Citing Sources & Avoiding Plagiarism
What is plagiarism?
One of those responsibilities you have in college is not taking information from other sources without crediting the original author. When you use information from a newspaper or journal article, web page, blog, video, interview, or any other type of work and use it in something you create, you must cite your source. For the most straightforward type of citation, you write the author's last name, and then give the date your source was published or produced. Here's an example: When Michael Ribble devised the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, he defined digital rights and responsibilities as "those freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world" (Ribble, 2007).
Avoiding plagiarism by using citations
Take a look at those last few words in parentheses above: (Ribble, 2007). What do they stand for, and why are they in parentheses?
(Ribble, 2007) is an example of an APA in-text citation. Adding an in-text citation after a fact or quote is how you give credit to an author's original work. The sentences above were a direct quote from Ribble's work; a direct quote means the exact same words in the exact same order as the original author. And don't forget to use quotation marks! These punctuation marks show where the other author's work begins and ends in your paper.
However, you need to use citations even when you paraphrase or summarize another person's words or ideas. For example:
Original text (direct quote) with citation:
"Basic digital rights must be addressed, discussed, and understood in the digital world. With these rights also come responsibilities as well" (Ribble, 2007).
Paraphrased text (the author's ideas restated another way) with citation:
According to Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, we need to talk about and understand technology users' digital rights, and we also need to understand the associated responsibilities (Ribble, 2007).
The sources you use might not always have a named author or publication date; you won't always be able to find all the information you need for the type of citation discussed above. This is why you need to familiarize yourself with APA citation and reference formats (see below for resources). Remember that all sources can be cited -- personal interviews, YouTube videos, the Bible, even operas -- so do your research or ask your instructor before you assume your source is "un-citable"!
(Ribble, 2007) is an example of an APA in-text citation. Adding an in-text citation after a fact or quote is how you give credit to an author's original work. The sentences above were a direct quote from Ribble's work; a direct quote means the exact same words in the exact same order as the original author. And don't forget to use quotation marks! These punctuation marks show where the other author's work begins and ends in your paper.
However, you need to use citations even when you paraphrase or summarize another person's words or ideas. For example:
Original text (direct quote) with citation:
"Basic digital rights must be addressed, discussed, and understood in the digital world. With these rights also come responsibilities as well" (Ribble, 2007).
Paraphrased text (the author's ideas restated another way) with citation:
According to Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, we need to talk about and understand technology users' digital rights, and we also need to understand the associated responsibilities (Ribble, 2007).
The sources you use might not always have a named author or publication date; you won't always be able to find all the information you need for the type of citation discussed above. This is why you need to familiarize yourself with APA citation and reference formats (see below for resources). Remember that all sources can be cited -- personal interviews, YouTube videos, the Bible, even operas -- so do your research or ask your instructor before you assume your source is "un-citable"!
Why do you need to know this?
While you were certainly warned about plagiarism for high school assignments and taught how to paraphrase information (putting the original author's ideas into your own words), your high school teachers may not have placed the same level of emphasis on citations and references as college instructors usually do. However, this means that many students have to grasp a lot of information about citations very quickly -- because ignorance of the rules is no excuse for plagiarism. It is a serious offense, and students who do it, even unintentionally, will find themselves on the wrong side of the college's Academic Dishonesty policy. Plagiarism is just as much a violation of this policy as cheating on a test would be, and there are various consequences that can result: For the first infraction, a student will receive a zero on the assignment and a written warning from the dean of instruction. This warning will remain in the student's permanent academic record. The second infraction will likely result in a failing grade for the class overall, without the option of retaking it. For a third infraction, depending on the severity, a student can be expelled from the college.
The good news, however, is that you can avoid all of these by simply keeping track of your information and citing your sources!
The good news, however, is that you can avoid all of these by simply keeping track of your information and citing your sources!
Part 2 of the citation process: References
As you can see above, when you add an in-text citation in your paper, you only had a portion of the necessary information needed to find the original author. Where do you include the rest of it?
In your references. Your reference page is usually the last numbered page of your paper. The in-text citations you use give your reader enough information to find the source you mentioned on your references list. There is a specific way that each reference should be listed, and you should have a basic understanding of how different sources' references should look. But don't panic: You don't need to memorize all those formatting guidelines! There are many websites online that will do most of the reference formatting for you. Remember, however, that these are helpful tools, not foolproof formatting solutions. Having a good understanding of basic formatting guidelines will help you spot mistakes. See the Additional Resources list below for links to several of the most reliable citation- and reference-formatting sites.
In your references. Your reference page is usually the last numbered page of your paper. The in-text citations you use give your reader enough information to find the source you mentioned on your references list. There is a specific way that each reference should be listed, and you should have a basic understanding of how different sources' references should look. But don't panic: You don't need to memorize all those formatting guidelines! There are many websites online that will do most of the reference formatting for you. Remember, however, that these are helpful tools, not foolproof formatting solutions. Having a good understanding of basic formatting guidelines will help you spot mistakes. See the Additional Resources list below for links to several of the most reliable citation- and reference-formatting sites.
Additional resources for students
Links:
Purdue Online Writing Lab: The Purdue OWL is a great overall resource for students. It has clear advice and guidelines on grammar, documenting sources, and most other topics related to writing. Bookmark it!
BibMe Citation Guide: Most students only know BibMe as a formatting tool, but the site also has a handy citation guide. Remember: Formatting sites are not foolproof! You should know the correct way to cite a source so you can spot any errors in your references.
How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Format: A handy sample reference and diagram demonstrating how to cite a YouTube video.
YouTube: Having trouble figuring out how to cite or reference a source or paraphrase correctly? Odds are, another student has too, at some point! Try searching for the type of source you're using (database article, film, newspaper article, etc.) on YouTube. (Be sure to use the phrase "APA" in your search terms.) There are hundreds of detailed screencasts and presentations on citing sources, formatting references, and avoiding plagiarism -- you will more than likely find what you're looking for. See the videos below for a few representative examples.
BibMe Citation Guide: Most students only know BibMe as a formatting tool, but the site also has a handy citation guide. Remember: Formatting sites are not foolproof! You should know the correct way to cite a source so you can spot any errors in your references.
How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Format: A handy sample reference and diagram demonstrating how to cite a YouTube video.
YouTube: Having trouble figuring out how to cite or reference a source or paraphrase correctly? Odds are, another student has too, at some point! Try searching for the type of source you're using (database article, film, newspaper article, etc.) on YouTube. (Be sure to use the phrase "APA" in your search terms.) There are hundreds of detailed screencasts and presentations on citing sources, formatting references, and avoiding plagiarism -- you will more than likely find what you're looking for. See the videos below for a few representative examples.
Videos:
Critical Thinker Academy: What Do I Need to Cite? This video will take you through the deductive process you should follow when deciding whether you need to cite a source or not.
APA Citation Style & Format: This video is a detailed introduction to how to format citations in APA format.
APA Referencing: The Basics: This is a very detailed overview of citation and reference format, geared mainly toward APA style.