History: Strategies for Preventing Plagiarism

Strategy #1: Paraphrase

Paraphrase is your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in your own words.

Getting paraphrasing right

• Re-read passages until you understand the full meaning.
• Set the original asidem and write the paraphrase on a note card.
• Rewrite the main points in your words without looking at the original.
• Check the original to make sure that your version expresses all essential information.
• Type your paraphrase in your paper.
• Remember to cite using APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

Strategy #2: Quoting

Quoting is copying the exact words of the original passage and showing evidence with quotation marks. There are two types of quotations: direct and indirect.

Use quotations to:

• Emphasize a point you've made
• Provide an example
• Show an author's intention
• Show how historical figures spoke or thought

Strategy #3: Summarizing

A summary is a shortened version of the original text. The purpose of a summary is to highlight the major points from reviewed text. The goal is to help the audience get the gist in a short period of time.

Getting summarizing right

• Read the selection, looking for key ideas, and evidence
• Identify the writer's main purpose of the dscussion
• Combine your section summaries
• Indicate clearly the source of your summary using a style guide or style manual (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)

Strategy 4: Use style guides or style manuals

Style Guides or style manuals are used to document resources used throughout your research paper.

* Always consult with your instructior to determine which style guide to use.

Citing sources used in your research paper will:

• Prevent plagiarism by giving credit to others ideas
• Back up important facts made in your paper
• Demonstrate that you researched your topic

An in-text citation provides information about the source used in your research paper. Often, in-text citations include a signal phrase which gives the author's name and parenthetical reference (author's name and page number). The set-up of an in-text citation will vary according to each style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)

What is a signal phrase?

A signal phrase signal to a reader that either a direct quote or paraphrase is about to follow.

 The following contain suggested signal phrases to use when introducing a quote or paraphrase.

Example using APA in-text citation

Remember there are different types of quotations.

Types of quotations include:

• Direct quotations incorporates another person's direct words in your writing
• Indirect quotations are not exact words but rephrasing or summaries of another person's writings.
• Short quotes are places in quotation marks in the text of your research paper. Short quotes consist of 40 words or less. 
• Long quotes are used when a quotation exceeds 40 words in length. Place direct quotes longer than 40 words in block quotation.
• Block quotation or long quotation is a quotation in a writtne document which is set off from the main text as a distinct paragraph (or block)

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