Copyright and Fair Use Basics: Plagiarism

1. Copyright infringement is illegal and punishable under federal law; plagiarism is a violation of academic norms and integrity. 
2. Copyright violation offends the copyright holder who could be the author or another entity, such as the publisher; plagiarism offends the author. 
3. Copyright violations happens when an expression is copied verbatim; plagiarism happens when ideas are copied. (Ideas are not protected by copyright law.)
4. Copyright ensures the appropriate people are compensated for the use of their property (when required by law); plagiarism ensures that credit is given to the appropriate person for their intellectual property. 

If your students need help you can direct them to the Writing Center located in the Sandor Teszler library. 

The Writing Center hours are Monday-Thursday 1:00-4:00 PM and 7:00-10:00 PM, Friday 1:00-4:00 PM, and Sunday 7:00 PM-10:00 PM during the Fall and Spring Semesters. 

For self-help you can direct them to the Purdue Owl

Citations are needed for the following: 

1. Direct quotations
2. Ideas from other sources (verbatim or paraphrased)
3. Facts that are not common knowledge

Citations are necessary to avoid plagiarism, but they are also immensely useful for anyone reading your work. Properly cited sources are a great way for the reader to further study the topic.