Plagiarism: Defined

In academic writing any ideas or language not credited to another are assumed to be that of the author.

It's pretty logical when you think about it: If you don't tell the reader where you got your information, the reader will assume the words and ideas are your original work. It's misleading and dishonest -- it's also plagiarism.

Let's put a positive spin on it: Suppose your reader wants to follow up on an idea you've written about. How will your reader know where to look if you don't tell him or her?

The problem of plagiarism occurs when you fail to give credit for information, such as ideas and words that are not originally yours.

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