Plagiarism - The action or practice of plagiarizing; the wrongful appropriation or purloining, and publication as one's own, of the ideas, or the expression of the ideas (literary, artistic, musical, mechanical, etc.) of another. (Oxford English Dictionary 2nd ed.)

Learning the proper mechanics of scholarly writing is the key to avoiding plagiarism. One very good tutorial is  "Avoiding Plagiarism - Mastering the Art of Scholarship" from UC-Davis.
Here is some additional information:

• Copyright Basics
  Copyright laws exist to protect the author of an original work and to promote the sharing of ideas.  While copyright and plagiarism are two different things, they are often related.  Researchers know the basics of copyright law and work within the law.  Infractions are handled in Federal Court. Here are the key points:

  • All original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium (i.e. written down or recorded) are protected.
  • Facts or common knowledge cannot be copyrighted. But remember, even though YOU may know something, it might not really be "common knowledge."
  • Copyright protection lasts for a finite period of time.  Items for which copyright has expired (generally, items published before 1923) are considered in the "public domain."
  • Items in the public domain can be copied and sold without  permission. HOWEVER, this does not mean that such items do not require proper citation.
  • While much of the information on the web is in the public domain, posting on the web does not void copyright protection (i.e. items published after 1923 are still under copyright and must be treated as such).
  • Copyrighted items may not be posted on the web - not even on a personal website.
  • Educational Fair Use allows teachers and students to make a single copy of an item for the purpose of study and research.

• Tips to Avoid Plagiarism
• Know which citation style is required for your class (probably MLA), learn it and use it.
• Cite all sources, even if you paraphrase.
• Use your own words or images (i.e. think for yourself!).
• Ask your teacher for help if you are unsure of the assignment.
• Changing a few words in a sentence does not make it yours (i.e. cite it).
• Remember that there is nothing wrong with using another's ideas in your research. In fact, scholarly research is built upon this.
• MLA Style

All scholarly writing needs to follow certain rules - this set of rules is called the citation style.  The style that is used most often in high schools and freshman comp classes is from the Modern Language Association, called MLA.  The Library owns a copy of the manual (MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers) and it is also available from the bookstore.  Also, feel free to contact the US Librarian for help. Here are some highlights:
• Direct quotes must be in quotation marks and include an in-text reference to the source and page number.
• MLA requires a "Works Cited" page at the end of your paper that lists ALL sources used (those that have been quoted and those that have provided ideas). This is sometimes called a bibliography.
• Paraphrased ideas must be cited in the text of the paper (not just in the Works Cited section).
• All items listed in the Works Cited section should also be cited in the text of your paper.
• The sources must be listed in the Works Cited section following certain rules.  These rules vary depending on the source.  For more information, consult the MLA Handbook or click here.
• For a sample paper written in MLA style, click here.
• When in doubt, cite it!
• CCDS Penalties for Honor Code Violations

While copyright infringement is illegal, plagiarism is not (i.e. you will not be arrested).  It is, however, unethical, contradictory to scholarship and a MAJOR violation of  the CCDS Honor Code. Students suspected of plagiarism will be brought before the Honor Council and are subject to disciplinary action. To deter plagiarism, many assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn.com.