APA Module 1: Plagiarism

This module explains what constitutes plagiarism and how you can avoid plagiarizing in your own work.

About This Module

In this module, you will learn about the concept of plagiarism: using someone else’s work and failing to
give them proper credit. Plagiarism is taken seriously, so it is important to understand what it is and what
your responsibility is for avoiding it.

The module will cover the following topics:

 The definition of plagiarism

 Common knowledge and the information you can use without giving credit
 The types of information for which you need to give credit
 Ways to avoid plagiarism

Let’s get started!

What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is basically copying. It occurs when someone fails to show the reader that the information
they are presenting is not their own. Essentially, if you find information online and you include it in a
paper without letting the reader know where the information comes from, you have committed
plagiarism.

Letting the reader know where information comes from is called citing. Any piece of information that is
not common knowledge has to be cited.

What Is Common Knowledge?

Common knowledge is information that most people know. It does not need to be cited. Common
knowledge can differ by culture or field, so use your judgement. Use these questions to help you decide
if a piece of information is common knowledge:

 Would the average person accept the information without having to look it up?
(probably common knowledge)
 Would you likely be questioned on where you got the information? (probably NOT
common knowledge)
 Does the information include specific dates, statistics, datasets, or information from a
study? (NOT common knowledge.)

When in doubt, CITE! It is better to be cautious than to accidentally plagiarize. (Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, n.d.)

Examples of Common Knowledge

Common Knowledge
Justin Trudeau is the Prime Minister of Canada.
It is common knowledge because the average
person in Canada (and many other countries)
would know this.
Not Common Knowledge
Justin Trudeau obtained a Bachelor of Arts in
literature in 1994 (“Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of
Canada”, n.d., para. 4).
It is not common knowledge because it includes

It snows often in Ottawa during the winter.
It is common knowledge because most people
would know that it snows a lot in a Canadian
city.
specific dates and information and wouldn’t be
known by most people.
Ottawa typically gets an average of 94.3 cm of
precipitation per year (Pringle, 2017, para. 4).
It is not common knowledge because it contains a
specific statistic and most people wouldn’t know the
information.

Activity 1: Is This Common Knowledge?

As you now know, information that is common knowledge does not require a citation. Read the
examples in the next slides and answer whether each piece of information would be considered
common knowledge.

Question 1
Is this common knowledge?

A statement that nurses work in a hospital.

 Common Knowledge
 Not Common Knowledge

The correct answer is it is common knowledge. Most people know that nurses generally work in
hospitals.

Question 2
Is this common knowledge?

A description of the aseptic technique in nursing.

 Common Knowledge
 Not Common Knowledge

The correct answer is it is not common knowledge. Most people would not be able to explain the aseptic
technique. They might be able to name or recognize it but not describe it.

Question 3
Is this common knowledge?

A statement that tells the reader about the importance of a clean kitchen when baking.

 Common Knowledge
 Not Common Knowledge

The correct answer is it is common knowledge. Most people know that it is important to keep a kitchen
clean.

Question 4
Is this common knowledge?
Discussing the different chemical reactions of using baking soda instead of baking powder in a cake
recipe.

 Common Knowledge
 Not Common Knowledge

The correct answer is it is not common knowledge. The specific chemical reactions of these two
ingredients when making cake are not known by most.

Question 5
Is this common knowledge?

Listing the software programs compatible with Mac products

 Common Knowledge
 Not Common Knowledge

The correct answer is it is not common knowledge. Most people would perhaps know one or two
software programs, but they would be unable to provide a complete list.

Congratulations! You have completed Activity 1: Is this common knowledge?

What Types of Sources Do I Need to Cite?

Plagiarism occurs regardless of where the information comes from:

 a book
 a website
 a cereal box
 anything!

You must cite any source from which you get information. Even if you rephrase the sentences to the
point that they no longer look like the original sentences, not citing is still considered plagiarism because
these are not your ideas! You have to give credit where credit is due.

How Do I Avoid Plagiarism?

 Make direct quotations no more than 10% of the paper. Quotations can be used to
emphasize a point of an argument or a fact, but the majority of your paper should be in your
own words. Quotations are sections of text taken word-for-word from the original source. They
are contained within quotation marks, e.g. “this is a quotation”. Learn more about Quotations.

 Paraphrase as much as possible. It shows that you understand the material and can
discuss it in your own words. Paraphrases are sections of text that are rephrased or reworded
from the original source. They are an explanation of the information in the writer’s own words.
They do not use quotation marks. Learn more about Paraphrasing.

 Read the Plagiarism policy carefully. Students at Algonquin College need to follow the
College’s Plagiarism policy.

 Give credit to the sources of your information using the rules of a citation style. Each
citation style outlines how to properly give credit (cite).
What Are Citation Styles?
Citation styles are sets of rules for formatting papers and referencing sources. Each style creates a
standard format for papers in the fields that use it, which makes the papers easier to understand. It also
helps the writers avoid plagiarism because it provides rules for how to give credit to the sources of
information. Some Citation Styles:

 APA: The official style of the American Psychological Association. It is commonly

used in fields such as psychology, education, and social sciences.
 MLA: The official style of the Modern Language Association. It is commonly
used in fields such as English and the Humanities.
 IEEE: The editorial style of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. It
is commonly used in engineering, computers, and technical fields.

How Do I Avoid Plagiarism Using a Citation Style

 Properly cite all your sources. Follow the citation rules in for the citation style you are
using.
 Introduce sources properly: When you include information from a source, you must
clearly indicate where the information comes from, in the correct format for the citation style.
For example:
o Research by Boyd and Dion (2016) shows that…
o According to Boyd and Dion (2016), …
o … (Boyd and Dion, 2016).
 Make sure your in-text citations match the sources on the reference page. Citing
includes labels in the body of your paper (in-text citations) which correspond to the full citation
in a list at the end (reference list/works cited/bibliography). Do not include a reference (full
citation) for which you have no in-text citation and vice-versa.

Activity 2: Is this Plagiarism?

Read the scenarios on the next slides and answer whether they would constitute plagiarism.

Question 1
You lent a friend your assignment, and he copied chunks of it. Are you (the one who lent the assignment)
guilty of plagiarism?

 Yes
 No

The correct answer is Yes. The student who lent the assignment is guilty of plagiarism, as is the student
who copied.

Question 2
You include lyrics from a song in your paper, and you use quotation marks. You did not include an in-text
citation because they are song lyrics. Is this plagiarism?

 Yes
 No
The correct answer is Yes. This is plagiarism. Students need to include in-text citations when using song
lyrics.

Question 3
In a paper, you discuss the fact that Barack Obama was the first person of colour to be President of the
United States, and you don’t include a citation. Is this plagiarism?

 Yes
 No

The correct answer is Yes. This is not plagiarism. This fact is common knowledge and, as such, does not
need to be cited.

Question 4
You are working on a group project, and your teammate copied several sentences from the Internet. She
did not use in-text citations, nor did she include these sources in the reference page. Are YOU guilty of
plagiarism?

 Yes (correct)
 No

The correct answer is Yes. All parties in the group are guilty of plagiarism, including you. In-text citations
and a reference page need to be included for sources of information. Students have to make sure their
teammates’ work is cited and in APA style.

Activity 3: Explain Plagiarism

Type your answers to the questions that follow, and then view the correct answer to compare the two
and see if you answered correctly.

Question 1
Instructions: Type your answer below and then click Compare to view the right answer.

Explain what plagiarism is in your own words.

Answer: Plagiarism is copying or not adding in-text citations or a reference page.

Question 2
What types of sources require in-text citations and a reference page?

Instructions: Type your answer below and then click Compare to view the right answer.

Answer: Any piece of information that is not common knowledge requires in-text citations and a
reference page.

Question 3
What can happen to a student who commits plagiarism? List all eight possible consequences.

Instructions: Type your answer below and then click Compare to view the right answer.

Answer:
 a. requirement that the student complete a course(s) related to academic integrity

b. requirement that the student resubmit the assignment

c. requirement that the student submit additional work

d. reduction of the weight for the assignment towards the overall course grade

e. assigning the grade of zero for the assignment

f. assigning the grade of F for the course

g. suspension from the Program

h. suspension from the College

Question 4
What percentage of a paper can be direct quotes if a student wants to avoid being accused of
plagiarism?

Instructions: Type your answer below and then click Compare to view the right answer.

Answer: 10%.

Congratulations
You have completed the activity.

References
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://pm.gc.ca/eng/prime-minister-justin-trudeau

Pringle, Josh. (2017, October 29). Ottawa sets rainfall record. Retrieved from

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ottawa-sets-rainfall-record-1.3654218

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (n.d.). What is common knowledge? Retrieved from

https://integrity.mit.edu/handbook/citing-your-sources/what-common-knowledge