As a writer it is your ethical responsibility to give proper credit to sources.
When researching, you need to create a Bibliography or 'Works Cited' page for the Books/Websites/Videos/ Images you used to find the answers to your questions.
The following explanations for Plagiarism were adapted from the Common Sense Media unitWhose is it Anyway?
What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism is copying someone else’s work and calling it your own.
When is it okay to use someone else’s words or ideas?
When you use quotation marks around the words you use and give a citation.
When you use someone’s ideas or words to help you say something in your own words and provide a citation.
Why do we need to cite the work we use?
To avoid plagiarism.
To give credit to the person who made it.
So other people can find the sources you used.
Citing work shows respect for other people’s work.
Why is it important to show respect for other people’s work?
It’s the right thing to do.
It shows them we admire and appreciate their work.
Quoting, Summarising and Paraphrasing - tips to avoid plagarism.
Basically, any idea of fact that you received from a source needs to be cited. Any idea of fact that is common knowledge does not need to be cited. For example, a fact like the earth rotates around the sun is common knowledge and would not have to be cited.
Cameron School District, "LMC Plagiarism - Cheating" Cameron School District, 2009, Cameron School District, 22 January 2013, <http://www.cameron.k12.wi.us/lmc/hs_lmc/hs_lmc_plagiarism.html>.
Common Sense Media, "Lesson: Whose is it Anyway?" Common Sense Media, 2013, Common Sense Media, 22 January 2013, <http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/lesson/whose-it-anyway-4-5>.
