Forgetting to document a source is considered plagiarism!
Don't wait until you finish your paper to begin citing your sources. It is a better idea to cite your sources as you find them and use them. Use these tips to help ensure that documenting your sources is quick and easy!
The best way to make sure you do not forget to cite the sources you use - cite while you write!
The quality of your final research project is related to the quality of the sources you use. As one professor put it, "garbage in, garbage out." Applying the CRAP Test is one way to evaluate quality and value of a source (book, article, etc.) before you start writing.
Ask yourself these questions to determine if the source is one you should use...
Currency
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content.
Authority
Reliability
Purpose/Point of View
At Tarrant County College, scholastic dishonesty is unacceptable and is not tolerated. Any person who is a party to scholastic dishonesty as defined below will be disciplined as prescribed in this document.
SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY is defined as misconduct including, but not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, and collusion.
PLAGIARISM is defined as presenting as one’s own the ideas or writings of another without acknowledging or documenting the source(s).
Students are guilty of plagiarism when they do any of the following in an essay or presentation:
TCC Student Handbook, pg. 64-65
Plagiarism.org - good resource for understanding what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
Turnitin Writecycle - this tool is used by TCC students to check their papers for plagiarism prior to submitting them for a grade. See your instructor for sign up instructions.
TCCD Plagiarism Tutorial - this tutorial contains a flash video detailing what plagiarism is and also includes a post test.