Avoiding Plagiarism

While there is no excuse for intentional plagiarism, accidental plagiarism can happen, but it usually comes from panic or confusion. Luckily, there are many easy ways to avoid plagiarism. If you ever suspect that you might be plagiarizing, these are a few strategies:

• Speak with your instructor.
• oIf you are ever unsure about your citations, paraphrasing, quotes, or Works Cited page, ask your instructor if they will review it with you.
• Speak with a writing coach at the KSU Writing Center.
• oWriting coaches are always willing to help with any questions you have regarding plagiarism and correct citation.
• When in doubt, cite it.
• oIf you are ever unsure of something needing a citation, cite it. It is much easier to remove unnecessary citations than it is to find where a citation begins and ends.
• Avoid "patchwork plagiarism."

"Patchwork plagiarism" is when someone either mixes multiple sources together to make it look like a new idea, or when someone uses source after source after source until most of the paper is other people's work. Even if cited correctly, these are forms of plagiarism, as most of the paper is not your own.

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Using AI Ethically

At KSU, instructors define the proper and improper use of AI from class to class. Review AI usage with your instructors at the beginning of the semester to understand their expectations.

In general, however, if you use AI software to create entire assignments for you, then that is a form of plagiarism. While AI can be utilized as a brainstorming tool or as a way to help you find sources, AI should not replace your learning at the university. Developing the skills to outline, research, and write are essential to your learning.